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Thin is in with the MacBook Air

Everyone was expecting Apple to release an ultra-portable notebook at this year's Macworld 2008 expo, and Steve Jobs didn't disappoint.

Jobs revealed the aluminum-bodied MacBook Air is 0.16" at its thinnest point, 0.76" at its thickest point and weighs just 3.0 pounds. Jobs played up the fact that the MacBook Air is thin enough to fit within a standard manila envelope and new Mac TV ads will center on this ability.

“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,” said Jobs.

The MacBook Air features Intel Core 2 Duo power (1.6GHz standard, 1.8GHz optional), 2GB of memory (soldered on and not upgradeable), Intel GMA X3100 graphics, a 13.3" LED-backlit display and an 80GB, 1.8" HDD for storage duties. A 64GB solid-state disk (SSD) is optional on the MacBook Air -- Steve Jobs notes that "They're pricy, but they're fast."

To keep its thin form-factor, the MacBook Air makes do with one USB 2.0 port, a micro-DVI port and an audio-out jack. Other features include the requisite iSight camera and full-size, backlit keyboard. Apple includes 802.11n WiFi and Bluetooth 2.1, but there is no WiMAX, EV-DO or HSDPA in the package despite the "Air" moniker.

There is no Ethernet port due to space/size restrictions and there is also no built-in optical drive although Apple will gladly sell you an external SuperDrive for $99.

Perhaps the feature that will be most talked about -- besides its thin, aluminum frame -- is the Multi-touch trackpad. MacBook Air owners can use the same gestures that iPhone and iPod touch users have grown accustomed to (tap, scroll, pinch, rotate and swipe) to manipulate windows, picture and other items on the screen within OS X.

Apple claims that the MacBook Air can operate for up to 5 hours on its standard battery which is quite good for an ultra-portable notebook that is so thin. By the way, the battery is not user replaceable. You'll have to ship your notebook off to Apple if your battery dies.

Pricing for the MacBook Air starts at $1,799 USD. It can be pre-order from the Apple Store today, but units won't begin shipping until two weeks from today.

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Just preordered it
By aos007 on 1/15/2008 1:57:57 PM , Rating: 2
This is going to be my first Apple computer. I waited patiently for a year to replace my aging Toshiba R100, this was exactly what was expected by many and will fit the bill. I so wanted to get the SSD but alas, $3000 is just way too much. I hope customers will be able to purchase a SSD drive in a year when prices drop.




RE: Just preordered it
By tayhimself on 1/15/08, Rating: -1
RE: Just preordered it
By PandaBear on 1/15/2008 3:34:14 PM , Rating: 2
AppleTV is an example of them packing crap software into a white box, but too bad it doesn't sell well.


RE: Just preordered it
By kelmon on 1/15/2008 3:48:56 PM , Rating: 2
Honestly, Apple TV's biggest problem wasn't its software but a lack of content to play on it, particularly if you lived outside of the US. I'm honestly quite impressed by the announced revisions to the Apple TV but at the end of the day it's the content that's key.


RE: Just preordered it
By MonkeyPaw on 1/15/2008 6:38:23 PM , Rating: 5
quote:
Enjoy your Zune, Dells, and Vista.


Enjoy your non-replaceable battery, zippy and spacious 80GB 1.8" HDD, and solitary USB port. Impending frustration never cost so much.

Do let us know when your MacBook Air becomes a MacBook Frisbee.


RE: Just preordered it
By JoshuaBuss on 1/15/2008 9:43:56 PM , Rating: 3
i don't want to imagine loading leapord from 4200rpm :|

for $1,800 the SSD should've come standard.


RE: Just preordered it
By Scott66 on 1/16/2008 1:37:17 AM , Rating: 2
Any other comparable laptop offering such a drive is in the 2500-3500 price range. Don't demand from Apple what the other PC makers aren't willing to cough up.


RE: Just preordered it
By spudboy23 on 1/16/2008 12:27:04 PM , Rating: 2
oh, but it's APPLE...they have to live up to a standard that no other PC makers have to, because how else would people be able to attack them for every single product they release and write articles with headlines that include a flaw for a grabber: "Apple Macbook Air Notebook Launches; Lacks User-Replaceable Battery." nice double standard, there.

people haven't even used the thing and they're already bagging on it. i bet most of you don't even own a Mac and have no idea about the interoperability that's designed into the systems (such as the ability to use another Mac's SuperDrive via wireless). just watch, every other PC maker will release some version of this notebook within the year and all the Windows-groupies will fall all over themselves to talk about how lacking an Ethernet port and using a 4200 RPM 1.8" hard drive is "forward-thinking, innovative design."


