Mac

Mac, short for Macintosh, refers to a family of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 1984. The original Macintosh helped popularize the graphical user interface and mouse-driven operation. Over the years, Macs have evolved from compact all-in-one desktops to a diverse lineup including notebooks and desktops that emphasize design, ease of use, and integration with other Apple products and services.

The hardware lineup includes the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro notebooks, the iMac all-in-one desktop, the Mac mini compact desktop, and the Mac Pro high-end workstation. Macs are known for their aluminum enclosures, compact form factors, and strong emphasis on portability and build quality. The evolution of display technology and performance has accompanied shifts in processor architecture and energy efficiency across generations.

Software and operating systems form a core part of the Mac experience. macOS is the Unix-based operating system that runs on Macs, with a lineage tracing to Mac OS and Mac OS X. Apple transitioned from PowerPC to Intel processors in 2006–2007, enabling running Windows via Boot Camp on Intel Macs. In 2020, Apple began using its own ARM-based Apple Silicon (the M1 and later M2), accompanied by Rosetta 2 to translate x86 apps for compatibility.

Impact and ecosystem: Macs are widely used in education, design, video and audio production, software development, and other creative fields. They are designed to integrate closely with Apple services and devices, and include security and privacy features such as Gatekeeper, System Integrity Protection, and FileVault.