Hey guys, it’s Greg with Apple Explained,and today we’re going to explore the history of the MacBook.
This topic was the second place winner oflast weeks voting poll and if you didn’t get to vote, make sure you’re subscribed,that way the voting polls will show up right in your activity feed and you can let me knowwhich video you’d like to see next.
So, the first MacBook was released in 2006,but it’s worth talking a little bit about the history of notebooks in general beforediving in.
As early as the 70’s, engineers were lookingfor ways to bring the power of a computer into a smaller, more portable form.
Almost every computer engineer had their ownapproach, and some were more successful than others.
One of the first portable computers was theXerox NoteTaker – it had a built-in monitor, floppy drive, keyboard, and mouse.
Although there were only ten prototypes ofthe NoteTaker ever made, it’s debut in the late 70’s influenced a whole new generationof transportable computers.
One of the next most influential was the Osborne1 in 1981, which included bundled software, a modem port, and two floppy drives – comingin at a whopping $1795, that’s almost $5,000 today adjusted for inflation.
The Osborne 1 is considered by many to bethe first real portable computer – and it helped create a demand among businesses forthat type of machine.
A few years later, the Grid Compass was releasedand introduced the “clamshell” design – which is still the standard notebook formfactor used today. Now by the time Apple entered the portablecomputer market, there were already quite a few options on the market.
In 1989 they released the Macintosh Portable,and then the Powerbook series in 1991.
By the end of the 90’s, Apple had a prettysubstantial amount of products on the market – but it was clear there was at least oneniche that the company still hadn’t filled.
At this time, Apple was adopting a two-by-twomatrix product strategy.
Basically, they wanted to offer four computermodels, one desktop for consumers and one desktop for professionals, one notebook forconsumers and one notebook for professionals.
Up to this point, Apple had already filledthree of the four categories, and the last computer model to be introduced was the consumernotebook.
Finally, at the 1999 Macworld Conference andExpo, Steve Jobs announced the iBook, the direct predecessor to the MacBook.
There had been rumors of its release for awhile before the announcement, so it didn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone – butnonetheless, the iBook introduced some unique and pretty revolutionary features into thenotebook market.
First, the iBook was $1,599 – almost $1,000cheaper than the most affordable PowerBook at the time.
This alone made it accessible to a much widerrange of users, and its specs were just as good as a consumer desktop.
The first iBook featured a PowerPC G3 CPU,and introduced the “Unified Logic Board Architecture” to Mac computers, which condensedits core features onto only two chips.
Another major feature was integrated wirelessnetworking, also known as WiFi, and the iBook was the only mass produced computer at thetime to have it.
So the first iBook was a commercial success.
It had a fun, colorful clamshell design withtransparent plastic highlights, an integrated handle, and a lid that shut without a latch.
The next generation of the iBook, however,came with changes that were met with mixed reviews.
The first follow up to the iBook was the iBookG3 Snow.
This model was lighter and less bulky, includedan extra USB port, and had a higher resolution display, but it only came in white.
And many users preferred the fun colors ofthe previous generation.
The final iBook model, the G4, also only camein white, and included a PowerPC G4 chip instead of a G3.
While the later two models may have had someupgrades to their processing power, they were known to be less durable than the originaliBook.
Apple faced a lawsuit in 2008 for faulty memoryslots in the G4, and there were widespread complaints about faulty lid latches.
Despite these issues, which were pretty minorin the grand scheme of things, the iBook did well.
It was extremely popular in schools, and,in some districts, an iBook was given to every student.
But the iBook model didn’t last forever.
In 2006, Apple was in the midst of a majortransition from PowerPC to Intel.
Apple was working on re-branding some productsto reflect this change, and it wanted the “Mac” name in its new products.
And so, the iBook became the MacBook.
And at the MacWorld Expo in San Franciscothat January, Steve Jobs announced the MacBook Pro – the first Intel-powered Apple notebookever, which replaced the PowerBook G4.
So, the first generation of MacBook was adeparture from the iBook in more than just its name.
Besides the processor, the MacBook featureda polycarbonate body that was thinner and lighter than its predecessor.
It utilized the new MagSafe power cable thatattached and detached magnetically, a new glossy 13-inch display, sunken keyboard design,and magnetic latch.
It improved on the iBooks WiFi networkingabilities, offered Bluetooth 2.0, and included two USB ports instead of just one.
It also came with a built-in iSight camerathat allowed for video recording and a sudden motion detector that would protect the harddrive if the notebook was dropped.
