Talkin' bout the generations: A history of Intel-based portable Macs
As I have read through the Boot Camp forums these past three years, I came across a fairly common problem while trying to help folks using Windows on a Mac: very few people I responded to could tell me what kind of system they were using. Many were users of portable Macs, so to try and help them out identifying the machines they used, I thought of making a guide to portable identification. But as I was writing this article, I got thinking about a more detailed history of the MacBook family from 2006 to the current lines of ’09. I’ve taken many of the news snippets I’ve read from Macworld magazine and other sources to provide the historical content in this guide and combined them with my personal opinions on each model. Specifications where used have been verified by Brock Kyle’s EveryMac.com and by Apple support documents as well as keynote speeches from Apple execs. The opinions provided are those of the author and are independent of Apple, Inc, so in other words, if you feel differently about these machines…
*DON’T SHOOT THE MESSENGER!*
And now, the guide. Enjoy!
*_First generation (1G)_*
These are the only 32-bit Intel Mac portables in the field, sporting Intel Core Duo (“Yonah”) processors from 1.83-2.16 GHz (Early '06, including Glossy)
MacBook
This long-awaited upgrade of the iBook has a port setup comparable to the Mid-'05 iBook--2 USB 2.0, 1 FW400, audio out, mini video. Also uses an inset keyboard, which drew some groans from the community-at-large when it first launched. Internally, uses an Intel GMA 950 graphics system that borrows up to 64 MB as video RAM and adds 16 MB overhead.
Case type: Solid white or black polycarbonate shell
Chipset: Intel 945GM
Standard RAM: 512 MB (432 MB usable)
Maximum RAM: 2.00 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM (1968 MB usable)
Pros: Solid performance vs. iBook, good basic machine for the Web, hard drive is user-serviceable.
Cons: Poor graphics make this unit a scratch for mid-level business work, games or creative apps; limited RAM, no 64-bit support
+MacBook Pro+
This was Apple's Intel debut, along with the iMac (Core Duo). Apple flashed a 1.67 GHz prototype at Macworld Expo ‘06 that was scratched in production for a 1.83 GHz model. Supply chain economics resulted in an optical drive downgrade to a standard single-layer drive from the double-layer drives in the late '05 PowerBooks. It's also the only model in the MacBook Pro continuum not to bear a FireWire 800 port. Although functionally similar to the MacBook that followed it, this line has discrete graphics by way of AMD's RADEON X1600--up to 256 MB. Slightly revised versions rolled in by mid-year included a glossy display and improved video RAM.
Case type: Anodized aluminum composite with plastic edging.
Chipset: Intel 945PM
Standard RAM: 1 GB
Maximum RAM: 2.00 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM
Pros: Good step up from PB '05, can run pro apps and games with ease
Cons: limited RAM, no 64-bit support, no DVD±DL support, lack of FW800 a bother for some
*_Second generation (2G)_*
The 2G portables (“Late 2006” in Apple speak) were a mild speed bump of the 1G lines, replacing the 32-bit Core with the 64-bit Core2 (“Merom”). Processor speeds ranged from 2.0 GHz-2.33 GHz. Apple fixed many 1G shortcomings here, but retained the 945 family chipsets until well into 2007. As a result of the 945 family’s addressing limitations, usable RAM is limited to 3 GB, even when 4 GB can be installed. (See [this EveryMac article|http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/macbook_pro/faq/macbook-pro-core- 2-duo-3-gb-memory-limitation-details.html])
MacBook
No visible markers set these units apart from the 1G models, and all internals are the same save for the Core2 CPU. These units were slightly revised in 2007 to enable draft 802.11n support; those models shipped in October 2006 and onward could download an update to enable 802.11n. The only way to confirm a 2G MacBook is via software; the Model ID is either ”2,1” or “2,2”
Case type: Solid white or black polycarbonate shell
Chipset: Intel 945GM
Standard RAM: 1 GB (944 MB usable)
Maximum RAM: 3.00 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM (2992 MB usable)
Pros: Core2 offers 64-bit support and modest speed boost, max RAM up
Cons: Still comes up short for high-demand applications.
+MacBook Pro+
Functionally similar to its predecessor while retaining the AMD X1600 graphics, the 2G Pro had three notable differences. This line marks the permanent return of the FireWire 800 port—this one’s on the right side. Also back for an encore is the double-layer SuperDrive; Apple’s suppliers finally had the size of optical drive that Apple needed. Like the MacBook, it also gets a lift from the new Core2 CPUs with twice as much L2 cache as their predecessors and their trendier plastic-clad siblings.
Case type: Anodized aluminum composite with plastic edging.
