The replacement was part of the Apple-Intel transition.Intended for pulic consumers and educational market,the MacBook is the most successful Machintosh computer built by Apple,as NPD(a sales-research organization)shows that until October 2008,it was the single best-selling notebook computer of any brand in the U.S retail stores.
There are three different designs for the MacBook.Modeled after the iBook G4,the original MacBook model has a case made out of a combination of polycarbonets and fiberglass.In October 2008,Apple announced the second model of MacBook,alongside 15-inch MacBook Pro.The second MacBook model had a similar look to th 15-inch MacBook Pro,so it was rebranded as the 13-inch MacBook Pro.The casing of this model is made from aluminum.One year later,in October 2009,Apple presented a unibody polycarbonate shell Machintosh notebook as the third installment to the MacBook series.The casing was built that way because aluminum cases were now available only for the high-end MacBook Pro versions.
The first MacBook version(released in 2006) involved an Intel Core Duo proccessor ,945GM chipset and GMA950 integrated graphics card at a 667 Mhz front bus size.Later on,Apple changed the MacBook system,as newer versions included Core 2 Duo proccessor techonlogy,965GM chipset and GMA X3100 graphics card.The bus size was also adjusted so now it reaches 800Mhz in stead of 667Mhz,as its former version had.October 2008 represented the end of the polycarbonate era and the start of the aluminum one,as since then,the polycarbonate MacBooks ceased to sell.
Although it follows the standard design of the PowerBook G4,the Apple MacBook had implemented some design features that are now considered standard for all Apple notebooks,such as the glossy display,the sunken keyboard,or the non-mechanical magnetic latch.Another improvement that the MacBook offers is that now you can easly fix your own computer,no pros being necessary,as the MacBook gives you access to any component just by removing the outer shell,or in some cases the battery,not like the iBook,where very serious disassembling was needed in order to repair or change a component.
This disassembling process also includes vital components such as RAM.The MacBook also includes special manuals that teach you how to repair your machine all by yourself.On the other hand,some early polycarbonate models have experienced random shutdowns and had to be checked in for CPU heatsink replacement as well as a firmware update.More serious problems such as display malfunctions needed to be reported at AppleCare.If you bought an MacBook between 2006 and 2007,you can now check it in for hard drive issues as Apple made a warranty extension since February 2010 for models bought in that chronological area.