The MacBook has had a rich history since its introduction by Apple in 2006. It still included an Intel Core Duo processor, 250 GB hard drive, two USB 2.0 ports, and iSight camera. The pricing was the same as the last generation, starting at $999, and it was slightly lighter, weighing 4.7 lbs, with upgraded Bluetooth 2.1 capabilities. However, this model did not bring back FireWire, which many people were hoping for, and Apple also eliminated its dedicated audio input. Despite these drawbacks, the MacBook's display brightness and viewing angle were improved.
The third generation MacBook was met with controversy due to its battery design. The previous two generations featured removable batteries that lasted five hours, but this model had a non-removable battery estimated to last seven hours, which was later found to be an exaggeration in testing. Many users were disappointed by the lack of a removable battery and the limited battery life. This decision marked the end of removable and replaceable batteries in Apple notebooks, making it more expensive and inconvenient for users.
In 2011, Apple discontinued the standard MacBook line, except for educators, due to its declining popularity. The MacBook Pro and MacBook Air became the only notebooks offered by Apple until 2015, when a new model was released. This 12-inch Retina display MacBook featured a butterfly keyboard mechanism, USB-C port, Intel Core M processor, force touch trackpad, Bluetooth 4.2, and an aluminum design in four colors: silver, space gray, gold, and rose gold. The battery life was improved with a terraced battery that increased capacity, resulting in a full 10 hours of battery life.
However, the new features came at a cost, as this model had the highest price of any prior MacBook, starting at $1,299. One of the biggest problems this model faced was its keyboard, which had extremely shallow key travel and could malfunction if crumbs or debris entered inside a key cap. The butterfly mechanism was also fragile and could be repaired for up to $700. This led to a class-action lawsuit from users who claimed Apple knew about the keyboard's vulnerabilities before releasing it.
Another controversy surrounding MacBooks is the iSight camera, which has been plagued by security vulnerabilities nicknamed "iSeeYou." These bugs allowed hackers to remotely access users' webcams without turning on the green LED light, making it possible for strangers to watch and record users without their knowledge. This vulnerability was first publicized in 2013 after Miss Teen USA Cassidy Wolf received nude photos of herself in an extortion attempt.
The iSight camera bug has been a recurring issue throughout MacBooks' history, with similar problems reported in the past. In 2008, a Pennsylvania school district found that a tool meant to be anti-theft protocol was actually used to hack into students' MacBooks and take over 56,000 photos of high school students in their privacy. This incident highlighted the need for improved security measures in Apple's products.
In recent years, Apple has continued to update and improve the MacBook line, giving it two spec bumps and promising a redesign in the near future. The MacBook has set a new standard for portability in the notebook computer market, but Apple never rests on its laurels and is always looking for ways to innovate and improve. As with any technological advancement, there will be ups and downs, but one thing is certain – the MacBook will continue to play an important role in the world of technology.
Overall, the history of the MacBook is a story of innovation, improvement, and controversy. From its early days as a revolutionary new laptop to its current status as a premium product line, the MacBook has come a long way. As Apple continues to push the boundaries of technology, it's exciting to think about what the future holds for this iconic product.
"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enHey guys, it’s Greg with Apple Explained,and today we’re going to explore the historyof the MacBook.This topic was the second place winner oflast weeks voting poll and if you didn’tget to vote, make sure you’re subscribed,that way the voting polls will show up rightin 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 aboutthe history of notebooks in general beforediving in.As early as the 70’s, engineers were lookingfor ways to bring the power of a computerinto a smaller, more portable form.Almost every computer engineer had their ownapproach, and some were more successful thanothers.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 thelate 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 $5,000today adjusted for inflation.The Osborne 1 is considered by many to bethe first real portable computer – and ithelped 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 quitea 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 onedesktop for professionals, one notebook forconsumers and one notebook for professionals.Up to this point, Apple had already filledthree of the four categories, and the lastcomputer model to be introduced was the consumernotebook.Finally, at the 1999 Macworld Conference andExpo, Steve Jobs announced the iBook, thedirect predecessor to the MacBook.There had been rumors of its release for awhile before the announcement, so it didn’tcome as much of a surprise to anyone – butnonetheless, the iBook introduced some uniqueand pretty revolutionary features into thenotebook market.First, the iBook was $1,599 – almost $1,000cheaper than the most affordable PowerBookat the time.This alone made it accessible to a much widerrange of users, and its specs were just asgood as a consumer desktop.The first iBook featured a PowerPC G3 CPU,and introduced the “Unified Logic BoardArchitecture” to Mac computers, which condensedits core features onto only two chips.Another major feature was integrated wirelessnetworking, also known as WiFi, and the iBookwas 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 integratedhandle, and a lid that shut without a latch.The next generation of the iBook, however,came with changes that were met with mixedreviews.