MacBook

MacBook is a brand of Macintosh laptop computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc. that uses Apple's macOS operating system. It replaced the iBook series and 12-inch PowerBook series of notebooks as a part of the Apple–Intel transition from PowerPC. Positioned as the low end of the MacBook family, the Apple MacBook was aimed at the consumer and education markets. It was the best-selling Macintosh ever. For five months in 2008, it was the best-selling laptop of any brand in US retail stores. Collectively, the MacBook brand is the "world's top-selling line of premium laptops."

History

The MacBook was introduced in May 2006, and it served as a replacement for the iBook and 12" PowerBook series of notebooks. The MacBook was updated with Intel's Core 2 Duo chips in late 2006. The MacBook was discontinued in 2011, but a new model was introduced in 2015.

Design

The MacBook has a unibody design and includes features such as a backlit keyboard and a large trackpad that responds to multi-touch gestures.

Models

There have been four separate designs of the MacBook. The original model used a combination of polycarbonate and fiberglass casing which was modeled after the iBook G4. The second type was introduced in October 2008 alongside the 15-inch MacBook Pro; the MacBook shared the more expensive laptop's unibody aluminum casing, but omitted FireWire, which hurt sales. A third design, introduced in October 2009, had a polycarbonate unibody casing.

The fourth type, introduced in April 2015, has a thinner chassis, a retina display, a redesigned trackpad, and only two ports: a headphone jack and a USB 3.1 Type-C port for charging, data transfer, and video output.

Software

The MacBook runs on Apple's macOS operating system. The software package includes a suite of productivity and entertainment applications, including iLife, iTunes, and Safari.

Reception

The MacBook has been praised for its design, build quality, performance, and value for money. However, it has been criticized for its lack of ports and the high price of its higher-end models.

See also

• MacBook Air
• MacBook Pro
• Macintosh