Chipset: Intel 945PM
Standard RAM: 1 GB
Maximum RAM: 3.00 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM
Pros: FW800 is back, as is DVD±DL; max RAM up, graphics still strong
Cons: Speed improvement only nominal, Windows Vista support sub-par in spots (X1000-series chips are not DX10 qualified)
*_Third generation (3G)_*
The “Mid/Late 2007” portables were somewhat of a redesign from the inside, though they remained similar to 2G models when viewed from without. Common to both lines is the Intel 965 chipset family, best known by its Intel code name, “Santa Rosa”; with it, the system bus got ramped to 800 MT/s while the memory bus remained at 667 MT/s. Here, the Core2 gets another modest speed bump, with standard frequencies ranging from 2.1 GHz-2.4 GHz. At this time, the RAM ceiling was lifted, allowing 4 GB to be used in all models and making these Macs capable 64-bit machines. Windows x64 variants will run on this class, but it requires Boot Camp 2.1 or higher and some finesse with installing individual software packages since Apple’s installer places a soft block on these units.
MacBook
By the time the 3G models surfaced, the 2G models were dealing with heavy criticism for not being refreshed in sync with the Pro models. Apple had three convincing reasons for such a delay. First came the iPhone EDGE, for which development was a top priority. The delay actually bought some time for Apple to reveal the other two reasons; Intel was providing the GMA X3100 as a companion to the GM965, which in itself was a modest improvement over the GMA 950 used in the first two iterations; and Apple had been working on its latest flagship OS, “Leopard”, released just days before the new MacBook surfaced on All Saints’ Day (11/1). One might say that waiting does indeed pay off, judging from Macworld’s bench scores of the 3G MacBooks, 2007 was a good year to upgrade the old iBook to something better.
Case type: Solid white or black polycarbonate shell
Chipset: Intel GM965
Standard RAM: 1 GB (880 MB usable)
Maximum RAM: 4.00 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM (3952 MB usable)
Pros: Better graphics, potentially faster WLAN support, improved speed, conservative energy usage
Cons: Poor graphics in Windows, game support on both platforms limited to casual titles (many FPS/RTS/MMO games not supported)
+MacBook Pro+
The 3G Pro underwent a massive interior overhaul in June 2007, sporting NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics and—for the first time in an Apple portable—an option to build a Core2 Extreme into the unit at 2.6 GHz. These were the first portables to carry 802.11n as a standard option, as well as the first Apple portables to use an LED-backlit display. The 3G Pro also meets or exceeds all Windows Vista operating requirements, and was one of the best performing computers to run Vista, according to PC World.
Unfortunately for longtime notebook users, the 3G lines of the MacBook Pro also mark some “lasts”. The line of 3G Pros was the last line of portables to have officially shipped with Tiger, the last portables to include an Apple Remote as standard equipment, and, perhaps more notably, the last to bear a traditional numeric keypad.
Case type: Anodized aluminum composite with plastic edging.
Chipset: Intel PM965
Standard RAM: 2 GB
Maximum RAM: 4.00 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM
Pros: Significantly improved graphics, greater energy efficiency over 2G units due to chipset and display upgrades, fastest unit of its time for current OSes, solid all-around performance, potentially faster WLAN support.
Cons: Not quite “future-proof”
*_Fourth generation (4G)_*
The “Early 2008” portables were met with fervent anticipation, as Apple hinted about “something in the air” at what would be CEO Steve Jobs’ final Macworld Expo address. Notebooks were all the rage, as was the upcoming iPhone software upgrade that gave rise to application development and the App Store. Exciting news indeed, it was. Yet, as was the norm in Jobsian monologues, he had “one more thing” to show off. Inter-office memos? Nope, but it did arrive in the classic manila envelope used for such. It was the first-generation MacBook Air, part of a 4G lineup that saw revamped Core2 CPUs ranging from 1.6 GHz all the way up to 2.6 GHz depending on model and build options.
The new CPUs were based on Intel’s latest “Penryn” cores, some of which received a drop in L2 cache versus the “Merom” cores used in 2G and 3G units. However, the drop in cache did little to impact performance; the new CPUs were actually faster by a slight margin at the same speeds as prior Core2’s, per Macworld’s bench scores. As there were few changes in case design apart from removing the keypad from the MacBook Pro, only software can separate a 4G unit from a 3G unit.
The 4G units, and all units following, officially support x64-native Windows via Boot Camp 2.1 as included on their Install Discs, or on discs with future versions of OS X and Boot Camp.
MacBook
The 4G MacBook saw the processor upgrade and little else, but the bump was likely enough to convince any but the hard-core 12” PowerBook enthusiasts to cross over to Intel. Because it’s still based on the Santa Rosa (GM965) platform, the 20-plus percentage point improvements touted by tech-savvy bloggers and enthusiast sites are never realized. Rather, some sources have documented a rough improvement of between three percent and ten percent over the 3G units. Those looking for a basic notebook can still buy a new 4G MacBook today at $1,000 plus applicable tax.
Sadly for some, this model is the last MacBook to bear any size and speed of FireWire port.
