Apple's Last Plastic MacBook Now Considered Obsolete

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.

Tag: vintage and obsolete

Top Rated Comments

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east85

19 months ago

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.

Rating: 14 Votes

Mactendo

19 months ago

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.

Rating: 6 Votes

Nem Wan

19 months ago

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.

Rating: 5 Votes

applelover1016

19 months ago

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

Rating: 4 Votes

keysofanxiety

19 months ago

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.

Rating: 4 Votes

farewelwilliams

19 months ago

unapologetically obsolete

Rating: 4 Votes

GeneralChang

19 months ago

I've considered those obsolete for years now, myself.
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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.

Rating: 4 Votes

BornAgainMac

19 months ago

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.

Rating: 3 Votes