PowerBook G4

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PowerBook G4
PowerBook redjar.jpg
An aluminum PowerBook G4 with a 15.2-inch screen
Developer Apple Computer
Type Laptop
Release dateJanuary 9, 2001
DiscontinuedMay 16, 2006
CPU PowerPC G4, 400 MHz–1.67 GHz
Predecessor PowerBook G3
PowerBook 2400c
Successor MacBook Pro (Intel-based)

The PowerBook G4 is a series of notebook computers manufactured, marketed, and sold by Apple Computer between 2001 and 2006 as part of its PowerBook line of notebooks. The PowerBook G4 runs on the RISC-based PowerPC G4 processor, designed by the AIM (Apple/IBM/Motorola) development alliance and initially produced by Motorola. It was built later by Freescale, after Motorola spun off its semiconductor business under that name in 2004. The PowerBook G4 has had two different designs: one with a titanium body with a translucent black keyboard and a 15-inch screen; and another in an aluminum body with an aluminum-colored keyboard, in 12-inch, 15-inch, and 17-inch sizes.

Contents

Between 2001 and 2003, Apple produced the titanium PowerBook G4; between 2003 and 2006, the aluminum models were produced. Both models were hailed for their modern design, long battery life, and processing power. When the aluminum PowerBook G4s were first released in January 2003, 12-inch and 17-inch models were introduced first, while the 15-inch model retained the titanium body until September 2003, when a new aluminum 15-inch PowerBook was released. The aluminum 15-inch model also includes a FireWire 800 port, which had been included with the 17-inch model since its debut nine months earlier.

The PowerBook G4 is the last generation of the PowerBook series, and was succeeded by the Intel-powered MacBook Pro line in the first half of 2006. The last version of macOS that any PowerBook G4 can run is Mac OS X Leopard, which was released in 2007. [1] When Apple switched to Intel x86 processors in 2006, some design features of the PowerBook G4's form and aluminum chassis were retained for the MacBook Pro.

1st generation: Titanium

PowerBook G4 (titanium)
1ghz Titanium Apple PowerBook G4.jpg
The titanium PowerBook G4 (nicknamed TiBook) [2]
Developer Apple Computer
Type Laptop
Release dateJanuary 9, 2001
DiscontinuedSeptember 16, 2003
CPU PowerPC G4, 400 MHz–1 GHz

The first generation of the PowerBook G4 was announced at Steve Jobs' MacWorld Expo keynote on January 9, 2001. The two models featured a PowerPC G4 processor running at either 400 or 500 MHz, housed in a titanium-clad case that was 1 inch (25 mm) deep. This was 0.7 inches (18 mm) shallower than the G4's predecessor, the PowerBook G3. The G4 was one of the first laptops to use a screen with a widescreen aspect ratio. It also featured a front-mounted slot-loading optical drive. [3] The notebook was given the unofficial nickname "TiBook", after the titanium case and the PowerBook brand name; [2] it was sold alongside the cheaper iBook. The 1 GHz version of the titanium G4 is the last, and fastest, PowerBook that can natively run Mac OS 9 (version 9.2.2).

Industrial design

The initial design of the PowerBook G4 was developed by Apple hardware designers Jory Bell, Nick Merz, and Danny Delulis. [4] Quanta, an original design manufacturer, also helped in the design.[ citation needed ] The new machine was a sharp departure from the black plastic, curvilinear PowerBook G3 models that preceded it. The orientation of the Apple logo on the computer's lid was switched so that it would "read" correctly to onlookers when the computer was in use. [5] PowerBook G3 and prior models presented it right-side-up from the perspective of the computer's owner when the lid was closed. Apple's industrial design team, headed by British designer Jonathan Ive, converged around a minimalist aesthetic—the titanium G4's design language laid the groundwork for the aluminum PowerBook G4, the MacBook Pro, the Power Mac G5, the flat-screen iMac, the Xserve, and the Mac mini.