But despite all its new features, the firstMacBook had some problems.
First, early models would shut down randomlydue to a firmware issue, which Apple responded to with a firmware update.
But then many MacBooks would overheat andshut down because the graphics card and hard drive ran too hot.
Eventually, Apple issued a recall of earlyMacBook models because of the issue.
In 2008, Apple released the second generationMacBook.
This model borrowed some design cues fromthe higher end MacBook Air, since the keyboard was backlit and it featured an aluminum unibodyhousing instead of polycarbonate.
The trackpad was covered with glass and hadmulti-touch capabilities as well as an integrated click button, which meant this was officiallythe end of dedicated trackpad buttons.
As far as technology inside the MacBook, thesecond generation offered some improvements over the first, but it still fell behind thehigher-end MacBook Pro and Air models.
Compared to the first MacBook, the secondgeneration brought a faster graphics chipset and more hard drive storage.
But it also did away with the firewire portwhich had been on almost every Apple notebook up to that point.
And as you might expect, this caused quitea bit of backlash from the tech community since it made certain tasks like data transfersa little more complicated. But most casual users didn’t miss the FireWireport since they never used it anyway. Now, at this point the MacBook was one ofthe most popular notebooks in the world.
In 2008, it was the single best-selling model,beating out all other competitors including Dell, Lenovo, Toshiba, Sony, ASUS, and HP.
The MacBook’s success was in part due tothe fact that it was still fairly affordable compared to its competition but offered amuch more attractive design and user experience.
The next generation of MacBook was releasedin 2009.
And Apple decided to reintroduced the polycarbonatematerial but this time with a unibody design.
It was rounder and thinner than the othermodels and it finally addressed one of the biggest cosmetic complaints the MacBook linehad faced so far – greasy palm rests.
All of the previous models of MacBook hadreceived widespread criticism from users for how quickly the palm rests became faded, smeared,and covered in fingerprints. Apple responded to this issue by featuringa fingerprint-resistant glossy palm rest that was easier to clean and resistant to fading.
This model also included a rubber bottom toprevent slipping – but the rubber piece tended to peel off and ended up costing Applequite a bit of money in free replacements.
The company also faced a class-action lawsuitregarding MacBook power adapters during this period.
The introduction of the MagSafe power adapterwas touted by Apple as a revolutionary safety feature – which it was – but they didn’thold up well over time.
Users complained about the durability of theseadaptors, which could split and fray after a period of normal usage. Apple responded by not only redesigning thecables, but settling the lawsuit by issuing an adapter-replacement program for U.S. customers.
And like previous updates, this model gotsome upgrades – and some downgrades.
It still included an Intel Core Duo processor,250 GB hard drive, two USB 2.0 ports, and iSight camera.
It had the same pricing as the last generation,starting at $999, and it was a bit lighter, at 4.7 lbs, and included upgraded Bluetooth2.1 capabilities.
But unfortunately, it didn’t bring backFireWire, which many people were hoping for – and Apple also eliminated its dedicatedaudio input. This wasn’t a very popular move, but otherfeatures like improved display brightness and viewing angle overshadowed the MacBooksdeficits. Now the biggest point of controversy withthe third generation MacBook was its battery.
The previous two generations had featuredremovable batteries that were estimated to last five hours.
And this model had a battery with an estimatedlife of seven hours, which was a good improvement – but the battery was no longer removable.
And this decision by Apple was met with manycomplaints since the claimed seven-hour battery life was thought to be an exaggeration whenoutlets like Macworld found that the MacBooks battery only lasted four hours in their testing.
Also, many people understood that this modelmarked the end of removable and replaceable batteries in Apple notebooks, which meantreplacing your MacBooks battery was about to get much more expensive and inconvenient.
Now, in the early 2010’s the standard MacBookwas losing popularity to the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.
Because of its decline in popularity, Applediscontinued the line in 2011 for everyone except educators, and discontinued educatoraccess in February 2012.
For three years the MacBook Pro and MacBookAir were the only notebooks Apple offered – but in 2015, they reinvigorated the MacBookline with a completely new model.
It was a big step up from the original MacBook,featuring a 12-inch Retina display, new butterfly keyboard mechanism, a USB-C port, an IntelCore M processor, a force touch trackpad, and Bluetooth 4.
2.
It also featured an unbelievably thin andlight aluminum design, and it came in four colors; silver, space gray, gold, and rosegold.