Case type: Solid white or black polycarbonate shell (currently white only)
Chipset: Intel PM965
Standard RAM: 2 GB (1904 MB usable)
Maximum RAM: 4.00 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM (3952 MB usable)
Pros: Still a solid machine for light work, cheap, fast for its price
Cons: It’s the only cheap way to make your FireWire gear work
+MacBook Air+
The new kid on the block this go-around; the MacBook Air is Apple’s first sub-notebook since the PowerBook Duo of the early 1990’s. Classified as a “thin and light”, the Air is a very striking definition of that term. At three pounds weight and 0.16” to 0.76” thickness, and with logic circuitry the length of a standard No. 2 pencil, Apple could crow about making “the world’s thinnest notebook” and still pack more punch into a space of 8" x 14" at a time when other sub-note vendors were still trying to shrink their wares. These vendors, according to Jobs, started shrinking items that shouldn’t be shrunk. Where most sub-notes had 11” or 12” screens, for example, the Air packed in a 13-incher; and when a keyboard was needed for the Air, Apple went with a full-size board identical to the then one-and-a-half-year-old MacBook design, complete with inset keys. From the MacBook Pro, the Air gained an aluminum finish as well as a backlit keyboard. On its own, the Air introduced solid-state storage (colloquially “flash drives”) as hard drives for the Mac. However, this option added $1,000 to the Air’s asking price and dropped its already limited storage capacity from 80 GB to 64 GB. To add insult to injury in some minds, the Air also dropped common expansion options and an internal optical drive to acquire its legendary dimensions. Left after shrinkage: a single USB port, an audio jack, and a “micro-DVI” video port. Despite these sacrifices, the 1G MacBook Air still outclasses other sub-notes where it counts because its chipset is the same GM965 used in the 3G and 4G MacBook offerings in addition to having the fastest low-voltage CPUs of the day in custom quarter-sized packages. Its performance in comparison to full-featured notebooks is lower by way of processor speed being lower, and yet normal for a portable of its class.
Case type: Anodized aluminum
Chipset: Intel GM965
Standard RAM: 2 GB onboard (1904 MB usable)
Pros: Size and weight offer maximum portability, big screen and keyboard offer comfort for travelers, multi-gesture trackpad has large surface for easy usability, and price is on par for class.
Cons: Limited expansion options, limited storage, and service-removable battery, costly add-ons required for use in environments where WLAN isn’t an option, not well suited to Windows variants beyond XP.
+MacBook Pro+
Not much new here from the 3G lines, save for the absent keypad. Base specs were upped by small increments, and dedicated VRAM doubled for all models. Nonetheless, the 4G Pro can make a capable, if not solid gaming unit (as if the 3G unit wasn’t competent in its own right). Like the 3G unit, it is also well suited to Vista and its 64-bit variant, and it more than likely has a decent shot at the upcoming Windows 7.
Case type: Anodized aluminum composite with plastic edging.
Chipset: Intel PM965
Standard RAM: 2 GB
Maximum RAM: 4.00 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM
Pros: Robust graphics, flexible options, and multi-gesture trackpad
Cons: What’s not to like? If you live or die crunching numbers, it’s tougher, but doable.
*_Fifth generation (5G)_*
As is done in every odd generation, Apple reworks the entire line of notebooks from within for the “Late 2008/Early 2009” cycle. In addition, Apple was hard at work on a totally new and totally trend-setting casing process for its portables. The result: an extreme makeover not seen in Apple’s portable lines since the 68K-to-PowerPC transitions of the early 1990’s. To rework the interior of the MacBook family, Apple went to NVIDIA—not Intel—for a high-performance logic solution to be used in notebooks. NVIDIA was working on a desktop chipset at the time; but if Steve Jobs’ statement at Apple’s October ‘08 notebook event is to be believed, Apple designers asked NVIDIA to make it mobile, and the company delivered an MCP logic set dubbed “GeForce 9400M” unto Apple. All lines thus benefited from markedly faster graphics and the adoption of ultra-fast DDR3 memory. Here, the 5G MacBook and 2G MacBook Air became passable all-around units, with the 5G MacBook Pro sporting dynamically switchable graphics engines.
For the exterior makeover, Apple Senior Designer Jon Ive revealed that Apple’s latest process created a “unibody” enclosure that was lighter and required fewer parts to produce, for it was milled entirely from one sheet of aluminum. To complete the makeover, Apple drew on its experience with the current line of iMac desktops and fused all-glass displays into the new assemblies.
All models also include a buttonless, customizable multi-gesture trackpad.
+MacBook and MacBook Pro+
Because the two lines have converged in this iteration, only subtle visual differences set them apart. Both lines drop the FireWire 400 port and exchange their respective video outputs for a common Mini DisplayPort, based on an emerging standard. The loss of certain status quo features on both lines (FW400 on the MacBook, traditional keyboard on the Pro) has drawn some whining in certain circles, but such things happen when Apple does this sort of retooling.
With the 5G notebooks, Apple has further blurred the line that once separated MacBook from MacBook Pro, allowing the former a backlit keyboard in its fullest build. Apple hopes this will swing “fence people” toward the MacBook instead of a low-cost Windows PC since these are folks that would be forced to spend $2,000 on a MacBook Pro because they want to play games in either Mac OS or Windows, casually or otherwise.