Reception

In a review, Macworld's Andrew Gore praised the PowerBook's weight, wider screen, and Velocity Engine, but criticized the difficulty of replacing the hard drive. In a battery test, he found that Apple's stated 5 hours of battery life could only be achieved with the screen dimmed and the processor clocked down to 300MHz, though he described battery life in normal use, of slightly over three hours, as "very respectable". [6] ATPM's Trevor Boehm rated it "excellent", describing it as pricy but a good desktop replacement, and praising its speed, screen, and ports, though he criticized the trackpad as oversensitive and inconvenient for drag and drop. [7] PC World's Carla Thornton praised its design, screen and performance, but criticized its graphics, DVD speed, battery life and price. [8]

Quality issues

The hinges on the titanium PowerBook display are notorious for breaking under typical use. Usually the hinge (which is shaped like an L) will break just to the left of where it attaches to the lower case on the right hinge, and just to the right on the left hinge (where the right hinge is on the right side of the computer when the optical drive is facing the user). When the 667 MHz and 800 MHz "DVI" PowerBooks were introduced, Apple changed the hinge design slightly to strengthen it. At least one aftermarket manufacturer began producing sturdier replacement hinges [9] to address this problem, though actually performing the repair is difficult as the display bezel is glued together. In addition some discolouration, bubbling or peeling of paint on the outer bezel occurred, notably around the area where the palm would rest while using the trackpad, and around the rear of the hinges where paint on the back of the machine was often worn off. This appeared on early models but not on later titanium PowerBooks. [10]

Display issues

The video cable is routed around the left-side hinge. This will cause the cable to weaken under heavy usage. Many owners have reported display problems such as random lines or a jumbled screen, although a few owners have replaced just the video cable to successfully resolve this problem. There is also a backlight cable that might fail; The best option is to replace either or both cables before replacing LCD screen.

Technical specifications

According to Apple, all of these models are obsolete. [a] [11]

Model [12] "Mercury", Original TiBook [13] "Onyx", Gigabit TiBook"Ivory", DVI TiBook"Antimony", TiBook
TimetableReleasedJanuary 9, 2001October 16, 2001April 29, 2002November 6, 2002
DiscontinuedOctober 16, 2001April 29, 2002November 6, 2002September 16, 2003
Model info.Model numberM5884 (EMC 1854)M8407 (EMC 1895)A1001 (EMC 1913)A1025 (EMC N/A)
Model identifierPowerBook3,2PowerBook3,3PowerBook3,4PowerBook3,5
Order numberM7952M7710M8362M8363M8591M8592M8858M8859
Display Size15.2" (widescreen)
MethodTFT matte LCD display
Resolution1152×7681280×854
Performance Processor PowerPC G4 (7410) PowerPC G4 (7450) PowerPC G4 (7455)
Processor speed400 MHz500 MHz550 MHz667 MHz800 MHz867 MHz1 GHz
Cache 1 MB backside L2 cache (2:1)256 KB on-chip L2 cache (1:1)256 KB on-chip L2 cache
1 MB L3 cache (1:1)
256 KB on-chip L2 cache
1 MB DDR L3 cache (1:1)
Front Side Bus 100 MHz133 MHz
Memory Range128 MB (two 64 MB)
Expandable up to 1 GB
256 MB (two 128 MB)
Expandable up to 1 GB
128 MB (two 64 MB)
Expandable up to 1 GB
256 MB (two 128 MB)
Expandable up to 1 GB
256 MB (two 128 MB) or 512 MB (two 256 MB)
Expandable up to 1 GB
TypePC100 SDRAMPC133 SDRAM
Graphics Amount8 MB of SDRAM16 MB of SDRAM32 MB of DDR SDRAM32 MB or 64 MB of DDR SDRAM
TypeATI Rage Mobility 128ATI RadeonATI Radeon 7500ATI Radeon 9000
AGP 2x4x
Storage Hard drive
Ultra ATA/66
10 GB
Optional 30 GB
20 GB
Optional 30 GB
20 GB
Optional 48 GB
30 GB
Optional 48 GB
30 GB at 4200 rpm
Optional 60 GB at 5400 rpm
40 GB at 4200 rpm
Optional 60 GB at 5400 rpm
40 GB at 4200 rpm60 GB at 4200 rpm
Optical drive
(slot-loading)
6x DVD-ROM6x DVD-ROM
Optional 24x CD-ROM read, 8x CD-R write, 8x CD-RW write
8x DVD read, 8x CD-R write, 24x CD-R read8x DVD read, 8x CD-R write, 24x CD-R read or 1x DVD-R write, 6x DVD read, 8x CD-R write, 24x CD read
ConnectionsConnectivityOptional AirPort 802.11b
10/100 BASE-T Fast Ethernet
56k V.90 modem
Infrared (IrDA)
Optional AirPort 802.11b
Gigabit Ethernet
56k V.90 modem
Infrared (IrDA)
Integrated AirPort 802.11b
Gigabit Ethernet
56k V.90 modem
Infrared (IrDA)
Optional or Integrated AirPort 802.11b
Gigabit Ethernet
56k V.92 modem
Peripherals2x USB 1.1
1x FireWire 400
PC Card I/II
Built-in stereo speakers
Audio output mini-jack
2x USB 1.1
1x FireWire 400
PC Card I/II
Built-in stereo speakers
Audio output mini-jack
Audio input mini-jack
Video out VGA and S-Video DVI and S-Video
Battery50 watt hour removable lithium-ion55.3 watt hour removable lithium-ion61 watt hour removable lithium-ion
Maximum Operating System Mac OS X 10.4.11 “Tiger” and Mac OS 9.2.2
Unofficially, can run Mac OS X 10.5.8 with third-party software.
Mac OS X 10.5.8 “Leopard” and Mac OS 9.2.2

