MacBook Pro
The MacBook Pro is a line of Mac laptop computers developed and manufactured by Apple. Introduced in 2006, it is the high-end sibling of the MacBook family, sitting above the ultra-portable MacBook Air and previously the low-end MacBook line. It is currently sold with and screens, all using Apple M-series chips. Before Apple silicon, the MacBook Pro used Intel chips, and was the first laptop made by Apple to do so, replacing the earlier PowerBook. It was also the first Apple laptop to carry the MacBook moniker.
Overview
The first MacBook Pro used a similar design to the PowerBook G4, but replaced the PowerPC G4 chips with Intel Core Duo processors, added an iSight webcam, and introduced the MagSafe power connector. The model was announced in January 2006 followed by the model in April. Later revisions added Intel Core 2 Duo processors and LED-backlit displays.The unibody model debuted in October 2008, with a variant added in January 2009. In June 2009, a variant was added to the MacBook Pro lineup, replacing the aluminum unibody MacBook. The "unibody" MacBook Pros are named as such because the case is machined from a single piece of aluminum. It has a thinner flush display than its predecessors, a redesigned trackpad whose entire surface acts as a single clickable button, and a redesigned keyboard. Updates brought Intel Core i5 and i7 processors, and introduced Intel's Thunderbolt connector.
The Retina MacBook Pro was released in 2012: the in June and a model in October. It is thinner than its predecessor, made solid-state storage standard, added HDMI, and included a high-resolution Retina display. It eliminated Ethernet, FireWire ports and the optical drive.
The Touch Bar MacBook Pro, released in October 2016, adopted USB-C for all data ports and power and included a shallower "butterfly"-mechanism keyboard. On all but the base model, the function keys were replaced with an OLED touchscreen strip called the Touch Bar with a Touch ID sensor integrated into the power button.
A November 2019 revision to the Touch Bar MacBook Pro introduced the Magic Keyboard, which uses a scissor-switch mechanism. The initial model with a screen set in narrower bezels was followed by a model in May 2020. This revision also modified the Touch Bar, as users were complaining about the ESC key disappearing and not being able to exit a computer window. Apple reinstated the physical ESC key as a result, as was standard before Touch Bar Macs.
Another revision to the Touch Bar MacBook Pro was released in November 2020; it was the first MacBook Pro to feature an Apple-designed system on a chip, the Apple M1. In 2022, the Touch Bar MacBook Pro was updated to feature an Apple M2 chip.
The and MacBook Pros were released in October 2021. Powered by either M1 Pro or M1 Max chips, they are the first to be available only with an Apple silicon system on a chip. These models re-introduced MagSafe, function keys, HDMI, an SD card reader, and some other elements that had been removed from the Touch Bar MacBook Pro.
Alongside the redesigned M2 MacBook Air, Apple refreshed the and MacBook Pros powered by either the M2 Pro or M2 Max chip in January 2023. Later that year, in November 2023, Apple refreshed the and MacBook Pros with the M3 Pro and M3 Max chips. Apple also released a base model MacBook Pro powered by the Apple M3 chip to replace the discontinued base model Touch Bar MacBook Pro.
Intel-based
Aluminum (2006–2008)
The original MacBook Pro used the design of the PowerBook G4, but replaced the PowerPC G4 chips with Intel Core Duo processors, added a built-in iSight camera, and introduced the MagSafe power connector. The optical drive was shrunk to fit into the slimmer MacBook Pro; it runs slower than the optical drive in the PowerBook G4 and cannot write to dual-layer DVDs. The 15-inch model was announced in January 2006; the model in April. In 2007, the model added Core 2 Duo "Merom" processors, and LED-backlit displays, and did in 2008. The 2007 revision received new Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT video cards and the 2008 revision upgraded the processors to "Penryn" cores while adding multi-touch capabilities to the trackpad.Both the original and model MacBook Pro computers come with ExpressCard/34 slots, which replace the PC Card slots found in the PowerBook G4. Initial first-generation models retain the two USB 2.0 ports and a FireWire 400 port but drop the FireWire 800, until it was restored in a later revision. The models have an additional USB 2.0 port, as well as the FireWire 800 port missing from the initial models. All models now included 802.11a/b/g. Later models include support for the draft 2.0 specification of 802.11n and Bluetooth 2.1.