RE: Just preordered it
By inighthawki on 1/20/2008 6:27:01 PM , Rating: 2
"(such as the ability to use another Mac's SuperDrive via wireless)"

last time i checked, using another pc's drive is as easy as sharing it over the network...


RE: Just preordered it
By ertomas on 1/16/2008 7:13:39 PM , Rating: 4
quote:
and solitary USB port.


You forgot the solitary mouse button...


RE: Just preordered it
By B on 1/15/2008 2:34:29 PM , Rating: 2
I have not seen the new Mac, but it looks like even the battery is sealed in like an iPod. So it may be tough for the user to add the SSD drive.

I tried to pull up more pics and tech specs on Apples site, but it seems to be overwhelmed at the present.


RE: Just preordered it
By Ryanman on 1/15/2008 3:37:05 PM , Rating: 2
Have fun not watching any media that comes on an optical disk, and having the portability crippled by having to carry around a USB hub. And if you finally end up realizing that the optical drive omission is a huge mistake, I hope you realize what a blast it is to carry around an external drive : D
Hindsight's 20/20, but I have a hunch that the effort you'd use carrying around an extra pound of notebook around pales in comparison to the problems you'll have with this form over function macbook.


RE: Just preordered it
By pomaikai on 1/15/2008 3:44:47 PM , Rating: 2
It better have a wireless mouse functionality built in. Would suck to have to have a usb hub to plug in a wireless mouse and a USB stick at the same time.


RE: Just preordered it
By TomZ on 1/15/2008 4:39:34 PM , Rating: 2
I agree, but when you look at today's offering of wireless mice, nearly all the best ones require a USB dongle. And many of the ones that are bluetooth (thus requiring no dongle) the users report to have a lot of connectivity issues.

So, unfortunately, the state of the art today for wireless mouse connection is the USB dongle. Hopefully that will change, however.


RE: Just preordered it
By Circle T on 1/15/2008 6:01:47 PM , Rating: 5
This is just my experience, and is in no way representative or the entire wireless market. But, I use the MS Wireless Laser 8000 with a Mac Mini in our house. Simple install of Intellipoint, and all the buttons work, no dongles needed, and it syncs just fine.

And, on an old PC in the house, I have the original MS Bluetooth mouse that came out years ago. Its so old, it doesn't have a model number, it was just called the "MS Wireless Mouse for Bluetooth". I just tried it too, and as old as it is, it works as well. Not as good, the tracking isn't as nice as the new Laser 8000, but it syncs just fine. Neither has any sort of connectivity problems.

Again, I can't speak for everything. But my experience has been that any mouse with BT will work in basic use once sync'd. If the mouse has special buttons, such as with my Laser 8000's 2 side buttons or side-to-side scrolling, you need drivers. And those might not always be there. But sync and use is just fine.


RE: Just preordered it
By Scott66 on 1/16/2008 12:31:06 AM , Rating: 2
If you had more than an antiquated experience with Macs, you would be well aware that all apple computers (except Mac pro workstation) have built in Blue tooth. If you spent time actually looking at the specs of this machine before you typed, you would have noticed this has 2.1 specs.


RE: Just preordered it
By Circle T on 1/16/2008 1:06:29 AM , Rating: 2
The Mac Pro does in fact come with standard Bluetooth (2.0+EDR). Now, this could be a change in the new Penryn revision that is all of a week old, I don't know. I don't have the old revision's specs handy. But, as you said to the other person, reading the specs before commenting is good.

All Mac computers now, including the Pro, come with standard Bluetooth.


RE: Just preordered it
By Scott66 on 1/16/2008 1:38:52 AM , Rating: 2
Yes that is the case with the Mac Pro,


RE: Just preordered it
By Scott66 on 1/16/08, Rating: 0
RE: Just preordered it
By Scott66 on 1/16/2008 1:49:00 AM , Rating: 2
Sorry Cicle T, my last comment was intended to Pomaikai, who I thought made the reply to my reading comment. Apple originally thought workstations such as the Mac Pro wouldn't need the Blue tooth and didn't offer it until the newest iteration.