2nd generation: Aluminum

PowerBook G4 (aluminum)
Powerbook G4 17" 1.67ghz Late-2005.jpg
An aluminum PowerBook G4 with a 17-inch screen
Developer Apple Computer
Type Laptop
Release dateJanuary 7, 2003
DiscontinuedFebruary 28, 2006 (15")
April 24, 2006 (17")
May 16, 2006 (12")
CPU PowerPC G4, 867 MHz – 1.67 GHz

In 2003, Apple introduced a new line of PowerBook G4s with 12-, 15-, and 17-inch screens and aluminum cases. The new notebooks not only brought a different design to the PowerBook G4 line but also laid down the foundation for Apple’s notebook design for the next five years, replaced initially in January 2008 by the MacBook Air and the subsequent MacBook and MacBook Pro redesigns in October. The 15" titanium model was still available until September 16, 2003, when the aluminum model replaced it. Notably, the 12" model brought a welcome return to the Apple subnotebook configuration, conspicuously lacking in their product line since the discontinuation of the PowerBook 2400 in 1998. While the titanium PowerBook G4s were capable of booting into Mac OS 9 or Mac OS X operating systems, the aluminum PowerBook G4s could only boot into Mac OS X. Both series of machines could run Mac OS 9 in Classic mode from within Mac OS X.

Industrial design

The aluminum PowerBook G4 was designed by Apple's Vice President of Industrial Design, Jonathan Ive, and used a radically different design from the preceding titanium models. The most obvious change was the use of aluminum instead of titanium to manufacture the body. The keyboard, which was originally black, was changed to match the color of the body. Additionally, the aluminum keyboard was backlit on the 17" model and on one of the 15" models. This was the first case of keyboard internal backlighting seen on a notebook computer. The design was considered[ by whom? ] superior to most other notebooks when it debuted in 2003, and consequently, it made the PowerBook G4 one of the most desirable notebooks on the market. The external design of Apple's professional laptops continued to remain similar to the aluminum PowerBook G4 until Apple announced the Unibody Macbook Pro at its special event on October 14, 2008.

