Legacy of the iBook ends with new MacBook Air

With the announcement of new products from Apple on July 20, it was easy to get swept up in the excitement of bigger displays, advanced operating systems and a more affordable MacBook Air. But with each addition to the Mac lineup, there is the inevitable demise of a well-loved classic.

The latest casualty? The white, polycarbonate-shelled MacBook, the last holdover of Apple's white, plasticky, toy-like laptop, the iBook.

For those following the evolution of the MacBook lineup, this should come as no surprise. Apple had done away with the iBook lineup in 2006, but preserved its overall plastic-like form in the 2006 MacBook. While it started out with three different versions, Apple reduced the lineup to only one option for MacBook buyers by late 2008. And now, even the last of the white MacBooks has been replaced.

It isn't all fond memories that iBook users have. Over its twelve-year history, the plastic-then-polycarbonate-cased laptop underwent many transformations and was plagued with almost as many challenges. There were faulty logic boards in early G3 and G4 models and the recall of 128,000batteries in May 2005, then another 1.8 million in August 2006.

Nevertheless, the iBook remained the affordable, entry-level option for consumers interested in a portable Mac. Despite Apple's neglect of the low-end MacBook over the last couple of years (in line with the drop in sales of the line), it remained an option for many consumers, especially students. In fact, its appeal for schools remains so strong that Ars Technica has confirmed educational institutions will be the only ones still able to purchase the white MacBooks.

But for everyone else, it looks like it's time to switch to the new MacBook Air or the MacBook Pro.

The demise of the iBook's legacy is a particularly sad moment in technological history for this blogger. On one summer day back in 2005, I joined the Apple army with the arrival of my iBook G4, a welcome change from the IBM Thinkpad that had self-destructed after years of abuse. It served me well until the cracked casing, disconnected internal speakers and poor battery life were overshadowed by the fact it shorted out and refused to turn on ever again.

While the switch to a shiny new MacBook Pro was a very welcome one, it's hard not to be nostalgic about the end of the iBook's legacy. Somehow, aluminum unibody shells don't seem to have the same warm friendliness as the iBooks of yesterday.