Case type: Anodized aluminum unibody
Chipset: NVIDIA GeForce 9400M MCP (with GeForce 9600M GT GPU in Pro models)
Standard RAM: 2 GB (1792 MB usable)
Maximum RAM: 8.00 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM (7936 MB usable)
Pros: Fast graphics, lighter, more durable, energy efficient, hard drive is user-serviceable, wealth of options available
Cons: Changes in port makeup require conversion adapters; may frustrate some
+MacBook Pro (17”)+
At the recent MacWorld Expo ’09, Apple Senior Vice-President Phil Schiller spent more than 90 minutes touting the company’s latest software offerings. In typical Apple style, however, Schiller couldn’t let Apple make what would be its final curtain call without a fantastic final act. The 5G-notebook lineup would be rounded out with a stunning revision to one of Apple’s crown jewels: the 17-inch MacBook Pro. Though it’s fundamentally similar to its smaller siblings and received the same makeover from its 4G incarnation that the others received, its battery puts it in a class of its own; Apple claims not only that the battery will last an unheard-of 8 hors, but also that it will continue to function at nearly 100% potential after 300 charge cycles and drop to 80% potential after 1000 cycles, thereby lasting three times longer than most conventional notebook batteries, including its own. The reason for this is the battery’s adaptive charging circuitry, which requests that charge be directed only to the cells that require it instead of the system charging the battery uniformly across all cells. Real world testing of Apple’s claims, however, has yet to be conducted at the time of this writing; but if true, the fact that the battery is fixed in place may be irrelevant. Fixed batteries have been a source of worry for many gadget lovers since the original iPod debuted in 2001.
Nonetheless, Apple’s newest flagship retains many of thee same advantages and disadvantages of its 5G fellows, yet remains a solid machine for those fortunate enough to afford its nearly $3,000 base sticker price. Further, with its latest build-to-order options, it could be the first Apple notebook ever to achieve a 3 GHz clock (and if it doesn’t yet, the next generation could very well eclipse that mark).
Case type: Anodized aluminum unibody
Chipset: NVIDIA GeForce 9400M MCP with GeForce 9600M GT GPU
Standard RAM: 2 GB (1792 MB usable)
Maximum RAM: 8.00 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM (7936 MB usable)
Pros: Powerful, lighter, more durable, energy efficient, hard drive is user-serviceable, wealth of options available
Cons: Changes in port makeup require conversion adapters; may frustrate some, expensive entry price, fixed battery
+MacBook Air (Second Generation)+
How do you improve on the world’s most eye-catching notebook? Apparently, you improve upon it from within, as CEO Jobs outlined during the October event introducing the 5G-notebook architecture. Like its full-sized siblings, the 2G Air ships with an NVIDIA 9400M MCP and 2 GB of fast DDR3 RAM onboard even as the ultra-low voltage Core2 CPU at its heart has seen only miniscule improvements in overall clock speed. Hard drive options have seen more modest gains, with the standard drive adding 50% more space than its predecessor and the SSD option doubling to 128 GB. With these adjustments, the Air becomes more palatable to travelers willing to accept certain tradeoffs in exchange for size and weight. For Windows users under Boot Camp, the Air also becomes a more capable, if still underpowered, Vista unit, albeit one that won’t gain much from an x64-based variant thereof.
Case type: Anodized aluminum unibody
Chipset: NVIDIA GeForce 9400M MCP
Standard RAM: 2 GB onboard (1792 MB usable)
Pros: Size and weight offer maximum portability, big screen and keyboard offer comfort for travelers, multi-gesture trackpad has large surface for easy usability, and price is on par for class, better storage options than previous model.
Cons: No change in onboard RAM to offset new hardware overhead, add-ons still required where WLAN isn’t available, adapter required for new Mini DisplayPort with most displays
*_Conclusion and Final Thoughts_*
To have witnessed and tracked the evolution of Apple’s notebook lines from 2006 to the present is no small feat. One could say that doing so is in fact opening a window on the history of Apple itself, for it is in Apple’s notebooks that we have seen the greatest innovations both from the company and in computing itself. From their inception in 2006, Apple’s Intel notebooks have evolved into some of the best and most reliable notebooks on the market today. To be able to run Windows as well as the Mac OS only solidifies that position.
Yet, with each stage of their evolution, the MacBook, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, while they have made significant forward progress, have had to sacrifice features that some users find essential. Still, while the complaints roll in with each generation of notebooks, time must march on. Apple is a computer company after all, and must continually update its wares if it is to remain in its current position near the top of the industry at large.
The stark realities of Apple’s business, however, should never be used as an excuse to buy the latest and greatest hardware even if yours seems less capable than someone else’s. Holding onto older Apple hardware may actually put you at an advantage, since you may still be able to work with hardware that newer models don’t support. This is one of many reasons Macs tend to stick around longer than most Windows PCs.
I certainly hope you have enjoyed this look back at Apple’s Intel notebook lines. As a proud member of the Mac community for almost four years and a volunteer whose role connects him to computing past, I find this knowledge of the past fascinating; and yet it is vital to maintain such a background, as it can give us as users an idea of where the industry will be in the months and years to come.
--Nathan Alden
1/19/09
Figures that I stand corrected but a few days after this roundup. On Tuesday, Apple crossed the white MacBook into the "Fifth Dimension"--well, sort of. They gave it a 9400M chipset but retained some of the slower (therefore less costly) elements of the 4G setup, among them DDR2 RAM. Heck, it might not be the netbook that the pundits and rumor-mongers were chomping at the bit to see, but it's certainly well-rounded, if "slow" by comparison to its fellows.
