Macintosh History: 2008

Apple surprised everyone by releasing an updated version of the Mac Pro the week before the MacWorld Expo. The new model used Intel's 4-core 'Harpertown' CPU, and 8 cores is the default except on the entry-level configuration.

Getting the Mac Pro out of the way allowed Apple to focus on its first Intel-based subportable at the Expo. The MacBook Air is barely 3/4" thick and weighs just 3 lb. - that's with a full-sized keyboard and a 13.3" display. For the first time since the G3, there's no built-in optical drive; users can buy a $99 external SuperDrive or use special software to "borrow" the hard drive of a nearby Mac or PC with WiFi.

The MacBook Air has an aluminum enclosure and a black, backlit keyboard. It has only one I/O port, a USB 2.0 connector hidden behind a door, and it's the first Mac without FireWire since 2001.

The other new hardware introduced at the Expo was Time Capsule, a WiFi hub and backup drive designed to work in conjunction with the Time Machine feature in Leopard. Apple also unveiled a completely overhauled Apple TV - the hardware remains the same, but the software is all new.

Apple also announced five new apps for the iPod touch, which would be standard on newly built touches but cost $20 for those who already owned this iPod.

In February, Apple updated the MacBook and MacBook Pro lines using Intel's new Penryn CPU. The new 13.3" MacBook model comes in 2.1 GHz and 2.4 GHz versions. Although the 3 MB L2 cache is smaller than in the previous MacBook, Macworld benchmarks found the new models were faster than their predecessors.

The 15" MacBook Pro saw a modest jump in CPU speed from 2.2 and 2.4 GHz to 2.4 and 2.5 GHz. Again, the new Penryn CPU makes the new models faster, and the 2.5 GHz model has a 6 MB L2 cache (as does the 2.6 GHz build-to-order option). The 17" MacBook Pro now runs at 2.5 GHz, and in addition to a 2.6 GHz CPU it also has a hi-res screen option.

Apple also introduced a pink iPod in February, just in time for St. Valentine's Day, and later added a 2 GB iPod shuffle, trimming the price of the 1 GB model from US$79 to US$49.

Apple moved the iMac to the Penryn CPU in April, offering a 3.06 GHz build-to-order option for the 24" model, which also has the option of nVidia GeForce 8800 graphics.

iPhone and iPods

On July 11, Apple released the second version of the iPhone, known as the iPhone 3G because of its 3G capabilities. Apple released version 2.0 of the iPhone/iPod touch version of OS X at the same time.

The entire iPod line was revised on Sept. 9. The iPod shuffle was given a new range of colors, and the iPod touch now included version 2.0 firmware and was thinner, topping out at 32 GB. The only change to the iPod classic was replacing the 80 GB and 160 GB models with a new 120 GB one, and the iPod nano was completely redesigned as a thin, slim media player in 8 GB and 16 GB capacities (with a 4 GB version in a few markets).

One of the hot new features was "shake to shuffle", facilitated by motion sensors. For the first time, new iPods could no longer be charged with docks that used FireWire. This also impacted some older third-party devices.

New 'Books

On October 14, after one of the longest periods ever without a new Mac model, Apple revised its entire notebook line. The top-end 17" MacBook Pro was bumped to 4 GB of RAM with a 320 GB hard drive. The MacBook Air received its first update - it gained nVidia GeForce 8800 graphics and a mini DisplayPort connector for an external display. The entry level MacBook was reduced in price to $999, and for the first time Apple put a SuperDrive in its entry-level MacBook.

The big changes were new "unibody" designs for the MacBook and 15" MacBook Pro. The new models were carved from a block of aluminum and acquired a glass trackpad at the same time. nVidea GeForce 9400M graphics was standard on both, and the MacBook Pro also had nVideo GeForce 9600 graphics with dedicated video RAM, the first time Apple had put two graphics processors in a notebook computer.

Visually, the new MacBook and MacBook Pro stand out for a black surround for their glossy displays.

There was a great uproar over the aluminum MacBook, Apple's first notebook (other than the MacBook Air) without FireWire since the late clamshell iBook era. The new MacBook Pro has a FireWire 800 port, but no longer has FireWire 400 - fortunately a simple adapter allows use of  FireWire 400 devices with a FireWire 800 port.

Unchanged

To the surprise of many, the Mac mini - last updated in August 2007 - remained unchanged. Many hope to see an upated Mac mini at the January 2009 Macworld Expo.