Hardware related questions of computers sold/made by Apple. Use [macos] for the operating system, and use [mac-address] for MAC addresses instead.
Mac is short for Macintosh, a brand of computers created and sold by Apple Inc.. Macintosh products are the desktop and mobile computing family, whereas products such as the iPod, the iPhone or the iPad don't carry a "Mac" name.
Apple produces several lines of Macintosh computers including the iMac, Mac mini, Mac Pro, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and the (now discontinued) MacBook.
Mac OS X
All current Macs ship with Mac OS X ("Pronounced: Mac OS Ten"), and allow you to install Windows or Linux either through virtualization software, using an alternative boot loader, or Apple's provided "Boot Camp" feature to install Windows on your Mac.
mac specifies the hardware only, therefore all questions about Mac OS X should be tagged macos.
Currently produced Macs
macbook-pro about the MacBook Pro, both the newer Unibody models as well as the earlier Intel-based line.
macbook-air about the MacBook Air, a ultra-portable laptop based on flash storage.
imac about the iMac, a desktop computer with a built-in display. This tag compromises all iMacs, from the first "iMac G3" to the latest Unibody iMac.
mac-pro about the Mac Pro, a professional desktop computer with options for high-end components, primarily used in media production environments.
Discontinued Macs
powerbook about the laptop line that was manufactured from 1991 to 2006. The line was discontinued and replaced for the MacBook brand when Apple switched to Intel processors.
macbook for all questions about MacBooks – or specifically the budget MacBook line, as compared to the professional MacBook Pro line. Apple currently does not produce any MacBooks anymore.
Tag overlap
Some questions about MAC addresses are also tagged mac, but they should be tagged mac-address.