To be fully honest, I don't know where this article "fits" in the Discussions schema, but I must admit that it came to me in a very rare moment of clarity. If I'm crazy about anything as a result, I'm just wild about technology and about helping people understand how it all works.
Nathan Alden
*DON’T SHOOT THE MESSENGER!*
And now, the guide. Enjoy!
*_First generation (1G)_*
These are the only 32-bit Intel Mac portables in the field, sporting Intel Core Duo (“Yonah”) processors from 1.83-2.16 GHz (Early '06, including Glossy)
MacBook
This long-awaited upgrade of the iBook has a port setup comparable to the Mid-'05 iBook--2 USB 2.0, 1 FW400, audio out, mini video. Also uses an inset keyboard, which drew some groans from the community-at-large when it first launched. Internally, uses an Intel GMA 950 graphics system that borrows up to 64 MB as video RAM and adds 16 MB overhead.
Case type: Solid white or black polycarbonate shell
Chipset: Intel 945GM
Standard RAM: 512 MB (432 MB usable)
Maximum RAM: 2.00 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM (1968 MB usable)
Pros: Solid performance vs. iBook, good basic machine for the Web, hard drive is user-serviceable.
Cons: Poor graphics make this unit a scratch for mid-level business work, games or creative apps; limited RAM, no 64-bit support
+MacBook Pro+
This was Apple's Intel debut, along with the iMac (Core Duo). Apple flashed a 1.67 GHz prototype at Macworld Expo ‘06 that was scratched in production for a 1.83 GHz model. Supply chain economics resulted in an optical drive downgrade to a standard single-layer drive from the double-layer drives in the late '05 PowerBooks. It's also the only model in the MacBook Pro continuum not to bear a FireWire 800 port. Although functionally similar to the MacBook that followed it, this line has discrete graphics by way of AMD's RADEON X1600--up to 256 MB. Slightly revised versions rolled in by mid-year included a glossy display and improved video RAM.
Case type: Anodized aluminum composite with plastic edging.
Chipset: Intel 945PM
Standard RAM: 1 GB
Maximum RAM: 2.00 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM
Pros: Good step up from PB '05, can run pro apps and games with ease
Cons: limited RAM, no 64-bit support, no DVD±DL support, lack of FW800 a bother for some
*_Second generation (2G)_*
The 2G portables (“Late 2006” in Apple speak) were a mild speed bump of the 1G lines, replacing the 32-bit Core with the 64-bit Core2 (“Merom”). Processor speeds ranged from 2.0 GHz-2.33 GHz. Apple fixed many 1G shortcomings here, but retained the 945 family chipsets until well into 2007. As a result of the 945 family’s addressing limitations, usable RAM is limited to 3 GB, even when 4 GB can be installed. (See [this EveryMac article|http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/macbook_pro/faq/macbook-pro-core- 2-duo-3-gb-memory-limitation-details.html])
MacBook
No visible markers set these units apart from the 1G models, and all internals are the same save for the Core2 CPU. These units were slightly revised in 2007 to enable draft 802.11n support; those models shipped in October 2006 and onward could download an update to enable 802.11n. The only way to confirm a 2G MacBook is via software; the Model ID is either ”2,1” or “2,2”
Case type: Solid white or black polycarbonate shell
Chipset: Intel 945GM
Standard RAM: 1 GB (944 MB usable)
Maximum RAM: 3.00 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM (2992 MB usable)
Pros: Core2 offers 64-bit support and modest speed boost, max RAM up
Cons: Still comes up short for high-demand applications.
+MacBook Pro+
Functionally similar to its predecessor while retaining the AMD X1600 graphics, the 2G Pro had three notable differences. This line marks the permanent return of the FireWire 800 port—this one’s on the right side. Also back for an encore is the double-layer SuperDrive; Apple’s suppliers finally had the size of optical drive that Apple needed. Like the MacBook, it also gets a lift from the new Core2 CPUs with twice as much L2 cache as their predecessors and their trendier plastic-clad siblings.
Case type: Anodized aluminum composite with plastic edging.
Chipset: Intel 945PM
Standard RAM: 1 GB
Maximum RAM: 3.00 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM
Pros: FW800 is back, as is DVD±DL; max RAM up, graphics still strong
Cons: Speed improvement only nominal, Windows Vista support sub-par in spots (X1000-series chips are not DX10 qualified)
*_Third generation (3G)_*
The “Mid/Late 2007” portables were somewhat of a redesign from the inside, though they remained similar to 2G models when viewed from without. Common to both lines is the Intel 965 chipset family, best known by its Intel code name, “Santa Rosa”; with it, the system bus got ramped to 800 MT/s while the memory bus remained at 667 MT/s. Here, the Core2 gets another modest speed bump, with standard frequencies ranging from 2.1 GHz-2.4 GHz. At this time, the RAM ceiling was lifted, allowing 4 GB to be used in all models and making these Macs capable 64-bit machines. Windows x64 variants will run on this class, but it requires Boot Camp 2.1 or higher and some finesse with installing individual software packages since Apple’s installer places a soft block on these units.
