APPLE LAPTOPS

Wikipedia has it that Apple Inc. “is an American multinational technology company that specializes in consumer electronics, computer software, and online services.” It is the world's largest technology company by revenue and also the world's most valuable company. Furthermore, Apple is the world's 4th-largest Private Computer vendor and smartphone manufacturer. Little wonder why Apple remains one of the top America’s IT companies. Specifically, it is one of BIG 5, with the remaining being Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Amazon.

As such, it is not farfetched to claim that Apple products are consumed globally on a large scale with statistics showing that Apple has a high level of brand loyalty and is ranked as the world's most valuable brand. In the month of January, 2021, there were 1.65 billion Apple products in use worldwide. Of these, 6.09 million units were laptops alone according to a report on the second quarter of 2021.  

Apple laptops are called MacBooks and they have been one of the most successful products manufactured by Apple. In fact, MacBook is the best-selling laptop in the history of the brand. Apple produces different types of MacBooks every year and with each type, comes different models. Do not get it twisted, there are specific Macbooks for every year but in a year, there are different models produced. So let’s say there is a Macbook Fly produced in 2021 February, there would be different models of this type like Macbook Fly Dove, Macbok Fly Eagle, Mabook Fly Jet, Macbook Raven, etc. You understand? Of course, you did. The unique thing about these models is that each model has its specific characteristics which places it in a unique position amongst others in its peer group. It could be processors, screen sizes, hard drives, battery capabilities etc. So Apple Macbooks are of three main types which are Basic, Professional and Air

 

MACBOOK

Everything about this MacBook indicates ordinary in its class, it is a laptop for a basic Apple product user. The basic MacBook is a 13-inch computer that has a battery which is removable. The first model was coated with polycarbonate; it was similar to the one used in the iBook G4. Later, in October 2008, and along with the MacBook Pro 15″, a new MacBook with an aluminium case in the unibody format was introduced. It is the most widespread model today. The MacBook is the most accessible of the Apple family.

 

MACBOOK PRO

Now, Apple has a way of satisfying all types of consumers’ demand and this, they have achieved by differentiating between professional consumers and non-professional consumers. They achieved this with desktop computers (iMac) which comes in different models and types, thus providing consumers with a wide array of choices. MacBook Pro is Apple’s answer to professional users who questioned the normal MacBook’s capability to function on a professional level.  The MacBook Pro is a line of Macintosh notebook computers introduced in January 2006 by Apple Inc.

Each of these aforementioned models were previously part of the basic MacBook family; however, the demand for better versions by professionals led to their improvement and subsequent releases. These new releases came with better processors (i5 and/or i7) as well as the new Intel’s “Thunderbolt” connection port. Furthermore, new improvements were made to the screen sizes, external bodies and hard disks. There were four versions that was sold between April 2006 to November 2019 consecutively. These models are (a) the 13-inch model, (b) the 15-inch model, (b) the 16-inch model and (c) the more advanced 17-inch model.

• The 1st MacBook Pro generation was released on 10, January 2006. It was a 15-inch model.  The 17-inch model was unveiled on April 24, 2006.

15-inch MacBook Pro	Specifications
	two USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port, Intel Core 2 Duo processor, memory capacity of 1 GB on the low-end 15-inch. Aluminium back cover.
17-inch MacBook Pro	Specifications
	three USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 400 port, memory capacity of 2 GB for the high-end 15- and 17-inch models, 2.6 GHz Santa Rosa platform Core 2 Duo CPU. Aluminium back cover

 

• The 2nd MacBook Pro (Unibody) Generation Model was released by Apple in October 2008. It however came in 15-inch type. Three months later, in January 2009, the 17-inch variant was created.

15-inch MacBook Pro	Specifications
	a "precision aluminium unibody enclosure" and tapered sides, 4 GB of system memory that is upgradeable to 8 GB, an integrated Intel GPU that is built into the Core i5 and i7 processors, switchable video cards. FireWire 800 port.
17-inch MacBook Pro	Specifications
	an integrated Intel GPU that is built into the Core i5 and i7 processors, 4 GB of system memory that is upgradeable to 8 GB, switchable video cards. FireWire 800 port.

 

• The 3rd generation MacBook Pro (Retina) was released in 2012: the 15-inch model was in June 2012 and the 13-inch model in October.

13-inch MacBook Pro	Specifications
	Intel's Broadwell Core i7 processors, Iris 6100 graphics, USB 3.0, a high-resolution 15.4" IPS 2880 × 1800 Retina Display, faster flash storage, faster 1866MHZ RAM, increased battery life (extended to 10 hours), and a Force Touch trackpad
15-inch MacBook Pro	Specifications
	a second Thunderbolt port, an HDMI port, and a thinner MagSafe port, Force Touch, AMD Radeon R9 M370X, SSD based on PCIe 3.0 × 4 technology, dual-cable output to 5120 × 2880 displays

 

• The 4th generation MacBook Pro (Touch Bar) was released in October 2016.

