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Apple

From Mac Portable to the new Macbook: A history of Apple laptops in photos

By Conner Forrest April 7, 2015, 11:08 AM PDT

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From Mac Portable to the new Macbook: A history of Apple laptops in photos

Original Powerbook Series

Image: Paul Eakins

Original Powerbook Series

The Powerbook series began with the Powerbook 100, released on October 21, 1991. It was the first series of Apple’s popular Powerbook franchise, with both low-end and high-end models. The Powerbook Duo offered a slightly smaller version of the popular machine.

Image: Paul Eakins
From Mac Portable to the new Macbook: A history of Apple laptops in photos

Powerbook G3

Image: Mihir Kotwal

Powerbook G3

The Powerbook series remained relatively unchanged until the introduction of the Powerbook G3 in late 1997. It had a thinner, more streamlined, design and was the first Apple laptop to utilize the PowerPC G3 microprocessor series. At the time of its release, it was claimed to be the fastest notebook available. It was discontinued in 2001.

Image: Mihir Kotwal
ibookg3.jpg
ibookg3.jpg
From Mac Portable to the new Macbook: A history of Apple laptops in photos

iBook G3

iBook G3

One of the most memorable Apple designs ever, the original iBook G3 launched in 1999 as a companion design to the first iMac. This model was also referred to as the clamshell model.

From Mac Portable to the new Macbook: A history of Apple laptops in photos

iBook G3 (Snow)

Image: Erik Eckel/TechRepublic

iBook G3 (Snow)

The second generation iBook G3 left the bright colors of the original iBook G3 behind for the sleek polycarbonate casing that would eventually become the design base for the original MacBook.

Image: Erik Eckel/TechRepublic
From Mac Portable to the new Macbook: A history of Apple laptops in photos

iBook G4

Image: CNET

iBook G4

Now with the PowerPC G4 chip, the iBook G4 came to market in late 2003. The design included a slot-loading optical drive to replace the disc tray.

Image: CNET
From Mac Portable to the new Macbook: A history of Apple laptops in photos

MacBook 2006

Image: CNET

MacBook 2006

The original MacBook was a 13.3-inch notebook available in either black or white. The MacBook took the place of the PowerBook and iBook series.

Image: CNET
From Mac Portable to the new Macbook: A history of Apple laptops in photos

MacBook Pro 2006

Image: CNET

MacBook Pro 2006

The original 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pros were the top of the line in the MacBook series. It was updated to include a Core 2 Duo processor a few months after its initial release.

Image: CNET
From Mac Portable to the new Macbook: A history of Apple laptops in photos

Aluminum Unibody Macbook - 2008

Image: CNET

Aluminum Unibody Macbook - 2008

In late 2008, Apple updated the design on the entry-level MacBook, giving it a sleek aluminum, one-piece unibody construction. The unibody Macbook featured a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and a redesigned touchpad as well. A Polycarbonate Unibody Macbook was released in 2009.

Image: CNET
From Mac Portable to the new Macbook: A history of Apple laptops in photos

Aluminum Unibody Macbook Pro - 2008

Image: CNET

Aluminum Unibody Macbook Pro - 2008

The MacBook Pro line also took on the Unibody design in 2008, a design which would be the standard for the series for the next few years. The ports were moved to the left side of the machine, and the DVI port was replaced with a Mini Display port. The 17-inch MacBook Pro was eventually discontinued.

Image: CNET
From Mac Portable to the new Macbook: A history of Apple laptops in photos

MacBook Pro Retina Display

Image: James Martin/CNET

MacBook Pro Retina Display

Originally released only with the 15-inch MacBook Pro, the retina display was eventually rolled out to the 13-inch model as well. Its unibody design was thinner than other MacBook Pros, but not quite as thin as a MacBook Air.

Image: James Martin/CNET
From Mac Portable to the new Macbook: A history of Apple laptops in photos

MacBook - 2015

Image: James Martin/CNET

MacBook - 2015

The thinnest Mac that Apple has ever produced, the reintroduced MacBook, will be shipping in April 2015. The machine comes with a 12-inch Retina Display, 2304×1440 resolution, and only has a single USB-C port.

Image: James Martin/CNET
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By Conner Forrest
Conner is a former Senior Editor for TechRepublic. He is now a Senior Research Analyst at 451 Research.
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