MacBook
By the time the 3G models surfaced, the 2G models were dealing with heavy criticism for not being refreshed in sync with the Pro models. Apple had three convincing reasons for such a delay. First came the iPhone EDGE, for which development was a top priority. The delay actually bought some time for Apple to reveal the other two reasons; Intel was providing the GMA X3100 as a companion to the GM965, which in itself was a modest improvement over the GMA 950 used in the first two iterations; and Apple had been working on its latest flagship OS, “Leopard”, released just days before the new MacBook surfaced on All Saints’ Day (11/1). One might say that waiting does indeed pay off, judging from Macworld’s bench scores of the 3G MacBooks, 2007 was a good year to upgrade the old iBook to something better.
Case type: Solid white or black polycarbonate shell
Chipset: Intel GM965
Standard RAM: 1 GB (880 MB usable)
Maximum RAM: 4.00 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM (3952 MB usable)
Pros: Better graphics, potentially faster WLAN support, improved speed, conservative energy usage
Cons: Poor graphics in Windows, game support on both platforms limited to casual titles (many FPS/RTS/MMO games not supported)
+MacBook Pro+
The 3G Pro underwent a massive interior overhaul in June 2007, sporting NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics and—for the first time in an Apple portable—an option to build a Core2 Extreme into the unit at 2.6 GHz. These were the first portables to carry 802.11n as a standard option, as well as the first Apple portables to use an LED-backlit display. The 3G Pro also meets or exceeds all Windows Vista operating requirements, and was one of the best performing computers to run Vista, according to PC World.
Unfortunately for longtime notebook users, the 3G lines of the MacBook Pro also mark some “lasts”. The line of 3G Pros was the last line of portables to have officially shipped with Tiger, the last portables to include an Apple Remote as standard equipment, and, perhaps more notably, the last to bear a traditional numeric keypad.
Case type: Anodized aluminum composite with plastic edging.
Chipset: Intel PM965
Standard RAM: 2 GB
Maximum RAM: 4.00 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM
Pros: Significantly improved graphics, greater energy efficiency over 2G units due to chipset and display upgrades, fastest unit of its time for current OSes, solid all-around performance, potentially faster WLAN support.
Cons: Not quite “future-proof”
*_Fourth generation (4G)_*
The “Early 2008” portables were met with fervent anticipation, as Apple hinted about “something in the air” at what would be CEO Steve Jobs’ final Macworld Expo address. Notebooks were all the rage, as was the upcoming iPhone software upgrade that gave rise to application development and the App Store. Exciting news indeed, it was. Yet, as was the norm in Jobsian monologues, he had “one more thing” to show off. Inter-office memos? Nope, but it did arrive in the classic manila envelope used for such. It was the first-generation MacBook Air, part of a 4G lineup that saw revamped Core2 CPUs ranging from 1.6 GHz all the way up to 2.6 GHz depending on model and build options.
The new CPUs were based on Intel’s latest “Penryn” cores, some of which received a drop in L2 cache versus the “Merom” cores used in 2G and 3G units. However, the drop in cache did little to impact performance; the new CPUs were actually faster by a slight margin at the same speeds as prior Core2’s, per Macworld’s bench scores. As there were few changes in case design apart from removing the keypad from the MacBook Pro, only software can separate a 4G unit from a 3G unit.
The 4G units, and all units following, officially support x64-native Windows via Boot Camp 2.1 as included on their Install Discs, or on discs with future versions of OS X and Boot Camp.
MacBook
The 4G MacBook saw the processor upgrade and little else, but the bump was likely enough to convince any but the hard-core 12” PowerBook enthusiasts to cross over to Intel. Because it’s still based on the Santa Rosa (GM965) platform, the 20-plus percentage point improvements touted by tech-savvy bloggers and enthusiast sites are never realized. Rather, some sources have documented a rough improvement of between three percent and ten percent over the 3G units. Those looking for a basic notebook can still buy a new 4G MacBook today at $1,000 plus applicable tax.
Sadly for some, this model is the last MacBook to bear any size and speed of FireWire port.