This was the first time Apple offered a notebookin different colors since the original iBook.
In response to criticisms about the earliermodel’s battery life, this MacBook model featured a terraced battery that squeezedin 35% more capacity than previous technology would’ve allowed.
Resulting in a full 10 hours of battery life.
But all of these new features came at a costsince this model had the highest price of any prior MacBook, starting at $1,299.
Now the biggest problem this model faced hadto do with its keyboard.
It had extremely shallow key travel whichmeant typing took some getting used to, while some users never truly adjusted to it.
But that was only the beginning.
The new butterfly mechanism was fragile andcould malfunction if too many crumbs or too much debris entered inside a key cap.
And repairing the malfunctioning keyboardcould cost up to $700.
Eventually Apple faced a class-action lawsuitfrom users who claimed the company knew about the keyboard’s vulnerabilities before itwas released, but chose to do nothing about it.
The lawsuit is still ongoing and came to includedMacBook Pro models that shared the same fragile keyboard mechanism.
Now I want to talk about a controversy thathas plagued almost all MacBooks models, and it concerns the iSight camera which has beenthe target of a serious vulnerability nicknamed iSeeYou.
The bug allowed hackers to remotely accessusers’ webcams without turning on the green LED light.
This meant strangers could watch and recordyou whenever your notebook was on without your ever knowing it.
The vulnerability came to public attentionin 2013 after Miss Teen USA Cassidy Wolf received nude photos of herself in an extortion attempt.
She discovered that the perpetrator, her highschool classmate, used a Remote Administration Tool to hack into her MacBooks iSight camera.
A similar tool was used on MacBooks providedto students by a Pennsylvania school district in 2008 – which was initially meant to bean anti-theft protocol, but it ended up causing the school to inadvertently take over 56,000photos of high school students in the privacy of their own homes.
So the MacBook has had quite an eventful pastand its showing no signs of slowing down.
Apple has given the MacBook two spec bumpsover the past two years and we can expect a redesign in the near future.
It’s already set a new standard for portabilityin the notebook computer market, but Apple never rests on their laurels and I’m excitedwhat they have in store for the next generation.
So that’s the history of the MacBook, andif you want to vote for the next video topic, don’t forget to subscribe.
Thanks for watching, and I’ll see you nexttime.
This topic was the second place winner oflast weeks voting poll and if you didn’t get to vote, make sure you’re subscribed,that way the voting polls will show up right in your activity feed and you can let me knowwhich video you’d like to see next.
So, the first MacBook was released in 2006,but it’s worth talking a little bit about the history of notebooks in general beforediving in.
As early as the 70’s, engineers were lookingfor ways to bring the power of a computer into a smaller, more portable form.
Almost every computer engineer had their ownapproach, and some were more successful than others.
One of the first portable computers was theXerox NoteTaker – it had a built-in monitor, floppy drive, keyboard, and mouse.
Although there were only ten prototypes ofthe NoteTaker ever made, it’s debut in the late 70’s influenced a whole new generationof transportable computers.
One of the next most influential was the Osborne1 in 1981, which included bundled software, a modem port, and two floppy drives – comingin at a whopping $1795, that’s almost $5,000 today adjusted for inflation.
The Osborne 1 is considered by many to bethe first real portable computer – and it helped create a demand among businesses forthat type of machine.
A few years later, the Grid Compass was releasedand introduced the “clamshell” design – which is still the standard notebook formfactor used today. Now by the time Apple entered the portablecomputer market, there were already quite a few options on the market.
In 1989 they released the Macintosh Portable,and then the Powerbook series in 1991.
By the end of the 90’s, Apple had a prettysubstantial amount of products on the market – but it was clear there was at least oneniche that the company still hadn’t filled.
At this time, Apple was adopting a two-by-twomatrix product strategy.
Basically, they wanted to offer four computermodels, one desktop for consumers and one desktop for professionals, one notebook forconsumers and one notebook for professionals.
Up to this point, Apple had already filledthree of the four categories, and the last computer model to be introduced was the consumernotebook.
Finally, at the 1999 Macworld Conference andExpo, Steve Jobs announced the iBook, the direct predecessor to the MacBook.
There had been rumors of its release for awhile before the announcement, so it didn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone – butnonetheless, the iBook introduced some unique and pretty revolutionary features into thenotebook market.
First, the iBook was $1,599 – almost $1,000cheaper than the most affordable PowerBook at the time.
