Is Apple going to scrap the MacBook? Apple’s lawyers drop big hint about return of retro device

OFFICIAL documents from Apple’s lawyers suggest the tech giant could be working on a new device and it’s a blast from the past.

The PowerBook 5300 were released in 1995

APPLE has filed a worldwide trademark for the word “PowerBook” — sparking speculation that its bringing back its first ever laptop.

The Sun reports the first PowerBook — with its signature trackball, floppy disk reader and colourful Apple logo — launched in 1991 and was replaced by the MacBook in 2006.

Back in the early noughties, interim CEO Steve Jobs turned his efforts to the redesign of the PowerBook and produced the first laptop of its kind perfect for watching wide-screen films.

Lighter than most gadgets on the market, it was billed as the “first supercomputer you can actually take with on an aeroplane”.

In February Apple was granted an application to trademark PowerBook worldwide, suggesting that the Macintosh flagship might be making a comeback.

The Apple PowerBook 150 was released in 1994

Thomas La Perle, Apple’s legal director applied for the trademark, which is registered to the technology company’s HQ at 1 Infinite Loop Cupertino, San Jose.

Apple have not confirmed whether this is the case, and there are a number of reasons why lawyers are sending off applications to protect its property.

But it follows a trend for stripping its new launches back to their original models.

The iPad Air, for example, was last week replaced by the iPad, which first launched in 2010 by Steve Jobs.

The iPhone 8, tipped to be released in September, could be simply called the iPhone, in commemoration of its tenth anniversary.

A huge release is expected to mark the occasion.

It’s expected to boast some incredible new tech but ditch some familiar features.

This story first appeared on The Sun.