Case type: Solid white or black polycarbonate shell (currently white only)
Chipset: Intel PM965
Standard RAM: 2 GB (1904 MB usable)
Maximum RAM: 4.00 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM (3952 MB usable)
Pros: Still a solid machine for light work, cheap, fast for its price
Cons: It’s the only cheap way to make your FireWire gear work
+MacBook Air+
The new kid on the block this go-around; the MacBook Air is Apple’s first sub-notebook since the PowerBook Duo of the early 1990’s. Classified as a “thin and light”, the Air is a very striking definition of that term. At three pounds weight and 0.16” to 0.76” thickness, and with logic circuitry the length of a standard No. 2 pencil, Apple could crow about making “the world’s thinnest notebook” and still pack more punch into a space of 8" x 14" at a time when other sub-note vendors were still trying to shrink their wares. These vendors, according to Jobs, started shrinking items that shouldn’t be shrunk. Where most sub-notes had 11” or 12” screens, for example, the Air packed in a 13-incher; and when a keyboard was needed for the Air, Apple went with a full-size board identical to the then one-and-a-half-year-old MacBook design, complete with inset keys. From the MacBook Pro, the Air gained an aluminum finish as well as a backlit keyboard. On its own, the Air introduced solid-state storage (colloquially “flash drives”) as hard drives for the Mac. However, this option added $1,000 to the Air’s asking price and dropped its already limited storage capacity from 80 GB to 64 GB. To add insult to injury in some minds, the Air also dropped common expansion options and an internal optical drive to acquire its legendary dimensions. Left after shrinkage: a single USB port, an audio jack, and a “micro-DVI” video port. Despite these sacrifices, the 1G MacBook Air still outclasses other sub-notes where it counts because its chipset is the same GM965 used in the 3G and 4G MacBook offerings in addition to having the fastest low-voltage CPUs of the day in custom quarter-sized packages. Its performance in comparison to full-featured notebooks is lower by way of processor speed being lower, and yet normal for a portable of its class.
Case type: Anodized aluminum
Chipset: Intel GM965
Standard RAM: 2 GB onboard (1904 MB usable)
Pros: Size and weight offer maximum portability, big screen and keyboard offer comfort for travelers, multi-gesture trackpad has large surface for easy usability, and price is on par for class.
Cons: Limited expansion options, limited storage, and service-removable battery, costly add-ons required for use in environments where WLAN isn’t an option, not well suited to Windows variants beyond XP.
+MacBook Pro+
Not much new here from the 3G lines, save for the absent keypad. Base specs were upped by small increments, and dedicated VRAM doubled for all models. Nonetheless, the 4G Pro can make a capable, if not solid gaming unit (as if the 3G unit wasn’t competent in its own right). Like the 3G unit, it is also well suited to Vista and its 64-bit variant, and it more than likely has a decent shot at the upcoming Windows 7.
Case type: Anodized aluminum composite with plastic edging.
Chipset: Intel PM965
Standard RAM: 2 GB
Maximum RAM: 4.00 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM
Pros: Robust graphics, flexible options, and multi-gesture trackpad
Cons: What’s not to like? If you live or die crunching numbers, it’s tougher, but doable.
*_Fifth generation (5G)_*
As is done in every odd generation, Apple reworks the entire line of notebooks from within for the “Late 2008/Early 2009” cycle. In addition, Apple was hard at work on a totally new and totally trend-setting casing process for its portables. The result: an extreme makeover not seen in Apple’s portable lines since the 68K-to-PowerPC transitions of the early 1990’s. To rework the interior of the MacBook family, Apple went to NVIDIA—not Intel—for a high-performance logic solution to be used in notebooks. NVIDIA was working on a desktop chipset at the time; but if Steve Jobs’ statement at Apple’s October ‘08 notebook event is to be believed, Apple designers asked NVIDIA to make it mobile, and the company delivered an MCP logic set dubbed “GeForce 9400M” unto Apple. All lines thus benefited from markedly faster graphics and the adoption of ultra-fast DDR3 memory. Here, the 5G MacBook and 2G MacBook Air became passable all-around units, with the 5G MacBook Pro sporting dynamically switchable graphics engines.
For the exterior makeover, Apple Senior Designer Jon Ive revealed that Apple’s latest process created a “unibody” enclosure that was lighter and required fewer parts to produce, for it was milled entirely from one sheet of aluminum. To complete the makeover, Apple drew on its experience with the current line of iMac desktops and fused all-glass displays into the new assemblies.
All models also include a buttonless, customizable multi-gesture trackpad.
+MacBook and MacBook Pro+
Because the two lines have converged in this iteration, only subtle visual differences set them apart. Both lines drop the FireWire 400 port and exchange their respective video outputs for a common Mini DisplayPort, based on an emerging standard. The loss of certain status quo features on both lines (FW400 on the MacBook, traditional keyboard on the Pro) has drawn some whining in certain circles, but such things happen when Apple does this sort of retooling.
With the 5G notebooks, Apple has further blurred the line that once separated MacBook from MacBook Pro, allowing the former a backlit keyboard in its fullest build. Apple hopes this will swing “fence people” toward the MacBook instead of a low-cost Windows PC since these are folks that would be forced to spend $2,000 on a MacBook Pro because they want to play games in either Mac OS or Windows, casually or otherwise.