Reception

CNET's Molly Wood described the 17-inch PowerBook as a "rock star's notebook", praising its design, screen, bundled software suite (which included iLife, QuickBooks, OmniOutliner and OmniGraffle), and backlit keyboard, though she said that the keyboard backlighting required the room to be quite dark, and that there was no option to increase its sensitivity. In benchmarks, she found that the 12-inch, 15-inch and 17-inch models all had about the same "acceptable" battery life, and that the PowerBooks had similar performance to the 17-inch iMac desktop. [14]

Quality issues

Some owners have experienced failure of the lower memory slot on some of the 15" models, with the typical repair being the replacement of the logic board. Apple had started a Repair Extension Program concerning the issue, [15] but it has been noted that some models displaying the issue have not been included. This leaves some PowerBook G4 owners with a maximum of only 1 GB of RAM to use instead of a full 2 GB.

Apple previously had a Repair Extension Program to fix the "white spot" issue on its 15" PowerBook displays. [16]

There has also been a rash of reports concerning sudden and pervasive sleeping of 1.5 and 1.67 GHz models known as Narcoleptic Aluminum PowerBook Syndrome. [17] Symptoms include the PowerBook suddenly entering sleep mode, regardless of the battery level or whether the PowerBook is plugged in. One cause is the ambient light sensing, [18] and associated instruction set coding, with possible keyboard backlight and sleep light issues accompanying the so-called "narcolepsy". Another cause is the trackpad area heat sensor; system logs report "Power Management received emergency overtemp signal. Going to sleep.".[ citation needed ]

To correct this, service groups will often replace the logic board or power converter, but the actual fix (depending on the model) for the first cause is to replace or remove the left or right ambient light sensors; and for the second cause, disconnect, remove, or replace the heat sensor, or the entire top case which holds the trackpad heat sensor. Alternatively, there are reports which detail success in removing certain sensor kernel extensions or rebuilding the kernel using the Darwin Open Source project after commenting out the relevant sleepSystem() call; permanent resolution of the sleep issue in this manner is little documented. [19]

The 1.67 GHz model may suffer from manufacturing or design defects in its display. Initial reports pointed to this only being a problem with type M9689 17" PowerBooks introduced in Q2 2005, but then this problem was also seen in displays replaced by Apple Service Providers in this period (e.g. because of the bright spots issue). The devices were the last 17" models shipped with the matte 1440×900 pixel low-resolution display. After many months of usage, the displays may show permanently shining lines of various colors stretching vertically across the LCD. Often this will start with one-pixel-wide vertical lines being "stuck" in an "always-on" mode. Various sites have been set up documenting this issue. [20] [21]

On May 20, 2005, Apple recalled 12-inch iBook G4, and 12- and 15-inch PowerBook G4 batteries (model number A1061, first 5 characters HQ441 – HQ507 for the iBook, model # A1079, serial # 3X446 – 3X510 for 12" PowerBook, model # A1078, serial # 3X446 – 3X509.) [22] They were recalled due to short-circuiting which caused overheating and explosion. The batteries were made by LG Chemical, in Taiwan and China. Apple has since removed the recall from its website.

Technical specifications

According to Apple, all of these models are obsolete. [a] [11]

