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Model numbers of Macs


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I've been kicking around the idea of getting a MBP off ebay or craigslist, but I'm frustrated by the lack of info provided in the ads. However, I often see the model# listed, and using this I'm able to get the rest of the info. Is there a place I can spec out a MBP, current or a generation back, and get a model# I can use to search for? Like instead of paging through several pages of MBP's on ebay, I'd like to just punch in the model# and just look that way.

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Well, it's funny you mention this, the answer is all of the MacBook Pro line are called "MacBook Pro" -- before this we had model numbers for many years, and myself, being the Mac geek that I am, can name every PowerBook, Duo, and Portable model that Apple ever released.

 

Basically on the MacBook Pro side, you have the 15" and 17" models. Processor speeds started at 2.16 and 2.33GHz with the initial run, and then the Santa Rosa line came and you had a 2.2GHz and 2.4GHz model, and a 2.6GHz model was added later on. Now, with the Penryn line, there is a 2.4, a 2.5, and a 2.6.

 

The first MacBook Pros were intro'd in 2006 with the whole first transition to intel on the Mac (2.16 and 2.33GHz)

The Santa Rosa MacBook Pros were intro'd in summer 2007

The Penryn line was just released in February 2008

 

The MacBook 1.83GHz was white only

2.0GHz was initially white AND black

Then, 2.16GHz came in white and black

Now there is a 2.2GHz and a 2.4GHz option for the MacBook (non-MBP)

 

...and, just for miscellaneous educational info...

 

We had the Mac Portable (1988)...heavy, used lead acid battery, option for backlit screen. Then the PowerBook came:

 

PowerBook 100

PowerBook 140

PowerBook 145

PowerBook 145b

PowerBook 150

PowerBook 160

PowerBook 165c

PowerBook 170

PowerBook 180

PowerBook 180c

 

(These were the "old school" / original PowerBooks)

 

The Duo line was introduced to be a light subnotebook that docked as a desktop. The Duo models were:

 

Duo 210

Duo 230

Duo 250

Duo 270

Duo 270c

Duo 280

Duo 280c

 

The 280c was the last in the Duo line, about the same time the PowerBook 500 series was intro'd (1994)

 

The PowerBook 500 line:

 

PowerBook 520

PowerBook 520c

PowerBook 540

PowerBook 540c

PowerBook 500 Series*

PowerBook 550c (Japan)

 

note: The PowerBook 500 Series was a re-introduced PPC capable unit that came after the somewhat problematic 5300 line

 

The 190/5300 line was intro'd in 1995, along with the PCI Power Macintosh line (7200/7500/8500/9500)

 

PowerBook 190

PowerBook 190cs

PowerBook 5300

PowerBook 5300cs

PowerBook 5300c

PowerBook 5300ce

 

The 1400 line came next, followed by the PowerBook 2400 and 3400 line. Those units were as follows:

 

PowerBook 1400cs/117

PowerBook 1400c/117

PowerBook 1400c/133

 

PowerBook 2400c/180

PowerBook 2400c/240

 

PowerBook 3400c (180/200/240)

 

(A PowerBook 1400c/166 was later introduced)

 

Then, the advent of the PPC G3 processor. The first PowerBook G3 was essentially a 3400c bodystyle with a 250MHz G3 processor in it.

 

PowerBook G3/250

 

Then came the infamous "Wall Street: series...the first to use the "White Apple" on the outside of the black body. There were two runs of the Wallstreet, the first introduced in 1998 and came in the following configs

 

PowerBook G3 12.1" (233/250/292)

PowerBook G3 13.3" " "

PowerBook G3 14.1" " "

 

(233/250/292) was then updated later, in the second run to be (233/266/300MHz) respectively

 

The same general body design, but with an alteration was made for the Bronze Keyboard PowerBook G3, also known as Lombard. These units were noticeably thinner than their predecessor, the Wallstreet. They were lighter too. They came in two configs, a 333MHz and a 400MHz, with the latter including a DVD-ROM drive:

 

PowerBook G3 (bronze keyboard) 333MHz

PowerBook G3 (bronze keyboard) 400MHz

 

Okay. THIS was 1999! About this same time, the all-famous iBook came to be. There were so many revisions and versions of the iBook, that I don't think I could detail them all, but the iBook was basically introduced as a consumer portable, while the PowerBook lived until the final 1.67GHz Aluminum PowerBook G4 (2006)

 

Clamshell iBooks --G3 (1999/2000):