Case type: Anodized aluminum unibody
Chipset: NVIDIA GeForce 9400M MCP (with GeForce 9600M GT GPU in Pro models)
Standard RAM: 2 GB (1792 MB usable)
Maximum RAM: 8.00 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM (7936 MB usable)
Pros: Fast graphics, lighter, more durable, energy efficient, hard drive is user-serviceable, wealth of options available
Cons: Changes in port makeup require conversion adapters; may frustrate some
+MacBook Pro (17”)+
At the recent MacWorld Expo ’09, Apple Senior Vice-President Phil Schiller spent more than 90 minutes touting the company’s latest software offerings. In typical Apple style, however, Schiller couldn’t let Apple make what would be its final curtain call without a fantastic final act. The 5G-notebook lineup would be rounded out with a stunning revision to one of Apple’s crown jewels: the 17-inch MacBook Pro. Though it’s fundamentally similar to its smaller siblings and received the same makeover from its 4G incarnation that the others received, its battery puts it in a class of its own; Apple claims not only that the battery will last an unheard-of 8 hors, but also that it will continue to function at nearly 100% potential after 300 charge cycles and drop to 80% potential after 1000 cycles, thereby lasting three times longer than most conventional notebook batteries, including its own. The reason for this is the battery’s adaptive charging circuitry, which requests that charge be directed only to the cells that require it instead of the system charging the battery uniformly across all cells. Real world testing of Apple’s claims, however, has yet to be conducted at the time of this writing; but if true, the fact that the battery is fixed in place may be irrelevant. Fixed batteries have been a source of worry for many gadget lovers since the original iPod debuted in 2001.
Nonetheless, Apple’s newest flagship retains many of thee same advantages and disadvantages of its 5G fellows, yet remains a solid machine for those fortunate enough to afford its nearly $3,000 base sticker price. Further, with its latest build-to-order options, it could be the first Apple notebook ever to achieve a 3 GHz clock (and if it doesn’t yet, the next generation could very well eclipse that mark).
Case type: Anodized aluminum unibody
Chipset: NVIDIA GeForce 9400M MCP with GeForce 9600M GT GPU
Standard RAM: 2 GB (1792 MB usable)
Maximum RAM: 8.00 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM (7936 MB usable)
Pros: Powerful, lighter, more durable, energy efficient, hard drive is user-serviceable, wealth of options available
Cons: Changes in port makeup require conversion adapters; may frustrate some, expensive entry price, fixed battery
+MacBook Air (Second Generation)+
How do you improve on the world’s most eye-catching notebook? Apparently, you improve upon it from within, as CEO Jobs outlined during the October event introducing the 5G-notebook architecture. Like its full-sized siblings, the 2G Air ships with an NVIDIA 9400M MCP and 2 GB of fast DDR3 RAM onboard even as the ultra-low voltage Core2 CPU at its heart has seen only miniscule improvements in overall clock speed. Hard drive options have seen more modest gains, with the standard drive adding 50% more space than its predecessor and the SSD option doubling to 128 GB. With these adjustments, the Air becomes more palatable to travelers willing to accept certain tradeoffs in exchange for size and weight. For Windows users under Boot Camp, the Air also becomes a more capable, if still underpowered, Vista unit, albeit one that won’t gain much from an x64-based variant thereof.
Case type: Anodized aluminum unibody
Chipset: NVIDIA GeForce 9400M MCP
Standard RAM: 2 GB onboard (1792 MB usable)
Pros: Size and weight offer maximum portability, big screen and keyboard offer comfort for travelers, multi-gesture trackpad has large surface for easy usability, and price is on par for class, better storage options than previous model.
Cons: No change in onboard RAM to offset new hardware overhead, add-ons still required where WLAN isn’t available, adapter required for new Mini DisplayPort with most displays
*_Conclusion and Final Thoughts_*
To have witnessed and tracked the evolution of Apple’s notebook lines from 2006 to the present is no small feat. One could say that doing so is in fact opening a window on the history of Apple itself, for it is in Apple’s notebooks that we have seen the greatest innovations both from the company and in computing itself. From their inception in 2006, Apple’s Intel notebooks have evolved into some of the best and most reliable notebooks on the market today. To be able to run Windows as well as the Mac OS only solidifies that position.
Yet, with each stage of their evolution, the MacBook, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, while they have made significant forward progress, have had to sacrifice features that some users find essential. Still, while the complaints roll in with each generation of notebooks, time must march on. Apple is a computer company after all, and must continually update its wares if it is to remain in its current position near the top of the industry at large.
The stark realities of Apple’s business, however, should never be used as an excuse to buy the latest and greatest hardware even if yours seems less capable than someone else’s. Holding onto older Apple hardware may actually put you at an advantage, since you may still be able to work with hardware that newer models don’t support. This is one of many reasons Macs tend to stick around longer than most Windows PCs.
I certainly hope you have enjoyed this look back at Apple’s Intel notebook lines. As a proud member of the Mac community for almost four years and a volunteer whose role connects him to computing past, I find this knowledge of the past fascinating; and yet it is vital to maintain such a background, as it can give us as users an idea of where the industry will be in the months and years to come.
--Nathan Alden
1/19/09
Figures that I stand corrected but a few days after this roundup. On Tuesday, Apple crossed the white MacBook into the "Fifth Dimension"--well, sort of. They gave it a 9400M chipset but retained some of the slower (therefore less costly) elements of the 4G setup, among them DDR2 RAM. Heck, it might not be the netbook that the pundits and rumor-mongers were chomping at the bit to see, but it's certainly well-rounded, if "slow" by comparison to its fellows.
To be fully honest, I don't know where this article "fits" in the Discussions schema, but I must admit that it came to me in a very rare moment of clarity. If I'm crazy about anything as a result, I'm just wild about technology and about helping people understand how it all works.
Nathan Alden