From Mac Portable to PROLED MacBook Pro: 35 years of mobile Macs

Apple's road to its iconic MacBook was bumpy, and saw oversized portables, colorful clamshells, keyboard issues, and spanned three entirely different chip architectures. Here's a snapshot of 35 years of true Apple portables.

Apple's no slouch when it comes to giving its customers choices. Currently, Apple sells the Mac mini, Mac Studio, iMac, MacBook Neo, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro.

Depending on when you got into Macs, your iconic machine is either Jobs' original vision, the iMac G3, or more recently, a MacBook of some sort.

Apple didn't nail portable Macs on its first try. It took decades of iterations to bring the PROLED MacBook Pro to fruition.

This isn't everything Apple ever released, but there are some notable models. Here are the notable pit stops Apple made on the way to creating its iconic lineup.

Macintosh Portable (1989-1991)

It was the summer of 1989, and Apple was gearing up to release something big, in both the literal and metaphorical sense: its first portable computer.

The Macintosh Portable was far from the first battery-powered "portable" machine; that award actually goes to IBM's 1981 behemoth, the Epson HX-20. Still, the Mac Portable is the humble seed from which future generations of portable Macs would sprout.

Specs at launch:

• CPU: Motorola 68000 @ 16 MHz
• Memory: 1 MB RAM (expandable to 9 MB)
• Storage: 1.44 MB floppy; optional 40 MB SCSI hard drive
• Launch Price: $6,500

One of the most impressive feats of late 1980s engineering is that, somehow, the Macintosh Portable managed to get 10 hours of battery life on the non-backlit models with a giant and heavy lead-acid battery. The 2026 MacBook Pro gets up to 24 hours of battery life depending on the task, while the MacBook Air can get a maximum of 18.

The biggest issue, here, is that the Macintosh Portable is demonstrably not portable. Some of our staffers had one, and Mike called it "charitably, a luggable." Weighing in at a whopping 16lbs, it's not something you're going to tuck under your arm and move from room to room with.

Sixteen pounds, for the record, is the weight of two standard US gallons of milk. Or, if you're into bowling, about the weight of a men's bowling ball on the heavier side.

Its excessive weight, coupled with a decidedly large, 15-inch by 15-inch footprint, is probably why it was discontinued a mere two years after its inception.

PowerBook (1991-2006)

Just as the Macintosh Portable was fading in the rearview, Apple released its next attempt at a portable computer: the PowerBook.

The PowerBook was the first of Apple's offerings to truly look like a laptop. It was also truly portable, with the heaviest PowerBook released coming in at a then-scant 6.8 pounds.

The PowerBook would see many iterations over its nearly 15-year tenure, including:

PowerBook 100 Series (1991-1995)

Initially released in October 1991, Apple released the entry-level PowerBook 100, a mid-range PowerBook 140, and the PowerBook 170, which was aimed at professionals.

It was also the first of Apple's devices to abandon the company's Snow White design language. Instead, it opted for a darker gray, which Apple deemed sufficiently "corporate."

Specs at launch:

• CPU: Motorola 68000 @ 16 MHz
• Memory: 2 - 4 MB RAM
• Storage: 20 - 80 MB hard drive
• Launch Price: Starting at $2,300

The first series PowerBook was immediately successful, and as Low End Mac points out, it dethroned both Compaq and Toshiba in the private market.

PowerBook Duo (1992 - 1997)

The PowerBook Duo made its first appearance in 1992. Designed to be a smaller, lighter, and even more portable machine.

There was a tradeoff, though. The PowerBook Duo omitted many features, instead relying on proprietary docking stations that would expand the machine's capabilities.

Specs at launch:

• CPU: Motorola 68030 @ 25— 33 MHz
• Memory: 4 to 24 MB
• Storage: 80 MB to 120 MB hard drive
• Launch Price: Starting at $2,300

In 1993, Apple would release the PowerBook 145, PowerBook 160, and PowerBook 180 as an upgrade to the original lineup. The PowerBook 150 would make its debut in the summer of 1994.

iBook (1999-2006)

Much like everyone else, Apple was feeling pressure to adapt to the aesthetics of the new millennium. In July 1999, Apple would introduce its newest portable and yet again redefine personal computing.