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 resolutiondisplay, 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 insteadof a G3.While the later two models may have had someupgrades to their processing power, they wereknown to be less durable than the originaliBook.Apple faced a lawsuit in 2008 for faulty memoryslots in the G4, and there were widespreadcomplaints about faulty lid latches.Despite these issues, which were pretty minorin the grand scheme of things, the iBook didwell.It was extremely popular in schools, and,in some districts, an iBook was given to everystudent.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 MacBookPro – 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 justits name.Besides the processor, the MacBook featureda polycarbonate body that was thinner andlighter than its predecessor.It utilized the new MagSafe power cable thatattached and detached magnetically, a newglossy 13-inch display, sunken keyboard design,and magnetic latch.It improved on the iBooks WiFi networkingabilities, offered Bluetooth 2.0, and includedtwo USB ports instead of just one.It also came with a built-in iSight camerathat allowed for video recording and a suddenmotion 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 respondedto with a firmware update.But then many MacBooks would overheat andshut down because the graphics card and harddrive 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 keyboardwas backlit and it featured an aluminum unibodyhousing instead of polycarbonate.The trackpad was covered with glass and hadmulti-touch capabilities as well as an integratedclick button, which meant this was officiallythe end of dedicated trackpad buttons.As far as technology inside the MacBook, thesecond generation offered some improvementsover 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 chipsetand more hard drive storage.But it also did away with the firewire portwhich had been on almost every Apple notebookup to that point.And as you might expect, this caused quitea bit of backlash from the tech communitysince 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 includingDell, Lenovo, Toshiba, Sony, ASUS, and HP.The MacBook’s success was in part due tothe fact that it was still fairly affordablecompared 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 thebiggest cosmetic complaints the MacBook linehad faced so far – greasy palm rests.All of the previous models of MacBook hadreceived widespread criticism from users forhow quickly the palm rests became faded, smeared,and covered in fingerprints.Apple responded to this issue by featuringa fingerprint-resistant glossy palm rest thatwas easier to clean and resistant to fading.This model also included a rubber bottom toprevent slipping – but the rubber piecetended 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 thisperiod.The introduction of the MagSafe power adapterwas touted by Apple as a revolutionary safetyfeature – which it was – but they didn’thold up well over time.Users complained about the durability of theseadaptors, which could split and fray aftera period of normal usage.Apple responded by not only redesigning thecables, but settling the lawsuit by issuingan 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, andiSight 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 brightnessand 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 tolast 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 batterylife was thought to be an exaggeration whenoutlets like Macworld found that the MacBooksbattery only lasted four hours in their testing.Also, many people understood that this modelmarked the end of removable and replaceablebatteries in Apple notebooks, which meantreplacing your MacBooks battery was aboutto get much more expensive and inconvenient.Now, in the early 2010’s the standard MacBookwas losing popularity to the MacBook Air andMacBook Pro.Because of its decline in popularity, Applediscontinued the line in 2011 for everyoneexcept 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 butterflykeyboard 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 fourcolors; 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 modelfeatured a terraced battery that squeezedin 35% more capacity than previous technologywould’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 ofany 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, whilesome 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 toomuch 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 aboutthe keyboard’s vulnerabilities before itwas released, but chose to do nothing aboutit.The lawsuit is still ongoing and came to includedMacBook Pro models that shared the same fragilekeyboard mechanism.Now I want to talk about a controversy thathas plagued almost all MacBooks models, andit concerns the iSight camera which has beenthe target of a serious vulnerability nicknamediSeeYou.The bug allowed hackers to remotely accessusers’ webcams without turning on the greenLED light.This meant strangers could watch and recordyou whenever your notebook was on withoutyour ever knowing it.The vulnerability came to public attentionin 2013 after Miss Teen USA Cassidy Wolf receivednude photos of herself in an extortion attempt.She discovered that the perpetrator, her highschool classmate, used a Remote AdministrationTool to hack into her MacBooks iSight camera.A similar tool was used on MacBooks providedto students by a Pennsylvania school districtin 2008 – which was initially meant to bean anti-theft protocol, but it ended up causingthe school to inadvertently take over 56,000photos of high school students in the privacyof 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 expecta redesign in the near future.It’s already set a new standard for portabilityin the notebook computer market, but Applenever 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.\n"
