MWSF: MacBook Air is ‘world’s thinnest notebook’
Posted by Dennis Sellers 
Jan 15, 2008 at 2:45pm
Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the MacBook Air, which he called “the world’s thinnest notebook,” during his keynote speech at the Macworld Conference & Expo.
The MacBook Air measures 0.16-inches at its thinnest point, while its maximum height of 0.76-inches is less than the thinnest point on competing notebooks, Jobs said. It has a 13.3-inch LED-backlit widescreen display, a full-size and backlit keyboard, a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing, and a trackpad with multi-touch gesture support.
The MacBook Air is powered by a 1.6GHz or 1.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 4MB L2 cache, and includes as standard features 2GB of memory, an 80GB 1.8-inch hard drive, and the latest 802.11n Wi-Fi technology and Bluetooth 2.1.
“We’ve built the world’s thinnest notebook—without sacrificing a full-size keyboard or a full-size 13-inch display,” Jobs said. “When you first see MacBook Air, it’s hard to believe it’s a high-performance notebook with a full-size keyboard and display. But it is.”
MacBook Air has a 13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display and features a full-size keyboard design in a sleek aluminum enclosure. Like the MacBook Pro, it has a backlit keyboard and a built-in ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts the brightness of the keys as well as the display brightness for optimal visibility.
Jobs said the MacBook Air delivers up to five hours of battery life for wireless productivity and includes AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi networking. An accessory for the laptop is the US$99 MacBook Air SuperDrive, a compact external drive. The MacBook Air SuperDrive is powered by MacBook Air’s USB port, eliminating the need to carry a separate power adapter.
The MacBook Air is powered by Intel Core 2 Duo processors running at 1.6GHz or 1.8GHz, and includes as standard 2GB of memory and an 80GB 1.8-inch hard drive. An optional 64GB solid state drive contains no moving parts. Every MacBook Air includes a micro-DVI port so users can connect to Apple’s 20-inch or 23-inch Cinema Displays or connect to projectors and other displays via DVI, VGA, Composite and S-video adapters.
The MacBook Air includes USB 2.0 for plugging in peripherals or charging an iPod or iPhone, a headphone jack and the MagSafe Power Adapter. Every MacBook Air comes with iLife ‘08 and Mac OS X 10.5 (“Leopard”).
Jobs says the MacBook Air embodies Apple’s continuing environmental progress with its aluminum enclosure, a material highly desired by recyclers; Apple’s first mercury-free LCD display with arsenic-free glass; and brominated flame retardant-free material for the majority of circuit boards as well as PVC-free internal cables. In addition, MacBook Air consumes the least amount of power of any Mac, and its retail box, made primarily from 100 percent post-consumer recycled material, is 56 percent smaller by volume than the previously smallest MacBook packaging, the CEO added.
The new MacBook Air will be shipping in two weeks through the Apple Store, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of US$1,799, and includes:
▪13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display with 1280×800 resolution;
▪1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 4MB L2 cache;
▪800 MHz front-side bus;
▪2GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM;
▪80GB hard disk drive with Sudden Motion Sensor;
▪Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100;
▪Micro-DVI port (includes Micro-DVI to VGA and Micro-DVI to DVI Adapters);
▪built-in iSight video camera;
▪built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
▪one USB 2.0 port;
▪one headphone port;
▪multi-touch TrackPad with support for advanced multi-touch gestures including tap, scroll, pinch, rotate and swipe; and
▪45 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
Build-to-order options and accessories include the ability to upgrade to a 1.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor; 64GB solid state drive, MacBook Air SuperDrive, Apple USB Ethernet Adapter, Apple USB Modem, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter, Apple Remote and the AppleCare Protection Plan. Additional build-to-order options also include pre-installed copies of iWork ‘08, Logic Express 8, Final Cut Express 4 and Aperture 1.5.
The “Macsimum MWSF 2007 Coupon Book” is available for download. You can find it here and print it as a PDF. It has discounts, special offers and promotions in conjunction with the upcoming Macworld Conference & Expo in San Francisco.
Want to know what’s going on at this week’s Macworld Conference & Expo? Check out Hess Events List.
alan Says:
Really disappointed. I was holding off buying a laptop whilst I waited for Apple’s ultra portable. I’ll now either buy a ASUS EEE or just buy a new battery for my 12” powerbook.......
No firewire for starters....
Posted on January 17, 2008
alan Says:
From the post above. I bought a replacement battery for my 12” powerbook instead. On reflection if they were to drop the price of the product from £1200 to £1000 then I’d buy one.
Posted on February 15, 2008
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Contributor
Dennis Sellers
Dennis has been a newspaper editor/reporter (seven years) and teacher (seven years). He has over 4,000 magazine, newspaper and online articles to his credit. He has also covered the Mac and tech industries for over a decade for such online publications as MacCentral, MacMinute and now MacsimumNews.
MacManic Says:
Awesome addition to the range. I only wish it had FW800. The speed of this computer is very limited by that tiny HD and USB 2. Not a deal breaker though.
Posted on January 16, 2008