ModelEarly 2003Late 2003Early 2004Early 2005Late 2005
TimetableIntroducedJanuary 7, 2003September 16, 2003April 19, 2004January 31, 2005October 19, 2005
DiscontinuedSeptember 16, 2003April 19, 2004January 31, 2005October 19, 2005May 16, 2006October 19, 2005January 10, 2006April 26, 2006
IdentifiersModel numberA1010 (EMC 1931)A1013 (EMC N/A)A1010 (EMC 1986)A1046 (EMC 1960)A1052 (EMC N/A)A1010 (EMC 1986)A1095 (EMC N/A)A1085 (EMC 1983A)A1104 (EMC 2030)A1106 (EMC 2029)A1107 (EMC N/A)A1138 (EMC N/A)A1139 (EMC N/A)
Model identifierPowerBook6,1PowerBook5,1PowerBook6,2 (DVI)PowerBook5,2 (FW800)PowerBook5,3PowerBook6,4PowerBook5,4PowerBook5,5PowerBook6,8PowerBook5,6 (SMS/BT2)PowerBook5,7PowerBook5,8 (DLSD/HR)PowerBook5,9 (DLSD/HR)
OrderM8760M8793M9007M9008M8980M8981M9110M9183M9184M9421M9422M9462M9690M9691M9676M9677M9689M9969M9970
Display 12.1" 1024×768 TFT LCD 17" 1440×900 TFT LCD 12.1" 1024×768 TFT LCD 15.2" 1280×854 TFT LCD 17" 1440×900 TFT LCD 12.1" 1024×768 TFT LCD 15.2" 1280×854 TFT LCD 17" 1440×900 TFT LCD 12.1" 1024×768 TFT LCD 15.2" 1280x854 [23] TFT LCD 17" 1440×900 TFT LCD 15.2" 1440×960 TFT LCD 17" 1680×1050 TFT LCD
Processor CPU PowerPC 7455 v3.3 (G4) PowerPC 7447 (G4) PowerPC 7447A (G4) PowerPC 7447B (G4)
Speed867 MHz1 GHz1.25 GHz1.33 GHz1.5 GHz1.67 GHz
Backside cache256 KB L2 backside cache256 KB L2 backside cache
1 MB L3 backside cache
512 KB L2 backside cache
Memory Base256 MB (two 128 MB) 266 MHz PC-2100 DDR SDRAM512 MB (two 256 MB) 333 MHz PC-2700 DDR SDRAM256 MB (soldered) 266 MHz PC-2100 DDR SDRAM256 MB (two 128 MB) 333 MHz PC-2700 DDR SDRAM512 MB (two 256 MB) 333 MHz PC-2700 DDR SDRAM256 MB (soldered) 333 MHz PC-2700 DDR SDRAM512 MB (two 256 MB) 333 MHz PC-2700 DDR SDRAM512 MB 533 MHz PC2-4200 DDR2 SDRAM
ExpansionExpandable to 1152 MBExpandable to 2 GBExpandable to 1.25 GBExpandable to 2 GBExpandable to 1.25 GBExpandable to 2 GBExpandable to 1.25 GBExpandable to 2 GB
Graphics Processor NVIDIA GeForce4 Go 420 32 MB DDR SDRAM NVIDIA GeForce4 Go 440 64 MB DDR SDRAM NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200 32 MB DDR SDRAM ATI Radeon 9600 64 MB DDR SDRAM NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200 64 MB DDR SDRAM ATI Radeon 9700 64 MB DDR SDRAM
Optional ATI Radeon 9700 128 MB DDR SDRAM
NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200 64 MB DDR SDRAM ATI Radeon 9700 64 MB DDR SDRAM
Optional ATI Radeon 9700 128 MB DDR SDRAM
ATI Radeon 9700 128 MB DDR SDRAM
Ports AGP 4x
Hard drive Capacity40 GB 4200 rpm60 GB 4200 rpm40 GB 4200 rpm60 GB 4200 rpm80 GB 4200 rpm60 GB 4200 rpm80 GB 4200 rpm60 GB 5400 rpm80 GB 4200 rpm100 GB 4200 rpm80 GB120 GB
TypesUltra ATA/100
Optical Drive
Slot Loading
Combo drive SuperDrive Combo drive SuperDrive Combo drive SuperDrive Combo drive SuperDrive Combo drive SuperDrive Combo drive SuperDrive Combo drive SuperDrive DL SuperDrive
Connectivity AirPort Optional or Integrated AirPort Extreme 802.11b/g Integrated AirPort Extreme 802.11b/g
Ethernet 10/100 BASE-T Gigabit 10/100 BASE-T Gigabit 10/100 BASE-T Gigabit 10/100 BASE-T Gigabit
Modem 56k V.92 modem
Bluetooth Bluetooth 1.1 Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
Peripherals USB 2x USB 1.12x USB 2.0
FireWire 1x FireWire 400 1x FireWire 800 1x FireWire 400 1x FireWire 800 1x FireWire 400 1x FireWire 800 1x FireWire 400 1x FireWire 800
PC Card PC Card I/II PC Card I/II PC Card I/II PC Card I/II
AudioBuilt-in stereo speakers
Audio input mini-jack
Audio output mini-jack
Built-in stereo speakers
Analog/optical digital audio input mini-jack
Analog/optical digital audio output mini-jack
Video out Mini-VGA DVI Mini-DVI DVI Mini-DVI DVI Mini-DVI DVI
Battery47  Wh removable lithium-ion55  Wh removable lithium-ion47  Wh removable lithium-ion46  Wh removable lithium-ion58  Wh removable lithium-ion50  Wh removable lithium-ion (12" and 15")
58  Wh removable lithium-ion (17")
Maximum Operating System Mac OS X 10.5.8 “Leopard”