This alone made it accessible to a much widerrange of users, and its specs were just as good as a consumer desktop.
The first iBook featured a PowerPC G3 CPU,and introduced the “Unified Logic Board Architecture” to Mac computers, which condensedits core features onto only two chips.
Another major feature was integrated wirelessnetworking, also known as WiFi, and the iBook was the only mass produced computer at thetime to have it.
So the first iBook was a commercial success.
It had a fun, colorful clamshell design withtransparent plastic highlights, an integrated handle, and a lid that shut without a latch.
The next generation of the iBook, however,came with changes that were met with mixed reviews.
The first follow up to the iBook was the iBookG3 Snow.
This model was lighter and less bulky, includedan extra USB port, and had a higher resolution display, but it only came in white.
And many users preferred the fun colors ofthe previous generation.
The final iBook model, the G4, also only camein white, and included a PowerPC G4 chip instead of a G3.
While the later two models may have had someupgrades to their processing power, they were known to be less durable than the originaliBook.
Apple faced a lawsuit in 2008 for faulty memoryslots in the G4, and there were widespread complaints about faulty lid latches.
Despite these issues, which were pretty minorin the grand scheme of things, the iBook did well.
It was extremely popular in schools, and,in some districts, an iBook was given to every student.
But the iBook model didn’t last forever.
In 2006, Apple was in the midst of a majortransition from PowerPC to Intel.
Apple was working on re-branding some productsto reflect this change, and it wanted the “Mac” name in its new products.
And so, the iBook became the MacBook.
And at the MacWorld Expo in San Franciscothat January, Steve Jobs announced the MacBook Pro – the first Intel-powered Apple notebookever, which replaced the PowerBook G4.
So, the first generation of MacBook was adeparture from the iBook in more than just its name.
Besides the processor, the MacBook featureda polycarbonate body that was thinner and lighter than its predecessor.
It utilized the new MagSafe power cable thatattached and detached magnetically, a new glossy 13-inch display, sunken keyboard design,and magnetic latch.
It improved on the iBooks WiFi networkingabilities, offered Bluetooth 2.0, and included two USB ports instead of just one.
It also came with a built-in iSight camerathat allowed for video recording and a sudden motion detector that would protect the harddrive if the notebook was dropped.
But despite all its new features, the firstMacBook had some problems.
First, early models would shut down randomlydue to a firmware issue, which Apple responded to with a firmware update.
But then many MacBooks would overheat andshut down because the graphics card and hard drive ran too hot.
Eventually, Apple issued a recall of earlyMacBook models because of the issue.
In 2008, Apple released the second generationMacBook.
This model borrowed some design cues fromthe higher end MacBook Air, since the keyboard was backlit and it featured an aluminum unibodyhousing instead of polycarbonate.
The trackpad was covered with glass and hadmulti-touch capabilities as well as an integrated click button, which meant this was officiallythe end of dedicated trackpad buttons.
As far as technology inside the MacBook, thesecond generation offered some improvements over the first, but it still fell behind thehigher-end MacBook Pro and Air models.
Compared to the first MacBook, the secondgeneration brought a faster graphics chipset and more hard drive storage.
But it also did away with the firewire portwhich had been on almost every Apple notebook up to that point.
And as you might expect, this caused quitea bit of backlash from the tech community since it made certain tasks like data transfersa little more complicated. But most casual users didn’t miss the FireWireport since they never used it anyway. Now, at this point the MacBook was one ofthe most popular notebooks in the world.
In 2008, it was the single best-selling model,beating out all other competitors including Dell, Lenovo, Toshiba, Sony, ASUS, and HP.
The MacBook’s success was in part due tothe fact that it was still fairly affordable compared to its competition but offered amuch more attractive design and user experience.
The next generation of MacBook was releasedin 2009.
And Apple decided to reintroduced the polycarbonatematerial but this time with a unibody design.
It was rounder and thinner than the othermodels and it finally addressed one of the biggest cosmetic complaints the MacBook linehad faced so far – greasy palm rests.
All of the previous models of MacBook hadreceived widespread criticism from users for how quickly the palm rests became faded, smeared,and covered in fingerprints. Apple responded to this issue by featuringa fingerprint-resistant glossy palm rest that was easier to clean and resistant to fading.
This model also included a rubber bottom toprevent slipping – but the rubber piece tended to peel off and ended up costing Applequite a bit of money in free replacements.
The company also faced a class-action lawsuitregarding MacBook power adapters during this period.
