MacBook Pro
Introduction — Apple MacBook Pro — Just about a month-and-a-half after Steve Jobs's surprisingly unsurprising announcement at the MacWorld Expo in San Francisco that the first two Intel-based Macs to be rolled out would be the iMac and the MacBook Pro …
Context & Ripple Effects
Apple framed the iMac and MacBook Pro as its first Intel-based Macs; the Core Duo iMac rollout established the desktop half of that change. The first MacBook Pro lab tests then put the notebook implementation under immediate scrutiny.
First-order effects
- Apple adds an Intel-based notebook alongside the iMac, making Intel a supplier to both of its initial Intel Mac launches.
- MacBook Pro buyers and reviewers gain an early test case for how Apple’s Intel transition performs in a portable system.
Second-order effects
- Software developers serving Mac users have a clearer incentive to support Intel systems; Skype had already made a Skype 2.0 feature exclusive to Intel users.
- Intel gains a visible role in Apple’s Mac product cycle, tying the chipmaker’s platform execution to Apple’s desktop and notebook launches.
Third-order effects
- If Apple continues extending the initial iMac-and-MacBook-Pro approach, Mac development and software compatibility will increasingly be organized around Intel-based hardware rather than separate processor targets.
The trend: Apple is beginning a Mac platform transition through flagship desktop and notebook models, with software support becoming part of the competitive value of Intel-based Macs.