The original case design was discontinued on October 14, 2008, for the, and January 6, 2009, for the.
Models of the MacBook Pro built from 2007 to early 2008 / late 2008 using the GeForce 8600M GT GPU reportedly exhibited failures in which the GPU die would detach from the chip carrier, or the chip would detach from the logic board. Apple initially ignored reports, before admitting to the fault and replacing logic boards free of charge for up to 4 years after the purchase date. Nvidia also confirmed the issue, and previously manufactured replacement GPUs, which some users have replaced themselves.
Unibody (2008–2012)
On October 14, 2008, in a press event at company headquarters, Apple officials announced a new MacBook Pro featuring a "precision aluminum unibody enclosure" and tapered sides similar to those of the MacBook Air. Designers had shifted the MacBook Pro's ports to the left side of the case, and moved the optical disc drive slot from the front to the right side, similar to the Polycarbonate MacBook. The new MacBook Pro computers had two video cards that the user could switch between: the Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT with either 256 or 512 MB of dedicated memory and a GeForce 9400M with 256 MB of shared system memory. The FireWire 400 port was removed. The DVI port was replaced with a Mini DisplayPort port. The original unibody MacBook Pro came with a user-removable battery; Apple claimed five hours of use, with one reviewer reporting results closer to four hours on a continuous video battery stress test. Apple said that the battery would hold 80% of its charge after 300 recharges.The unibody-construction MacBook Pro largely follows the styling of the original aluminum iMac and the MacBook Air and is slightly thinner than its predecessor, albeit wider and deeper due to the widescreen display. The screen is high-gloss, covered by an edge-to-edge reflective glass finish, while an anti-glare matte option is available in the and models in which the glass panel is removed. The entire trackpad is usable and acts as a clickable button. The trackpad is also larger than that of the aluminum models, giving more room for scrolling and multi-touch gestures. When the line was updated in April 2010, inertial scrolling was added, making the scrolling experience much like that of the iPhone and iPad. The keys, which are still backlit, are now identical to those of Apple's now-standard sunken keyboard with separated black keys. The mechanical screen release latch from the non-unibody models was replaced with a magnetic one.
During the MacWorld Expo keynote on January 6, 2009, Phil Schiller announced a MacBook Pro with unibody construction. This version diverged from its sibling with an anti-glare "matte" screen option and a non user-removable lithium polymer battery. Instead of traditional round cells inside the casing, the lithium-ion polymer batteries are shaped and fitted into each notebook to maximally utilize space. Adaptive charging, which uses a chip to optimize the charge flow to reduce wear and tear, extends the battery's overall life. Battery life for the version is quoted at eight hours, with 80 percent of this charge remaining after 1,000 charge-discharge cycles.
At Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference on June 8, 2009, it was announced that the unibody MacBook would be upgraded and re-branded as a MacBook Pro, leaving only the white polycarbonate MacBook in the MacBook line. It was also announced that the entire MacBook Pro line would use the non-user-removable battery first introduced in the MacBook Pro. The updated MacBook Pro and the would each have up to a claimed 7 hours of battery life, while the would keep its 8-hour capacity. Some sources even reported up to eight hours of battery life for the and MacBook Pro computers during casual use, while others reported around six hours. Like the MacBook Pro, Apple claims that they will last around 1,000 charging cycles while still containing 80% of their capacity. Graphics card options stayed the same from the previous release, although the and the base model, came with only the GeForce 9400M GPU. The screens were also improved, gaining a claimed 60 percent greater color gamut. All of these mid-2009 models also included a FireWire 800 port and all except the models would receive an SD card slot. The 17-inch model would retain its ExpressCard/34 slot. For the MacBook Pro, the Kensington lock slot was moved to the right side of the chassis. In August 2009, Apple extended the "matte" anti-glare display option to the MacBook Pro.