Apple's first iBook, the iBook G3, was notable for a few reasons. The first was its design.

While it certainly wasn't Apple's first blobject, that honor goes to the iMac G3; its Y2K aesthetic made it an instant eye-catcher. Available in tangerine, blueberry, graphite, indigo, and key lime, its rounded clamshell design evoked a more playful take on the personal computer.

While Apple wouldn't keep the design for long, it did actually keep many of the features. This included moving ports from the back to the sides, providing multiple color options, and forgoing latches.

Specs at launch:

• CPU: PowerPC G3 (750)
• Memory: 32— 544 MB RAM
• Storage: 3.2— 6 GB hard drive
• Launch Price: Starting at $1,599

PowerBook G4 (2001-2006)

The PowerBook would get its next major refresh in 2001 with the introduction of the PowerBook G4. This would be the first of Apple's laptops that resembled anything that they sold going forward.

Specs at launch:

• CPU: PowerPC 7410
• Memory: 128MB-1GB
• Storage: 10GB-30GB
• Launch Price: Starting at $1,599

Its sleek design was available in silver, a color that would quickly become a signature of Apple. It was also notably thin, especially when compared to other machines available on the market.

It was also Apple's first laptop to feature an "upright" orientation of the Apple logo. Previous iterations of the logo would appear upside down to onlookers.

MacBook (2006-2012)

It wouldn't be until April 2006 that Apple would finally release its first MacBook. Its primary audience was the average user, especially those in education.

Specs at launch:

• CPU: Yonah Intel Core Duo (T2400)
• Memory: 512 MB - 4 GB
• Storage: 60 - 120 GB
• Launch Price: Starting at $1,099

A notable trait of the original MacBook is that it initially launched in a polycarbonate shell. It was initially available in white and black, but in 2008, Apple released an aluminum version and discontinued the black plastic MacBook.

True to Apple's form at the time, it kept the ports on the side. Left side ports included the MagSafe power connector, Ethernet, Mini DisplayPort, 2 USB 2.0 ports, 3.5mm audio out, and a Kensington security slot. On the right was the device's optical drive.

The original MacBook enjoyed a six-year tenure before it was discontinued in 2012.

MacBook Pro (Circa early 2006)

Apple also launched its first MacBook Pro in 2006 as an Intel-based replacement for its PowerBook lineup. It realized that the market likely had enough room to differentiate between the average and professional-grade laptop computers.

It came with an aluminum chassis, which helped to drive home the fact that this was for professionals, rather than its entry-level counterpart. It was available in two screen sizes: 13-inch and 17-inch.

Specs at launch:

• CPU: Intel Core Duo Yonah
• Memory: 512 MB
• Storage: 80GB
• Launch Price: Starting at $1,900

Reception was mostly positive, with reviewers especially impressed by the screen's brightness and viewing angles. They also appreciated the new MagSafe power adapter.

The main criticisms of the MacBook Pro were its underclocked memory and its propensity to run hot. Apple would address these issues in subsequent releases.

MacBook Air (Circa 2008)

For many Apple enthusiasts, and even many outsiders, the MacBook Air is possibly the most iconic Apple reveal of all time. Steve Jobs introduced it at the 2008 Macworld conference when he pulled it from a manila envelope.

The portability factor has made it a great go-to for workers who demand a portable setup, as well as college students.

Specs at launch:

• CPU: Merom Intel Core 2 Duo
• Memory: 2GB
• Storage: 60 - 80 GB
• Launch Price: Starting at $1,799

The MacBook Air would eventually become Apple's most popular computer. It is often many people's introductory Mac.

Apple periodically over-specced the MacBook Air for what an average user needed. This leads to users often keeping the same MacBook for years, with an average lifespan of five to seven years.

MacBook Pro with Touch Bar (circa 2016)

It would be remiss of us not to talk about Apple's MacBook Pro that featured the Touch Bar and that notorious Butterfly Keyboard.

