The MacBook is a line of Macintosh portable computers introduced in March 2015 by Apple Inc.. This model of MacBook is not to be confused with an older line of MacBook that was also developed by Apple Inc. and discontinued in 2011. It is the low-/middle-end model of the MacBook family, similar to the MacBook Air.

The MacBook was announced on March 9, 2015, during an Apple press event, as an ultraportable notebook. It had a tapered design similar to that of the MacBook Air and was the first Intel-based Mac to be released in multiple colors: Space Grey, Silver and Gold. Other features announced included a Retina Display, a display with a high pixel density, a Force Touch trackpad, a redesigned keyboard, and the elimination of all ports, with the exception of a USB-C port, used for charging, data transfer and video output, and a headphone/microphone jack. ^[1]

Design

The keyboard is changed considerably from previous models of MacBook, with keys growing in surface area by 17%, and with keystroke depth being reduced by 40%. The keys now use a "butterfly mechanism" that allows for a more stable keystroke, opposed to a traditional "scissor mechanism". The LED backlights found in the keyboard have changed so that instead of having a row of LEDs and a light guide panel, the keyboard now uses a single LED for each key, allowing for better backlighting precision. The computer now relies on an Intel Core M processor, which requires no fans, allowing it to run silently. The display has also been redesigned to be a Retina Display, with a resolution of 2304 × 1440, resulting in an aspect ratio of 16:10, and a pixel density of 226 ppi.^[2] This model is missing the backlit Apple logo that appears on other models of MacBook Pro and Air. It is 13.3 mm at its thickest point and 3.5 mm at its thinnest point, due to its tapered design.^[3]

Ports

The fourth generation MacBook only contains two ports, a usbUSB type -C port on the left, and a 3.5mm headphone jack on the right.

Reception

Model specifications

Some of the following specifications are inferred as the computer being described below has not been released.

Notes:
¹ Apple states the processor specifications as "1.1 GHz, turbo boost 2.4 GHz ", "1.2 GHz, turbo boost 2.6 GHz", and "Configurable 1.3 GHz, turbo boost 2.9 GHz", but there are no Intel Core M processors that correspond to these specific specifications that have been publicly announced. It can be inferred that Apple adapts the newest Core M models launched in Q4'14, which support Configurable TDP. The Core M-5Y31 runs at a base frequency of 800 MHz, M-5Y51 at 1.1 GHz and M-5Y71 at 1.2 GHz, the clock speeds of which seem to have been raised up to 1.1 GHz, 1.2 GHz and 1.3 GHz, respectively. All of three models match the Max Turbo Frequency specification given by both Apple and Intel.

References