On April 13, 2010, Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors were introduced in the and models, while the retained the Core 2 Duo with a speed increase. The MagSafe connector on the power adapter bundled with the computer was redesigned to a barrel shape, and a high-resolution display was announced as an option for the models. The gained an integrated Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics chip with 256 MB of shared memory, while the and models were upgraded to the GeForce GT 330M, with either 256 or 512 MB of dedicated memory. The and models also have an integrated Intel GPU that is built into the Core i5 and i7 processors. The 15-inch model also gained. Save for a third USB 2.0 slot, all the ports on the MacBook Pro are the same in type and number as on the version. All models came with 4 GB of system memory that was upgradeable to 8 GB. Battery life was also extended further in this update, to an estimated 10 hours for the and 8–9 hours on the and MacBook Pro computers. This was achieved through both greater power efficiency and adding more battery capacity. One reviewer reported about 6 hours of battery life through a continuous video battery stress test in the and another, who called the battery life "unbeatable", reported nearer to 8 hours in the through their "highly demanding battery drain test".
Thunderbolt technology, Sandy Bridge dual-core Intel Core i5 and i7 or quad-core i7 processors, and a high-definition FaceTime camera were added on February 24, 2011. Intel HD Graphics 3000 come integrated with the CPU, while the and models also utilize AMD Radeon HD 6490M and Radeon HD 6750M graphics cards. Later editions of these models, following the release of OS X Lion, replaced the Expose key with a Mission Control key, and the Dashboard key with a Launchpad key. The chassis bottoms are also engraved differently from the 2010 models. The Thunderbolt serial bus platform can achieve speeds of up to 10 Gbit/s, which is up to twice as fast as the USB 3.0 specification, 20 times faster than the USB 2.0 specification, and up to 12 times faster than FireWire 800. Apple communicated that Thunderbolt could be used to drive displays or to transfer large quantities of data in a short amount of time.
On June 11, 2012, Apple announced upgraded Mac notebooks at the Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco. The 2012 MacBook Pro models have Ivy Bridge processors and USB 3.0 ports, and the default RAM on premium models was increased to 8 GB. Following this announcement, the model was discontinued. After a media event on October 22, 2013, Apple discontinued all non-retina unibody MacBook Pros except for the entry-level 2.5 GHz model.
Apple discontinued the aluminum non-retina MacBook Pro on October 27, 2016. Immediately prior to its discontinuation, it was Apple's only product still on sale that included an optical drive and a FireWire port, and it was the only notebook that Apple sold that still had a spinning hard disk drive and an Ethernet port. It is also the only MacBook Pro to support nine versions of macOS, from Mac OS X Lion 10.7 through macOS Catalina 10.15.
Early and late 2011 models with a GPU; 15" & 17"; reportedly suffer from manufacturing problems leading to overheating, graphical problems, and eventually complete GPU and logic board failure. A similar but nonidentical problem affected iMac GPUs which were later recalled by Apple. The problem was covered by many articles in Mac-focused magazines, starting late 2013 throughout 2014. In August 2014 the law firm Whitfield Bryson & Mason LLP had begun investigating the problem to determine if any legal claim exists. On October 28, 2014, the firm announced that it has filed a class-action lawsuit in a California federal court against Apple. The lawsuit will cover residents residing in both California and Florida who have purchased a 2011 MacBook Pro notebook with an AMD graphics card. The firm is also investigating similar cases across the United States. On February 20, 2015, Apple instituted the This "will repair affected MacBook Pro systems, free of charge". The program covered affected MacBook Pro models until December 31, 2016, or four years from original date of sale.