Apple released the MacBook Pro with Touch Bar in 2016. It opted to remove the function button row and replace it with a thin, long touch-sensitive screen that adapted across applications.

For example, the bar could be used to control volume and skip forward or back when listening to movies. If the user switched to a program like Photoshop, the bar may adapt individually for tools like altering an image's hues and levels.

In practice, it was awkward for most. Even fans lamented the loss of physical function keys.

Base-level specs at launch

• CPU: 2.9 GHz Core i5
• Memory: 8GB
• Storage: 256 - 512 GB
• Launch Price: Starting at $1,799

The butterfly keyboard was a saga all of its own, leading to a years-long repair program.

M1 MacBook Air

On November 10, 2020, Apple announced the all-new M1 MacBook Air. It would be the first of Apple's computers to use a custom ARM-based Apple Silicon processor.

It featured a fanless design, only made possible by the energy efficiency of the new M1 chip. It also featured support for Thunderbolt 3/USB 4 and a wide color (P3) display.

Base-level specs at launch

• CPU: Apple M1
• Memory: 8GB - 16 GB
• Storage: 128 GB - 2 TB
• Launch price: Starting at $799

Reception was positive, with reviewers and customers praising the performance capabilities of Apple Silicon. The lack of a fan, as well as the keyboard and trackpad, were also cited as standout design elements.

The largest criticism the device received was its external display support. Its predecessor, the final Intel-based MacBook Air, could support two external displays; the M1 MacBook Air could only support one.

Still, the MacBook Air proved that Apple was more than capable when it came to designing its own processors. And, as such, it would forge a path forward without Intel.

Apple would begin adding Silicon to its entire Mac lineup over a period of two years. The final Intel-based Mac was fully discontinued in 2023, when Apple stopped selling the Mac Pro.

MacBook Neo

Apple has posited the MacBook Neo as the perfect introductory Mac. It's been pitched as the ideal machine for someone who can't quite get by with an iPad but may not need the more robust mid-level MacBook Air.

Effectively, it's been designed to fill the hole that the 12-inch MacBook left when it was discontinued in 2017.

It's most notable for being the first of Apple's MacBook lineup to rely on an A-series "mobile" chip. It makes it ideal for younger users, casual users, and users who may already have a higher-end Mac mini or Mac Studio setup, but would like something portable.

• CPU: A18 Pro
• Memory: 8GB
• Storage: 256 - 512 GB
• Price at launch: Starting at $599

Before its official sales date, the MacBook Neo was heavily criticized. There were claims that there would be no audience for a laptop with a mobile chip, mostly from people who didn't understand Apple Silicon engineering. Apple proved them wrong.

The MacBook Neo has seen great success. So much so that Apple had a difficult time keeping them in stock.

PROLED MacBook Pro

And now we come to today.

After years of rumors, Apple has brought OLED to the MacBook Pro. Officially called the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display, the new lineup comes in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes.

Its most notable upgrade is the tandem OLED screen, which delivers deeper blacks, higher contrast, and brighter HDR highlights. It also makes these the first MacBooks with touchscreen support, bringing multitouch gestures and touch-friendly controls to macOS.

• CPU: M5 Pro or M5 Max
• Memory: Starting at 24GB with M5 Pro or 36GB with M5 Max
• Storage: Up to 16TB
• Price at launch: Starting at $2,899

The new models retain the same processors and physical dimensions as their non-OLED counterparts, but are lighter and replace the display notch with a smaller Dynamic Island.

Apple is keeping the non-OLED models in the lineup, positioning the new versions as a premium option for users who want the upgraded display and touch support. Both sizes are scheduled to begin shipping on November 6, 2026.

It will be hard to tell how the OLED MacBook Pro performs. Apple had, for years, sworn to never make a touchscreen MacBook, as the ergonomics did not make any sense.

That, coupled with the nearly $3,000 entry price, could make it a tough sell. Or, like many Apple products, it may prove its worth in the lineup.