Apple's Last Plastic MacBook Now Considered Obsolete

[MacRumors]

Apple today updated its official list of vintage and obsolete products to add the 2010 13-inch MacBook, the final plastic-shelled MacBook it produced before discontinuing the line, and several 2009 MacBook Pro models.

Apple first introduced the unibody polycarbonate MacBook, the third design iteration of the MacBook line, in late 2009, offering it in black and white. The MacBook was sold for only a short time, having been discontinued in mid-2011 after the introduction of the MacBook Air.

The MacBook, along with the MacBook Pro models, have been added to Apple's list of Mac products that are considered "vintage" in the United States and Turkey and "obsolete" in the rest of the world. A full list of the Mac models that have been obsoleted is below:

- MacBook (13-inch, Mid 2010)
- MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2009)
- MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2.53GHz, Mid 2009)
- MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2009)

Apple has also added all models of the iPhone 3G to the "iPhone products obsolete worldwide" list, but it also continues to be listed under "iPhone products vintage in the United States and obsolete in the rest of the world" so its official status is unclear.

Under Apple's classification system, vintage products are those that have not been manufactured for more than 5 years and less than 7 years ago, while obsolete products are those that are discontinued more than 7 years ago.

The vintage classification means that Apple is no longer offering hardware service for the devices except in Turkey and California, where local statutes require that Apple continue to provide service and parts for a longer period of time. The obsolete classification means Apple has discontinued all hardware service with no exceptions.

Apple retail stores, and the Canadian, European, Latin American, and Asia-Pacific operating regions follow Apple's United States product list, but do not distinguish between vintage and obsolete.

Article Link: Apple's Last Plastic MacBook Now Considered Obsolete

 

[farewelwilliams]

unapologetically obsolete

 

[Avieshek]

Hope, LCDs are next. #microLED

 

[applelover1016]

good night sweet prince. Still have mine in the closet loved this thing.

 

[east85]

I remember when the black plastic macbook was all the rage in college. Never got a chance to own one before the aluminum unibody came out though. Those plastic MacBooks will always be iconic in my mind though.

 

[drewsof07]

No worries, just hop on down to your local independent repair shop.... oh wait.

 

[thisisnotmyname]

I'm expecting rage in this thread. I'll go take cover under my desk (with a supported aluminum laptop).

 

[keysofanxiety]

That was the first Apple laptop I ever bought. Properly sturdy and a joy to use.

You can pick them up for next to nothing these days and with an SSD + 8GB RAM, it's still more than perfect for browsing the Internet smoothly, with fluid trackpad gestures too. I'd sooner use one over any Windows laptop at the same price point!

I've got great memories of that rugged little buddy.

 

[ehrens]

I LOVED my white unibody MacBook. I even used it to serve out iTunes content for a while. I sold it when I got a Pro from work, and replaced it with a quad core Mac mini that is better for ripping and encoding, but otherwise has proven inferior.

 

[44267547]

That was the first Apple laptop I ever bought. Properly sturdy and a joy to use.

You can pick them up for next to nothing these days and with an SSD + 8GB RAM, it's still more than perfect for browsing the Internet smoothly, with fluid trackpad gestures too. I'd sooner use one over any Windows laptop at the same price point!

I've got great memories of that rugged little buddy.

That MacBook could take a serious beating. And for Apple to use Polycarbonate was much more effective over plastic with how durable and scratch resistant was, especially when plastic tends to crack or break.

 

[rezwits]

These trackpads can't take abuse... "long live the 32-bit generation"... (I am sure there are other 32-bit devices)

 

[keysofanxiety]

That MacBook could take a serious beating. And for Apple to use Polycarbonate was much more effective over plastic with how durable and scratch resistant was, especially when plastic tends to crack or break.

Yep. I accidentally dropped mine from a serious height and it only had a tiny nick to show for it. That little guy was a real trooper.

 

[Glassed Silver]

I remember when the black plastic macbook was all the rage in college. Never got a chance to own one before the aluminum unibody came out though. Those plastic MacBooks will always be iconic in my mind though.

The way Apple made plastic look fantastic is - in my mind - unmatched by how they make aluminium look good.

Look around, there ARE aluminium laptops out there that come pretty close, but the plastic MacBooks were always in their own league.

Might have a lot to do with the general fact that only since the Ultrabook days more OEMs started caring about truly innovative or elegant design, but it does set the plastic Macs apart.

I still feel more warmth from my white old iMac than my rather current aluminium one.

Glassed Silver:win

 

[John.B]

My first Mac (not borrowed) was a BlackBook.

 

[maccingandsnacking]

What have the Turks done to be granted vintage status?

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

I read this while running updates on the MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2.53GHz, Mid 2009) at work.

 

[GeneralChang]

I've considered those obsolete for years now, myself.
[doublepost=1493667142][/doublepost]

The way Apple made plastic look fantastic is - in my mind - unmatched by how they make aluminium look good.

Look around, there ARE aluminium laptops out there that come pretty close, but the plastic MacBooks were always in their own league.

Might have a lot to do with the general fact that only since the Ultrabook days more OEMs started caring about truly innovative or elegant design, but it does set the plastic Macs apart.

I still feel more warmth from my white old iMac than my rather current aluminium one.

Glassed Silver:win

The era of white and clear plastics is still my favorite for Apple design. The G4 iMac and quicksilver Power Mac... things of beauty.

 

[Westside guy]

Still have a BlackBook that is 99% functional.

It'd be 100% functional if our dog hadn't used the keyboard as a launching pad and broken off the ESC key. Now it has an ESC piece of electrical tape.

 

[Centris 650]

What a sleek machine it was. I bought mine to replace my graphite iBook. Both looked better than any competitor's laptop today.

 

[Mactendo]

The era of white and clear plastics is still my favorite for Apple design. The G4 iMac and quicksilver Power Mac... things of beauty.

Don't forget G4 Cube. Beautiful machine.

 

[shurcooL]

I remember when the black plastic macbook was all the rage in college. Never got a chance to own one before the aluminum unibody came out though. Those plastic MacBooks will always be iconic in my mind though.

Yeah. There was a black MacBook in the opening scenes of Kick-Ass (2010 film), and I have to admit it looked quite cool. I was even a little jealous, despite owning a more modern and powerful MBP.

 

[bluespark]

I've considered those obsolete for years now, myself.
[doublepost=1493667142][/doublepost]
The era of white and clear plastics is still my favorite for Apple design. The G4 iMac and quicksilver Power Mac... things of beauty.

Agreed. This and the amazing G4 iMac are among Apple's best achievements ever. That was Apple at its very, very best.

 

[jscooper22]

Aw, shucks. We've been using this as the "family computer" (translation: my 11yo's computer) since my wife upgraded to an MBA, and I stuck an SSD in it. Good thing she doesn't read MacRumors so she won't have another excuse to nag me for a newer one yet.

 

[Nem Wan]

There was never a black unibody polycarbonate MacBook. There was black and white in the non-unibody plastic model from 2006-2008. The 2009-2011 unibody models were only in white.

 

[BornAgainMac]

I believe those were very easy to swap out the memory and replace the drive with a SSD. If you are unhappy with the performance, it could be improved for very little money or skill.