Discontinuation

One major factor that led to the discontinuation of the PowerBook G4 was Apple's internal experimentation with the PowerPC G5 for the company's next line professional-grade notebooks at that time. However, the G5, which also powered the Power Mac G5 and iMac G5, proved to be too power-hungry and heat-intensive to use in a notebook form factor. [24] Stalled development of the mobile G5 is also said to be another main factor in the Mac's transition from PowerPC to Intel processors. [25]

After awaiting a new professional-grade notebook to replace the G4, on January 10, 2006, Apple released the 15" MacBook Pro, its first Intel-based notebook. [26] A 17" version of the MacBook Pro followed on April 24, 2006. [27] The new "MacBook Pro" name was given to the new series of notebooks after Apple changed the portable naming schemes from "Power" for professional products (and "i" for consumer products), in favor of including "Mac" in the title of all computer lines, with the suffix "Pro" denoting a pro product. Finally, on May 16, 2006, the 12" PowerBook G4 and the G4 iBook were discontinued and replaced by the 13.3" MacBook, ending the whole PowerBook line. [28]

However, a replacement for the 12" subnotebook form factor (i.e. the 12" PowerBook G4) was not immediately forthcoming; the MacBook Air, released in 2008, served as an indirect replacement while the 13" MacBook Pro released in 2009 is the direct replacement for the 12" PowerBook G4. [29] [30] Apple returned to the 12" screen size with the MacBook released in 2015. [31]

Supported operating systems

Supported Mac OS releases
OS releaseTitaniumAluminum
Early 2001Late 2001Early 2002Late 2002Early 2003Late 2003Early 2004Early 2005Late 2005
Mac OS 9 9.19.2.19.2.2patchEmulation only
10.0 Cheetah Check-green.svg
10.1 Puma Check-green.svgCheck-green.svg10.1.4
10.2 Jaguar Check-green.svgCheck-green.svgCheck-green.svg10.2.210.2.310.2.7
10.3 Panther Check-green.svgCheck-green.svgCheck-green.svgCheck-green.svgCheck-green.svgCheck-green.svg10.3.310.3.7
10.4 Tiger Check-green.svgCheck-green.svgCheck-green.svgCheck-green.svgCheck-green.svgCheck-green.svgCheck-green.svgCheck-green.svg10.4.2
10.5 Leopard patchpatchpatchCheck-green.svgCheck-green.svgCheck-green.svgCheck-green.svgCheck-green.svgCheck-green.svg

Other operating systems

A PowerBook G4 running MorphOS Budapest, Csokonai Kulturalis Kozpont, Csokonai Mikroklub, 2013.12.20, MorphOS, Apple PowerBook G4.jpg
A PowerBook G4 running MorphOS

Some users have installed unofficial unsupported operating systems on the computer that are compatible with the PowerBook G4 hardware.

