MacBookis a brand ofMaclaptopcomputers developed and marketed byApplethat use Apple'smacOSoperating system since 2006. The MacBook brand replaced thePowerBookandiBookbrands during theMac transition to Intel processors,announced in 2005. The current lineup consists of theMacBook Air(2008–present) and theMacBook Pro(2006–present). Two different lines simply named "MacBook" existed from 2006 to 2012 and 2015 to 2019. The MacBook brand was the "world's top-selling line of premium laptops" as of 2015[update].[1]
Overview
editThe MacBook family was initially housed in designs similar to the iBook and PowerBook lines which preceded them, which changed to a unibodyaluminumconstruction similar to the one first introduced with the MacBook Air. The unibody construction also has a black plastic keyboard that was first used on the MacBook Air, which itself was inspired by the sunken keyboard of the original polycarbonate MacBooks. The now standardized keyboard brings congruity to the MacBook line, with black keys on a metallic aluminum body.
The lids of the MacBook family are held closed by a magnet with no mechanical latch, a design element first introduced with the polycarbonate MacBook. The memory, drives, and batteries were accessible in the old MacBook lineup, though the newest compact lineup solders or glues all such components in place. All of the current MacBooks feature backlit keyboards.
Models named "MacBook"
editMacBook (2006–2012)
editAs part of theMac transition to Intel processors,Apple released a 13-inch laptop simply named "MacBook", as a successor to thePowerPC-basediBookseries of laptops. During its existence, it was the most affordable Mac, serving as the entry-level laptop that was less expensive than the rest of the Mac laptop lineup (theMacBook Proportable workstation, and later theMacBook Airultra-portable). It was aimed at the consumer and education markets. Successive revisions of the MacBook were sold to consumers between May 2006 and July 2011, by which time it been superseded by the MacBook Air which had a lower entry price.[2]Apple continued to sell the MacBook to educational institutions until February 2012.[3][4]
During its existence, it was the best-sellingMacin Apple's history. For five months in 2008, it was the best-selling laptop of any brand in US retail stores.[5]Collectively, the MacBook brand was the "world's top-selling line of premium laptops."[6]
There have been three separate designs of this MacBook. The original design used a combination ofpolycarbonateandfiberglasscasing which was modeled after theiBook G4.The second design, introduced in October 2008 alongside the 15-inch MacBook Pro, shared the latter's unibodyaluminiumcasing, but lacked aFireWireport. A third design, introduced in late 2009, retained a similar unibody construction but changed back to white polycarbonate. The aluminum unibody design continued in productions as the newly introduced 13-inchMacbook Pro.
12-inch MacBook (2015–2019)
editIn 2015, Apple introduced the 12-inch MacBook (unofficially called the Retina MacBook, officially marketed as the new MacBook), which sat between theMacBook AirandMacBook Proin Apple's laptop lineup. It was more compact than any other notebook in the MacBook family at the time and included aRetina display,fanlessdesign, a Butterfly keyboard with lower key travel. It only had oneUSB-Cport, used for both power and data, as well as a3.5mm headphone jack.It was released in 2015, revised in 2017, and discontinued in July 2019, a year after the release of the MacBook Air with Retina display.
MacBook family
editMacBook Air
editThe MacBook Air is Apple's least expensive notebook computer. While the 1st generation was released as a premium ultraportable positioned above the 2006–2012 MacBook, lowered prices on subsequent iterations and the discontinuation of that MacBook have made it serve as the entry-level Mac portable. The 2010–2017 base model came with a 13-inch screen and was Apple's thinnest notebook computer until the introduction of the MacBook in March 2015. This MacBook Air model features two USB Type-A 3.0 ports and a Thunderbolt 2 port, as well as anSDXCcard slot (only on the 13-inch model). This model of MacBook Air did not have a Retina display. A MacBook Air model with an 11-inch screen was available from early October 2010 to late October 2016. In 2017, the MacBook Air received a small refresh, with the processor speed increasing to 1.8 GHz.
