Evolution of the Apple Laptop

Apple has really pushed the envelope when it comes to laptop computers.  Were it not for Apple, in fact, there is no telling where laptop computers would be today.  Let’s take a look back at where Macintosh began to get an idea of just how far we have come:

The Macintosh Portable

• Released in 1989 as a 15.8-pound “portable” machine.  Doesn’t sound too portable, does it?
• It had only a black and white LCD.
• It had a full-sized keyboard.
• It had a trackball mouse.
• Impressively, it had up to 10 hours of battery life.
• It cost just about $6,500.
• Apple discontinued the Portable in 1991.

The Powerbook 100

• The Powerbook 100 was introduced in 1991.
• It was the first notebook computer to position the keyboard close to the display so that users’ palms could rest on the bottom of the computer.  This design, of course, has become the standard for modern notebook computers.

The Powerbook 500 Series

• The Powerbook 500 was introduced in 1994, with innovative features that are still found on the notebook computers of today.
• It had an active-matrix LCD display.
• It had stereo sound and built in Ethernet.
• It had a trackpad.

The Powerbook 5300 Series

• The Powerbook 5300 was introduced in 1995, and dubbed the “Hindenbook,” because it had a problem that caused the batteries to suddenly explode.
• As you can probably guess, this computer is considered by most to be the worst computer that Apple has ever shipped.
• It was the first Apple notebook to feature a Power PC processor.

The Powerbook 1400

• The Powerbook 1400 was introduced in 1996.
• It was the first notebook computer to feature a built in CD-Rom drive.
• The lid was equipped with a cover that users could store papers, business cards, and sheets with decorative designs purchased from Apple inside.

The Powerbook 3400

• The Powerbook 3400 was introduced in 1997, and was very briefly the world’s fastest notebook computer.
• It was the first notebook to feature PCI architecture, EDO memory, and a 64-bit wide internal bus.
• It only lasted until November of 1997.

The Powerbook G3

• The Powerbook G3 was introduced in 1998, just after Steve Jobs returned to Apple.
• It was released just about the same time as the original iMac.
• Consumers could special order the Powerbook so as to customize it.
• The Wallstreet model was the last time that Apple used the rainbow-colored logo on a computer.

The iBook

• The iBook was released in 1999, and was dubbed the “Toilet Seat,” due to its clamshell design.
• It was the first mainstream computer to have internal wireless networking.
• The 2001 model featured a sleek white polycarbonate shell, which later inspired products such as the iPod.

The Powerbook G4

• The Powerbook G4 was introduced in 2000, with a titanium skin and a widescreen display.
• It was marketed as “the first supercomputer you can actually take with you an airplane.”
• It was extremely light, and had a far better battery than most competing notebooks of its time.
• It was discontinued in 2006 when Apple switched to Intel processors and gave up the name Powerbook.

MacBook Series

• The MacBook replaced the iBook in 2006, at the same time that the MacBook Pro replaced the Powerbook.
• It came equipped with a built in iSight camera.
• It comes standard with a magnetic latch mechanism.
• It has a glossy display and a sunken keyboard for aesthetics and functionality.
• It features unibody aluminum casing
• It can run on Windows, Linux and Mac OS X.

Today’s MacBook

• The most modern MacBooks are more refined and capable than ever.
• They have ambient light sensors that illuminate the keyboard in low lighting.
• They have LED backlit displays.
• They have wide-angle viewing and color gamut that are typically only available on desktop computers.
• They have longer lasting batteries than ever before, with almost three times the lifespan of other notebook computers.