Timeline

Timeline of portable Macintoshes
Mac transition to Apple siliconiMac ProApple WatchiPadiPhoneMac ProPower Mac G5Power Mac G4Power Macintosh G3Power MacintoshCompact MacintoshMacBook Air (Apple silicon)MacBook Pro (Apple silicon)MacBook Pro (Apple silicon)MacBook Pro (Apple silicon)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Apple silicon)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)MacBook Pro (Intel-based)iBook G4PowerBook G4PowerBook G4iBook (white)PowerBook G3PowerBook G3PowerBook 2400cPowerBook 3400cPowerBook 1400PowerBook 5300PowerBook 500 seriesPowerBook 190PowerBook G4PowerBook 150PowerBook 500 seriesPowerBook 500 seriesPowerBook 500 seriesPowerBook 500 seriesPowerBook 160PowerBook 140PowerBook 180PowerBook 180PowerBook 160PowerBook 160PowerBook 140PowerBook 170PowerBook 140MacBook Air (Apple silicon)MacBook Air (Apple silicon)MacBook Air (Apple silicon)MacBook Air (Intel-based)12-inch MacBookMacBook Air (Intel-based)iBook G4iBook (white)iBook ClamshellMacBook Air (Intel-based)MacBook (2006–2012)PowerBook Duo 210MacBook Air (Intel-based)MacBook (2006–2012)MacBook (2006–2012)PowerBook G4PowerBook 100Macintosh PortablePowerBook G3PowerBook G3PowerBook G3PowerBook G3PowerBook G3PowerBook DuoPowerBook DuoPowerBook DuoMacintosh PortablePowerBook DuoPowerBook DuoPowerBook Duo 230Macintosh PortablePowerBook G4

Notes

  1. 1 2 Apple products that have been discontinued for 7 years and no longer receive hardware support nor spare parts

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The MacBook Air is a line of laptop computers developed and manufactured by Apple since 2008. It features a thin, light structure in a machined aluminum case and currently either a 13-inch or 15-inch screen. The MacBook Air's lower prices relative to the larger, higher performance MacBook Pro have made it Apple's entry-level notebook since the discontinuation of the original MacBook line in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MacBook</span> Line of laptop computers by Apple

MacBook is a brand of Mac notebook computers developed and marketed by Apple that use Apple's macOS operating system since 2006. The MacBook brand replaced the PowerBook and iBook brands during the Mac transition to Intel processors, announced in 2005. The current lineup consists of the MacBook Air (2008–present) and the MacBook 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apple pointing devices</span> Computer pointing devices made by Apple

Apple Inc. has designed and manufactured several models of mice, trackpads, and other pointing devices, primarily for use with Macintosh computers. Over the years, Apple has maintained a distinct form and function with its mice that reflect their design languages of that time. Apple's current external pointing devices are the Magic Mouse 2 and Magic Trackpad 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mac (computer)</span> Family of personal computers made by Apple

Mac is a family of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple since 1984. The name is short for Macintosh, a reference to a type of apple called McIntosh. The current product lineup includes the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops, and the iMac, Mac Mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro desktops. Macs are sold with the macOS operating system, which is not licensed to other manufacturers and exclusively bundled with Mac computers.

iMac Line of all-in-one desktop computers by Apple Inc.

The iMac is a series of all-in-one computers from Apple Inc. operating on the MacOS. Introduced by Steve Jobs in August 1998 when the company was financially troubled, the computer was an inexpensive, consumer-oriented computer that would easily connect to the Internet. Since that time, it has remained a primary part of Apple's consumer desktop offerings and evolved through seven distinct forms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magic Mouse</span> Computer mice developed and released by Apple Inc.

The Magic Mouse is a multi-touch wireless mouse sold by Apple Inc. and manufactured by Foxconn. The first-generation Magic Mouse was released on October 20, 2009, and introduced multi-touch functionality to a computer mouse. Taking after the iPhone, iPod Touch, and multi-touch MacBook trackpads, the Magic Mouse allows the use of multi-touch gestures and inertia scrolling across the surface of the mouse, designed for use with macOS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">12-inch MacBook</span> 2010s line of Apple notebook computers

The 12-inch MacBook is a discontinued Mac laptop made by Apple Inc., which sat between the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro in Apple's laptop lineup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MacBook Pro (Intel-based)</span> Line of notebook computers

The Intel-based MacBook Pro is a discontinued line of Macintosh notebook computers sold by Apple Inc. from 2006 to 2021. It was the higher-end model of the MacBook family, sitting above the low-end plastic MacBook and the ultra-portable MacBook Air, and was sold with 13-inch to 17-inch screens.

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