The introduction of the MagSafe power adapterwas touted by Apple as a revolutionary safety feature – which it was – but they didn’thold up well over time.
Users complained about the durability of theseadaptors, which could split and fray after a period of normal usage. Apple responded by not only redesigning thecables, but settling the lawsuit by issuing an adapter-replacement program for U.S. customers.
And like previous updates, this model gotsome upgrades – and some downgrades.
It still included an Intel Core Duo processor,250 GB hard drive, two USB 2.0 ports, and iSight camera.
It had the same pricing as the last generation,starting at $999, and it was a bit lighter, at 4.7 lbs, and included upgraded Bluetooth2.1 capabilities.
But unfortunately, it didn’t bring backFireWire, which many people were hoping for – and Apple also eliminated its dedicatedaudio input. This wasn’t a very popular move, but otherfeatures like improved display brightness and viewing angle overshadowed the MacBooksdeficits. Now the biggest point of controversy withthe third generation MacBook was its battery.
The previous two generations had featuredremovable batteries that were estimated to last five hours.
And this model had a battery with an estimatedlife of seven hours, which was a good improvement – but the battery was no longer removable.
And this decision by Apple was met with manycomplaints since the claimed seven-hour battery life was thought to be an exaggeration whenoutlets like Macworld found that the MacBooks battery only lasted four hours in their testing.
Also, many people understood that this modelmarked the end of removable and replaceable batteries in Apple notebooks, which meantreplacing your MacBooks battery was about to get much more expensive and inconvenient.
Now, in the early 2010’s the standard MacBookwas losing popularity to the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.
Because of its decline in popularity, Applediscontinued the line in 2011 for everyone except educators, and discontinued educatoraccess in February 2012.
For three years the MacBook Pro and MacBookAir were the only notebooks Apple offered – but in 2015, they reinvigorated the MacBookline with a completely new model.
It was a big step up from the original MacBook,featuring a 12-inch Retina display, new butterfly keyboard mechanism, a USB-C port, an IntelCore M processor, a force touch trackpad, and Bluetooth 4.
2.
It also featured an unbelievably thin andlight aluminum design, and it came in four colors; silver, space gray, gold, and rosegold.
This was the first time Apple offered a notebookin different colors since the original iBook.
In response to criticisms about the earliermodel’s battery life, this MacBook model featured a terraced battery that squeezedin 35% more capacity than previous technology would’ve allowed.
Resulting in a full 10 hours of battery life.
But all of these new features came at a costsince this model had the highest price of any prior MacBook, starting at $1,299.
Now the biggest problem this model faced hadto do with its keyboard.
It had extremely shallow key travel whichmeant typing took some getting used to, while some users never truly adjusted to it.
But that was only the beginning.
The new butterfly mechanism was fragile andcould malfunction if too many crumbs or too much debris entered inside a key cap.
And repairing the malfunctioning keyboardcould cost up to $700.
Eventually Apple faced a class-action lawsuitfrom users who claimed the company knew about the keyboard’s vulnerabilities before itwas released, but chose to do nothing about it.
The lawsuit is still ongoing and came to includedMacBook Pro models that shared the same fragile keyboard mechanism.
Now I want to talk about a controversy thathas plagued almost all MacBooks models, and it concerns the iSight camera which has beenthe target of a serious vulnerability nicknamed iSeeYou.
The bug allowed hackers to remotely accessusers’ webcams without turning on the green LED light.
This meant strangers could watch and recordyou whenever your notebook was on without your ever knowing it.
The vulnerability came to public attentionin 2013 after Miss Teen USA Cassidy Wolf received nude photos of herself in an extortion attempt.
She discovered that the perpetrator, her highschool classmate, used a Remote Administration Tool to hack into her MacBooks iSight camera.
A similar tool was used on MacBooks providedto students by a Pennsylvania school district in 2008 – which was initially meant to bean anti-theft protocol, but it ended up causing the school to inadvertently take over 56,000photos of high school students in the privacy of their own homes.
So the MacBook has had quite an eventful pastand its showing no signs of slowing down.
Apple has given the MacBook two spec bumpsover the past two years and we can expect a redesign in the near future.
It’s already set a new standard for portabilityin the notebook computer market, but Apple never rests on their laurels and I’m excitedwhat they have in store for the next generation.
So that’s the history of the MacBook, andif you want to vote for the next video topic, don’t forget to subscribe.
Thanks for watching, and I’ll see you nexttime.
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