13-inch MacBook Pro	Specifications
	Intel Coffee Lake quad-core processors, four combination Thunderbolt 3 ports that support USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 and dual DisplayPort 1.2 signals, dual- and quad-core Intel "Skylake" Core i5 and i7 processors, improved graphics, and displays that offer a 25% wider color gamut, 67% more brightness, and 67% more contrast.
15-inch MacBook Pro	Specifications
	A discrete Radeon Pro 450, 455 or 460 graphics card, 4 TB[a] of storage, 32 GB of DDR4 memory and a Core i9 processor, Intel Coffee Lake six-core processors, updated graphics cards, improved third-generation butterfly keyboards, Bluetooth 5, T2 SoC Chip, True Tone display technology, and larger capacity batteries.

 

• In November 2019, there was a detailed revision to the 4th generation. This revision introduced the Magic Keyboard to the laptop, which uses a scissor-switch mechanism. This version had a larger 16-inch 3072x1920 Retina display. On May 4, 2020, Apple announced an updated 13-inch model with the Magic Keyboard. Ice Lake processors, updated graphics, up to 32 GB of memory and 4 TB of storage, and supports 6K output to run the Pro Display XDR.
• In May 2020, there was another revision which featured the conversion of the previous 16-inch model into a 13-inch model by Apple.
• The final remodelling to the fourth generation was released in November 2020 and is the first MacBook Pro to feature an Apple-designed system on a chip, the Apple M1

  MACBOOK AIR

  The MacBook Air is line of Macintosh notebook computers developed and manufactured by Apple Inc. Its prominent features are an Intel-based processor, machined aluminium case, a full-size keyboard,  and also a thin light structure which makes it one of the few top ultra-light PCs globally.

• The introduction of the first MacBook Air laptop birthed the concept of thin laptops. It was introduced in January 2008 with a, and was subsequently promoted as the world's thinnest notebook, thereafter signalling the beginning of a laptop classification called Ultrabook family. It was a Unibody 13.3-inch screen, 1.9 cm with a custom made Intel Merom CPU and Intel GMA GPU. It also featured an anti-glare LED backlit display, a full-size keyboard, and a large trackpad that responded to multi-touch gestures such as pinching, swiping, and rotating. It was Apple’s first computer with an optional solid-state drive. Later in 2008, Apple developed and launched a new model which had low-voltage Penryn processor and GeForce graphics. The storage capacity was increased to 128 GB SSD or a 120 GB HDD and the Mini-Display replaced the defunct micro-DVI video port.
• In October 2010, Apple released a second-generation MacBook Air that featured standard solid storage plus a smaller 11.6-inch version. It also has a tapered unibody casing which was redesigned with Intel Core i5 or i7 processors and Thunderbolt. Apple redesigned the laptop to have a tailored enclosure, better battery, extra USB port, bigger screen resolutions, newly fitted stereo speakers and more importantly, a more improved storage that is solid state. The two models (11-inch and 13-inch) possessed analogue audio output/ headphone mini-jack that supported apple earbuds with a microphone. Subsequently, there were updates on both models which saw the eventual redesigning of both to now have Intel HD Graphics 6000, Broadwell processors, Thunderbolt 2, and faster storage and memory. There was an upgrade to the standard memory to 4 GB with an expansion of up to GB. The storage was 128 GB SSD, with options for 256 GB and 512 GB. The speed of the processor was also increased from 1.6 GHz to 1.8 GHz. This second generation was Apple's last notebook with ports that were USB Type A, a screen display that is non-retina, a rear Apple Logo which is backlit and a start-up chime.
• Eight years later, a redesigned & reduced dimensioned model was released to the public. This third generation MacBook Air had a Retina display with combination USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports for data and power. This 13.3-inch Retina display laptop with a screen resolution of 2560×1600 pixels had a Touch ID, and two combination USB-C 3.1 gen 2/Thunderbolt 3 ports plus one audio jack. It is configured with an Intel Core i7 processor. There was a subsequent remodelling which saw the release of a revamped MacBook Air which had Ice Lake processors, updated graphics and a substitution of the butterfly keyboard with a Magic one. This Magic Keyboard came in February 2020. On a final note in November 2020, Apple released the first MacBook Air with Apple silicon based on the Apple M1 processor. This came with a processor that is based on Apple Silicon. It runs an external display with support for Wi-Fi 6, USB and Thunderbolt.