# 20 Years of MacBook: How Apple shaped the laptops we use today

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/20-years-of-macbook-how-apple-shaped-the-laptops-we-use-today/
- Published: 2026-10-27T11:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-27T11:12:57+00:00
- Original publisher: Engadget
- Original article: https://www.engadget.com/2297565/20-years-of-macbook-how-apple-shaped-the-laptops-we-use-today/
- Topics: Gadgets, Technology

## Key points

- MacBooks have shaped laptop design for two decades.
- Unibody aluminium cases influenced rival manufacturers.
- The MacBook Air helped define ultraportable laptops.

## Summary

Apple’s PowerBooks, iBooks and MacBooks helped turn laptops into sleek, portable devices aimed at a broad market. Since the MacBook Pro arrived in 2006, Apple’s designs have influenced rival manufacturers, especially through thinner cases, premium materials and ultraportable shapes.

The article traces that influence from the 16-pound Macintosh Portable in 1989 to the PowerBook, colourful iBook and Intel-based Macs of 2006. Apple’s 2008 unibody aluminium cases helped set a new design standard, while the wedge-shaped MacBook Air redesign of 2010 inspired competing ultraportables. The article also notes Apple’s missteps, including an initially slow MacBook Air and the removal of ports from later MacBook Pros.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.