On October 30, 2018, the MacBook Air underwent a major design change, dropping the USB Type-A ports,MagSafe,and the SD card slot in favor of two USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports and a headphone jack. It was updated with aRetina displayandIntel Y-series Amber Lakei5 CPUs, as well as a Force Touch trackpad, a third-generation butterfly mechanism keyboard, and theTouch IDsensor found in the fourth-generation MacBook Pro, but without the Touch Bar. The base price was also raised, although the base configuration of the 2017 model was retained until July 9, 2019, when it was discontinued along with the Retina MacBook.[7]The base price of this model was also dropped to $1099 ($999 for students) on the same day.[8]
On November 10, 2020, Apple announced that the MacBook Air would use the newApple M1system on a chip. The M1 Air does not have a fan, ensuring silent operation but limiting the M1 chip speed in sustained operations. Performance was claimed to be higher than most current Intel laptops.[9]
On June 6, 2022, atWWDC 2022,Apple announced a new MacBook Air based on theApple M2system on a chip.[10]It incorporates several design elements from the fifth-generation MacBook Pro models, such as a flat, slab-shaped design, full-sized function keys, and a Liquid Retina display with rounded corners and a notch for a1080pwebcam, but retains the previous generation's fanless design. It includes two combinationThunderbolt 3/USB 4ports and addsMagSafecharging.[11]
On June 5, 2023, atWWDC 2023,Apple announced a larger 15-inch version of the M2 model.[12]
On March 4, 2024, Apple announced updated 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models based on theApple M3system on a chip.[13]
MacBook Pro
editThe MacBook Pro is Apple's higher-end notebook available in 14-inch and 16-inch configurations. The most recent 13-inch MacBook Pro was introduced in October 2018. It features a touch-sensitive OLED display strip located in place of thefunction keys,aTouch IDsensor integrated with the power button, and four USB-C ports that also serve as Thunderbolt 3 ports. The 13-inch model was also available in a less expensive configuration with conventional function keys and only two USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports, but since July 2019, the base MacBook Pro model has the Touch Bar as well as quad-core processors, similar to the higher-end models, although it still has only two USB-C / Thunderbolt 3 ports.[14]The May 2020 refresh adopts many of the upgrades seen in the 16 "2019 MacBook Pro, including the scissor mechanism keyboard (" Magic Keyboard ") and a physical Escape button.
On November 13, 2019, Apple released the 16-inch MacBook Pro, replacing the 15-inch model of the previous generation, and replacing the butterfly keyboard with a scissor mechanism keyboard (dubbed the Magic Keyboard by Apple), reverting to the old "inverted-T" arrow key layout, replacing the virtualEscape keyon the Touch Bar with a physical key, and replacing theAMDPolarisandVegagraphics from the 15-inch model with options from AMD'sNavigraphics architecture, as well as reengineering the speakers, microphone array, and the thermal system compared to the 15-inch; the latter had thermal limitations in the 15-inch model due to its design. In addition, the 16-inch is available with up to 64GB of DDR4 2667 MHz RAM and up to 8 TB of SSD storage. It also has a 100 Wh battery; this is the largest battery that can be easily carried onto a commercial airliner under U.S.Transportation Security Administrationrules.[15][16][17]
On November 10, 2020, Apple announced a new model of the MacBook Pro incorporating the newApple M1system on a chip.[18]It has a fan, allowing sustained operation of the M1 chip at its full performance level, which is claimed to match or exceed that of Intel versions. Unlike Intel Pro models, the M1 version only comes with a 13-inch screen, has only two Thunderbolt ports, and has a maximum of 16 GB random access memory (RAM).[9]
On October 18, 2021, Apple announced new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models during an online event.[19]They are based on the M1 Pro and M1 Max, Apple's first professional-focusedARM-basedsystems on a chip.This release addressed many criticisms of the previous generation[20]by reintroducing hardfunction keysin place of the Touch Bar, anHDMI2.0 port,[21]anSDXCreader andMagSafecharging. Other additions include a LiquidRetinaXDR display with thinner bezels and an iPhone-like notch, ProMotion supporting a 120Hz variable refresh rate, a 1080pwebcam,Wi-Fi 6,3Thunderbolt 4ports, a six-speaker sound system supportingDolby Atmos,and support for a third 6K display on M1 Max models.[22]The 16-inch version is bundled with a 140WGaNpower supply that supportsUSB-C Power Delivery 3.1,though only MagSafe supports full-speed charging as the machine's USB-C ports are limited to 100W.[23]
On June 6, 2022, Apple announced an updated 13-inch MacBook Pro based on theApple M2system on a chip. It is housed in the same chassis as the previous M1 MacBook Pro.[24]
On January 17, 2023, Apple announced updated 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models based on the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips. The updated models also includeBluetooth 5.3andWi-Fi 6Econnectivity,HDMI2.1, longer battery life, and up to 96 GB of memory with M2 Max models.[25]
On October 30, 2023, Apple announced updated 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models based on the M3 series of chips.[26]
On October 30, 2024, Apple announced updated 14-inch and 16-inch Macbook Pro models based on the M4 series of the chips.