 

iBook, intro'd at 300MHz (Blueberry + Tangerine)

Key Lime intro'd later (SE) at 366MHz

Graphite iBook, Special Edition, 466MHz

 

White iBook G3 (12.1" and 14.1") -- 2001 - 2003

 

Intro'd at 500MHz, processors bumped to 600MHz, 700MHz, 800MHz

 

White iBook G4 (12.1" and 14.1") -- 2003 - 2005

 

Processor speeds: 800MHz, 900MHz, 1.0GHz, 1.2GHz, 1,33GHz, 1.42GHz

 

(So that's the iBook line in a clamshell. HAHA lol. Hope I didn't go too fast). So...then we pick up with the PowerBooks again. After the Lombard, came the Pismo, another PowerBook G3, looking almost similar with bronze keyboard but sporting firewire.

 

Pismo PowerBooks came in 400MHz and 500MHz models. The Pismo was the last of the G3 line of PowerBooks.

 

Next, came the Titanium 'Book, starting at 400MHz and 500MHz models, then jumping to replace them with 550MHz and 667MHz models. These were introduced in 2001. An 800MHz model came later

 

To shorten the end and sum up, The alumimum PowerBook G4s were introduced towards the beginning of 2003....and lasted until 2006, when then replaced by the Intel MacBook Pros. Clock speeds on the Aluminum PBG4 started around 867MHz, and grew to 1GHz, 1.2GHz, 1.33GHz, 1.5GHz, and up to 1.67GHz over the next few years. Models came to encompass a 12.1" model, a 15.4" model, and a 17" model.

 

WHEW!

 

I hope that covered it on the Mac portable side of things. It's 1:25am now and I think I need some sleep. Just a brief Apple-history lesson for those who care to read :-)

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I never really got what I was looking for. I guess the right term is "Manufacturer part #." What I wanted was a code that translated into the system specs at a glance. I know one "manufacturer part #" corresponds to a Macbook Pro 17" standard res glossy 2GB RAM 160GB 7200RPM hard drive system. What I wanted to determine was that # for that specific system I was looking for.

 

I didn't ever really find this, though I found a couple of partial part#'s that allowed me to find a system I wanted.

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I never really got what I was looking for. I guess the right term is "Manufacturer part #." What I wanted was a code that translated into the system specs at a glance. I know one "manufacturer part #" corresponds to a Macbook Pro 17" standard res glossy 2GB RAM 160GB 7200RPM hard drive system. What I wanted to determine was that # for that specific system I was looking for.

 

I didn't ever really find this, though I found a couple of partial part#'s that allowed me to find a system I wanted.

If the computers are customized, there isn't any number that will give you the specs. The stock number and the serial number will just be able to show the family, and that it was customized. If it's not customized, either the serial number or the stock number should be able to tell you the specific config for that family (though I don't know if there is a site that looks up by serial number).

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Here's a couple of the numbers I am referring to:

 

Z0ED-HIGHRES-GLOSSY (seen at MacMall and also eBay, and on the outside box of new Macbook Pros from Apple)

MA895LL/A (more common type of number)

FB077LL/A

 

These refer to specific configurations for Macs, specifically Macbooks in this case. If you're looking for a 2.4Ghz MBP, 160GB 7200rpm hard drive, 1920x1200 screen, and 2GB RAM and don't mind going refurb, you don't need to google all that. You google FB077LL/A. Done. (this is the model of my 'new' acquisition according to the shipping box)

 

You can google any of the numbers I put up there, and see that each refers to one specific set of options with little deviation.

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Here's a couple of the numbers I am referring to:

 

Z0ED-HIGHRES-GLOSSY (seen at MacMall and also eBay, and on the outside box of new Macbook Pros from Apple)

MA895LL/A (more common type of number)

FB077LL/A

 

These refer to specific configurations for Macs, specifically Macbooks in this case. If you're looking for a 2.4Ghz MBP, 160GB 7200rpm hard drive, 1920x1200 screen, and 2GB RAM and don't mind going refurb, you don't need to google all that. You google FB077LL/A. Done. (this is the model of my 'new' acquisition according to the shipping box)

 

You can google any of the numbers I put up there, and see that each refers to one specific set of options with little deviation.

The second and third are just Apple store stock numbers for standard configurations. The first I've never seen before, but it looks like it could be the config digits of a serial number followed by the options it has that differ from the standard config (a number that will probably only exist on the box).

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