Macintosh History: 2006

2006 was the year Apple moved from PowerPC processors, which it first started using in 1993, to Intel x86 CPUs. Apple had announced the forthcoming transition at the 2005 Worldwide Developer Conference, and the January 2006 introduction of the first Intel Macs was months ahead of early expectations.

The first Macs to make the transition were the iMac, the 15" MacBook Pro,  and the Mac mini, which was just a year old at the time.

The Core Duo iMac shipped in 17" and 20" sizes with 1.83 GHz and 2.0 GHz speeds respectively. As was the norm, the entry-level model had a Combo drive while the top-end iMac boasted a SuperDrive.

The Mac mini also came in two configurations. The base 1.5 GHz Core Solo Mac mini was the only model Apple ever produced to use a single-core Intel CPU, and it sold for $100 more than the previous entry-level Mac mini. The top-end Core Duo Mac mini had a 1.66 GHz CPU and a SuperDrive; it also retailed for $100 more than the model it replaced.

Unlike earlier models, the Mac mini used "vampire video", which used 64-80 MB of system memory for graphics. The Intel GMA 950 graphics processor was pretty lackluster, and the 1.5 GHz Core Solo model was simply underpowered.

The 15" MacBook Pro replaced the 15" aluminum PowerBook, and it looked almost identical. There was a great hue and cry over the MacBook name, which many considered a poor replacement for the established PowerBook brand, and the first Intel-based Mac notebook had its share of teething problems, which became evident shortly after it began shipping in mid-February.

Speeds were 1.83 GHz and 2.0 GHz, with a 2.16 GHz build-to-order option.

Once Apple worked out all the 15" MacBook Pro issues, it introduced the 17" MacBook Pro on April 24 at a 2.16 GHz clock speed. On May 15, Apple moved the 15" MacBook Pro to 2.0 GHz and 2.16 GHz and introduced a glossy display option.

In mid-May, Apple introduced the 13.3" MacBook to replace the older 12" and 14" iBook models. The entry-level model sold for $1,099 with a 1.83 GHz Core Duo CPU, 512 MB of RAM, a 60 GB hard drive, and a Combo drive. The midrange MacBook ran at 2.0 GHz, had a SuperDrive, and sold for $1,299. At the top was a black MacBook with an 80 GB hard drive and a $1,499 price tag. Apple would continue to use these price points until the Unibody MacBook was introduced in late 2008.

On July 5, Apple introduced a new 17" iMac aimed at the education market. The 1.83 GHz Core Duo machine used the same "vampire video" Intel GMA 950 graphics as the entry-level Mac mini and had a Combo drive.

Apple finished moving the Mac line to Intel on August 7 with the introduction of the Mac Pro, which replaced the long-running Power Mac line. The new pro Mac used two dual-core Xeon CPUs and supports up to 32 GB of RAM.

Apple improved the Mac mini on Sept. 6, putting a 1.66 GHz CPU in the entry-level model and moving the SuperDrive model to 1.83 GHz.

On the same date, the iMac also moved to Core 2 Duo CPUs and introduced a 24" 2.16 GHz model.

On Sept. 12, Apple introduced a redesigned iPod nano. The 2G nano is clad in aluminum and was available in 6 different colors. An overhauled iPod shuffle was introduced at the same time - far smaller than the original, which was the size of a pack of gum. The 2G iPod shuffle was so small that it needed a special cable - there wasn't room for even a mini USB port.

On Oct. 24, Apple moved the MacBook Pro to Intel's new Core 2 Duo CPUs, which averaged about 7% more efficient than the earlier Core Duo architecture. The 15" MacBook Pro came in 2.16 GHz and 2.33 GHz models, and the 17" MacBook Pro clocked at 2.33 GHz.

The MacBook line migrated to Intel Core 2 Duo processors on Nov. 8 with the same CPU speeds and RAM. The midrange model now had an 80 GB hard drive, and the new black MacBook moved to 120 GB.

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