What does Apple use two part numbers?

I wanted to buy a video adapter for my MBPro and was able to see the model number on the old one: A1307
But looking for it i found it is also called MB572Z/A
I know this is an old question, and apologize i could not find the answer with Google but it seems so stupid, i want to know the answer. There is always the same confusion with Macbook model numbers. There never seems to be a simple consistent clean model number when you are looking for parts. If you look in the system description it gives some ambiguous 9,2 when you need to know A####.. you have to know when it was manufactured.. I am not even sure the model # is written on the case. Why all the confusion?

I can't answer this for sure but Apple did update model numbers on many items a while back. Both model numbers you displayed are correct, however, the later model number MB572Z/A is the one you should use as that is what re-sellers go by. (Amazon, Best Buy, etc.)

tmcdanel said:

I wanted to buy a video adapter for my MBPro and was able to see the model number on the old one: A1307
But looking for it i found it is also called MB572Z/A
I know this is an old question, and apologize i could not find the answer with Google but it seems so stupid, i want to know the answer. There is always the same confusion with Macbook model numbers. There never seems to be a simple consistent clean model number when you are looking for parts. If you look in the system description it gives some ambiguous 9,2 when you need to know A####.. you have to know when it was manufactured.. I am not even sure the model # is written on the case. Why all the confusion?

Click to expand...

I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on how Apple organizes things...and maybe Apple doesn't want us to totally understand how it works. But if you look carefully at the link below from Everymac.com for the terms/numbers you referenced above...they relate to:

- Apple Model Number
- Apple Order Number
- Apple Sub-Family
- Model ID
- etc.

MacBook "Core Duo" 1.83 13" Specs (MacBook, MA254LL/A, MacBook1,1, A1181, 2092) @ EveryMac.com

When it's best to use one number or another is probably debatable. Some of the numbers are more general (refer to a family of models)...and some of the numbers are much more specific (such as a single model computer).

But for what it's worth (from what I've seen)...even parts suppliers use a mix of these numbers to better describe an individual part they may be selling. So even they don't agree on what is the best single number to use to apply to a given Apple computer model.

- Nick