Comparisons
edit| Model | Processor(Apple silicon) | Memory | Storage | Graphics | Display resolution(IPSRetina) | Peripheral connections | Battery (lithium polymer,non-removable) | List price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook Air(13-inch, M2) | 3.5GHz 8-coreApple M2system-on-chip with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores | 16GB of unified in-package 128-bit 6400MHz LPDDR5 SDRAM with up to 102.4GB/s of memory bandwidth
Optional 24GB at the time of purchase only. |
256GB PCIe-based SSD
Optional 512GB, 1TB or 2TB at the time of purchase, not upgradable after. |
8-core or 10-core Apple-designed integrated GPU with shared memory | 13.6 ",2560 × 1664,224px/in withwide color gamut (P3),500cd/m2,True Tone display, 1 billion colors |
|
52.6Wh | $999, $899 for students |
| MacBook Air(13-inch, M3) | 4.0GHz 8-coreApple M3system-on-chip with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores | 16GB or 24GB of unified in-package 128-bit 6400MHz LPDDR5 SDRAM with up to 102.4GB/s of memory bandwidth | 256GB or 512GB PCIe-based SSD
Optional 1TB or 2TB at the time of purchase, not upgradable after. |
$1,099, $999 for students | ||||
| MacBook Air(15-inch, M3) | 10-core Apple-designed integrated GPU with shared memory | 15.3 ",2880 × 1864,224px/in withwide color gamut (P3),500cd/m2,True Tone display, 1 billion colors | 66.5Wh | $1,299, $1,199 for students | ||||
| MacBook Pro(14-inch, M4) | 4.4GHz 10-coreApple M4system-on-chip with 4 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores | 16GB or 24GB of unified in-package 128-bit 7500MHz LPDDR5X SDRAM with up to 120GB/s of memory bandwidth
Optional 32GB at the time of purchase only. |
512GB or 1TB PCIe-based SSD
Optional 2TB at the time of purchase, not upgradable after. |
14.2 ",3024 × 1964,254px/in withwide color gamut (P3),SDR: 600cd/m2,XDR: 1000cd/m2sustained full-screen, 1600cd/m2peak (HDR content only), True Tone display, 1 billion colors, 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate with ProMotion technology |
|
72.4Wh | $1,599, $1,499 for students | |
| MacBook Pro(14-inch, M4 Pro or M4 Max) |
|
Optional 48GB, 64GB, or 128GB RAM configuration available at time of purchase only |
512GB or 1TB PCIe-based SSD
Optional 2TB, 4TB or 8TB (M4 Max only) at the time of purchase, not upgradable after. |
|
|
$1,999, $1,849 for students | ||
| MacBook Pro(16-inch, M4 Pro or M4 Max) |
|
Optional 64GB or 128GB RAM configuration available at time of purchase only |
|
16.2 ",3456 × 2234,254px/in withwide color gamut (P3),SDR: 600cd/m2,XDR: 1000cd/m2sustained full-screen, 1600cd/m2peak (HDR content only), True Tone display, 1 billion colors, 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate with ProMotion technology | 99.6Wh | $2,499, $2,299 with a student discount. |
Timeline
edit| Timeline of portable Macintoshes |
|---|
 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^Hiner, Jason(May 21, 2015)."Pro review: Apple's new 12-inch MacBook shines for business travelers and web workers".TechRepublic.CBS Interactive.Archivedfrom the original on May 22, 2015.RetrievedMay 21,2015.
