MacBook Pro · The Aluminum Age · 2008
MacBook Pro (Unibody)
The pro line adopts unibody machining and dual switchable GPUs for battery-vs-power balance. The design language of MacBook Pros for the next decade.
Brought unibody construction and switchable graphics to the pro laptop.
MacBook Pro with Retina Display (2012)
MacBook Pro (Unibody): key facts
When was the MacBook Pro (Unibody) released?
The MacBook Pro (Unibody) arrived on October 14, 2008. Apple discontinued it in 2009.
How much did the MacBook Pro (Unibody) cost?
The MacBook Pro (Unibody) launched at $1,999 in 2008, about $2,979 in today’s money (approximate, US CPI).
What specs stand out?
Key specs: Intel Core 2 Duo at 2.40 GHz, 2 GB RAM, 244.1 GB storage, 15.4" LED LCD, 1440×900 display.
Why does the MacBook Pro (Unibody) matter?
Brought unibody construction and switchable graphics to the pro laptop.
Full specifications
| CPU | Intel Core 2 Duo · 2.40 GHz |
|---|---|
| Cores | 2 |
| Memory (RAM) | 2 GB (up to 8 GB) |
| Storage | 244.1 GB |
| Display | 15.4" LED LCD, 1440×900 |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT |
| Ports | USB 2.0, FireWire 800, Mini DisplayPort |
| Weight | 2.49 kg |
| Dimensions | Unibody aluminium notebook |
| Operating system | Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard |
| Released | October 14, 2008 |
| Discontinued | 2009 |
| Launch price | $1,999 |
How the MacBook Pro (Unibody) compares to today
A 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro has about 8.0× more memory than this device shipped with.
At 2.40 GHz, the clock is roughly 1.3× slower than a single performance core of a 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro, and that is before counting cores, width and IPC.
This held about 62,500 modern phone photos, a respectable library even today.
Launched at $1,999 in 2008, about $2,979 in today’s money (approx., US CPI).
Method note: clock comparisons use frequency only; price conversions use US CPI.
Sources
Specs checked against Apple technical specifications archive, EveryMac, Mactracker, Wikimedia Commons image credits.
Did you know?
A user-accessible battery and drive door made this era a tinkerer’s favourite.
Related MacBook Pro models
Open the MacBook Pro (Unibody) in the interactive archive →
Last updated: 2026-08-11