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Mac (computer)
&sq=crain_ford&lang=en&file=File:MacLogo.svg){kind=small} | |
&sq=crain_ford&lang=en&file=File:Macbook_Air_15_inch_-_2_(blurred).jpg) The MacBook Air, a popular laptop computer in the current Mac lineup. | |
| Also known as | Macintosh |
|---|---|
| Developer | Apple Inc. |
| Manufacturer | Apple Inc. |
| Type | Desktop computers, all-in-one computers, laptop computers (current) |
| Release date | January 24, 1984 |
| Lifespan | 1984–present |
| Operating system | macOS "Classic" Mac OS (formerly) |
| Related | Apple II Apple Lisa iPad |
| Website | www |
Mac is a family of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple since 1984. The name is short for Macintosh (its official name until 1999), a reference to a type of apple called McIntosh. The current product lineup includes the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops, and the iMac, Mac Mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro desktops. Macs are sold with Apple's proprietary macOS operating system, which is not licensed to other manufacturers and exclusively bundled with Mac computers.
Jef Raskin conceived the Macintosh project in 1979, which was usurped and redefined by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in 1981. The original Macintosh was launched in January 1984, after Apple's "1984" advertisement during Super Bowl XVIII. A series of incrementally improved models followed, sharing the same integrated case design. In 1987, the Macintosh II brought color graphics, but priced as a professional workstation and not a personal computer. Beginning in 1994 with the Power Macintosh, the Mac transitioned from Motorola 68000 series processors to PowerPC. Macintosh clones by other manufacturers were also briefly sold afterwards. The line was refreshed in 1998 with the launch of iMac G3, reinvigorating the line's competitiveness against commodity IBM PC compatibles. Macs transitioned to Intel x86 processors by 2006 along with new sub-product lines MacBook and Mac Pro. Since 2020, Macs have transitioned to Apple silicon chips based on ARM64.
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