- ^Slivka, Eric(July 20, 2011)."Apple discontinues white MacBook".MacRumors.Archivedfrom the original on July 22, 2011.RetrievedJuly 20,2011.
- ^Slivka, Eric(July 20, 2011)."White MacBook Not Dead Yet: Still Available for Educational Institutions".MacRumors.Archivedfrom the original on July 22, 2011.RetrievedJuly 20,2011.
- ^Slivka, Eric(February 8, 2012)."Apple Kills Off White MacBook as Educational Institution Distribution Halted".MacRumors.Archivedfrom the original on February 10, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 9,2012.
- ^Mossberg, Walter(October 28, 2008)."Apple Polishes Popular MacBook for a Higher Price".All Things Digital.The Wall Street Journal.Archivedfrom the original on August 13, 2011.RetrievedNovember 18,2008.
- ^Hiner, Jason(May 21, 2015)."Pro review: Apple's new 12-inch MacBook shines for business travelers and web workers".TechRepublic.CBS Interactive.Archivedfrom the original on May 22, 2015.RetrievedMay 21,2015.
- ^"Apple MacBook Air 2018 gets Retina display, Touch ID for $1,199, available Nov. 7".CNET.2018-10-30.Retrieved2018-11-15.
- ^"MacBook Air and MacBook Pro updated for back-to-school season".Apple Newsroom.Retrieved2019-08-07.
- ^ab"New MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Mac mini With Apple M1 SoC: Prices in India".NDTV Gadgets 360.11 November 2020.Retrieved2021-07-24.
- ^Apple unveils all-new MacBook Air, supercharged by the new M2 chip
- ^Pierce, David (2022-06-06)."Hands-on with the new, more colorful, M2-powered MacBook Air".The Verge.Retrieved2022-06-07.
- ^Apple introduces the 15-inch MacBook Air
- ^Apple unveils the new 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air with the powerful M3 chip
- ^"MacBook Pro".Apple.Apple.RetrievedOctober 27,2016.
- ^"Lithium batteries with more than 100 watt hours".Transportation Security Administration.2017-03-14.Retrieved2019-11-22.
- ^"Pack Safe – Batteries, lithium".faa.gov.Retrieved2019-11-22.
- ^"Apple introduces 16-inch MacBook Pro, the world's best pro notebook".Apple Newsroom.Retrieved2019-11-22.
- ^"Apple unleashes M1".Apple Newsroom.Retrieved2022-06-22.
- ^"Apple unveils game-changing MacBook Pro".Apple Newsroom.Retrieved2021-10-18.
- ^"Fi xing the MacBook Pro – Marco.org".marco.org.Retrieved2021-10-19.
- ^"New MacBook Pro models limited to HDMI 2.0".AppleInsider.19 October 2021.Retrieved2021-10-19.
- ^"Introducing M1 Pro and M1 Max: the most powerful chips Apple has ever built".Apple Newsroom.Retrieved2021-10-18.
- ^Porter, Jon (2021-10-19)."Apple's new 140W charger can fast charge a lot more than just your MacBook Pro".The Verge.Retrieved2021-10-19.
- ^13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 available to order starting Friday, June 17
- ^"5 Things to Know About the New MacBook Pros".MacRumors.17 January 2023.Retrieved2023-01-17.
- ^Apple unveils the new MacBook Pro featuring the M3 family of chips, making the world’s best pro laptop even better