MacBook Air
 | |
| Developer | Apple Inc. |
|---|---|
| Type | Laptop or Notebook |
| Release date | January 15, 2008 |
| Introductory price | US$1,799, CA$1,899, EU€1,699, GB£1,199, JP¥229,800, AU$2,499, NZ$2,988 |
| CPU | Intel Core 2 Duo 1.6 or 1.8 GHz |
| Website | apple.com/macbookair |
The MacBook Air is a Macintosh notebook computer by Apple Inc., the company's first to feature a multi-touch trackpad and an optional solid-state hard drive. Apple CEO Steve Jobs revealed the MacBook Air at the Macworld Conference & Expo on January 15, 2008. Apple describes it as the "world's thinnest notebook"[1] at 0.76 inches (1.93 cm) thick at its thickest point and 0.16 inches (0.4 cm) at its thinnest.
Overview
To reduce the computer's size and weight, Apple engineers omitted certain features long standard on their laptops. It is Apple's first notebook since the PowerBook 2400c without a built-in removable media drive. Users may purchase an external USB SuperDrive, or use bundled Remote Disc software to access the optical drive of another computer. It is Apple's first notebook since the original iBook to lack a FireWire port. It also lacks a security slot[2] and an Ethernet port, although a USB-to-Ethernet adapter may be purchased separately.
The CPU is an Intel Core 2 Duo chip that was redesigned for the MacBook Air to reduce its physical size by 60 percent.[3]
The laptop has the magnetic latch system of the MacBook and an aluminum casing like the MacBook Pro. The trackpad offers iPhone-like Multi-Touch gestures, an improvement over previous MacBook trackpads. Among the gestures are pinching, swiping, and rotating.
The Macbook Air is the only computer for which Apple offers an optional solid-state hard drive.
Dimensions
An Apple press release calls the MacBook Air "the world’s thinnest notebook" and says it "measures an unprecedented 0.16 inches at its thinnest point, while its maximum height of 0.76 inches is less than the thinnest point on competing notebooks"[4] — such as Sony's TZ series, Jobs said in his presentation.[5] Laptops thinner than the MacBook Air's maximum height have been manufactured in the past, including the Mitsubishi/Hewlett-Packard Pedion (a maximum of 0.72 inches thick)[6] in 1997 and the Toshiba Portégé 2000 (a maximum of 0.75 inches thick)[7] in 2002.
Remote Disc
The MacBook Air can wirelessly access the optical drive of another Mac or Windows PC that has the Remote Disc program installed, allowing the installation of applications from a CD or DVD.[8][9] It can also reinstall the system software from the included installation DVD.[10] Remote Disc supports netbooting, so the MacBook Air can boot from its installation DVD in another computer's drive.[11]
User-serviceability
Unlike Apple's other notebooks, but like its iPod range, the MacBook Air has no directly user-replaceable parts. Its hard drive, memory, and battery are enclosed within the casing, with memory soldered directly to the motherboard.[12] As part of out-of-warranty service, Apple offers to replace the battery for a fee.[13] It may be possible for the end user to replace the battery, though it's unclear whether this process would void the notebook's warranty,[14] and there are currently no third-party vendors offering replacement batteries.[citation needed]
Green computing
Apple calls the MacBook Air its most environmentally friendly laptop. The computer, which uses less power than any other Apple model, has an all-aluminum case, a mercury- and arsenic-free display, PVC-free internal cables, and circuit boards free of brominated flame retardants.[4]
Specifications
| Component | Early 2008[15] |
|---|---|
| Display | 13.3-inch glossy LED-backlit TFT LCD widescreen display, 1280×800 pixel resolution |
| Graphics | Intel GMA X3100 graphics processor with 144 MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared with main memory |
| Storage | 80 GB ATA hard disk drive 64 GB SSD optional |
| Processor | 1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Merom,[16][17] with 800 MHz FSB 1.8 GHz Core 2 Duo optional |
| Memory | 2 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM soldered to the logicboard |
| Wireless networking | Integrated AirPort Extreme supports 802.11a/b/g/draft n |
| Wired Ethernet | none, Optional USB Ethernet Adapter |
| Optical storage | none, Optional External USB SuperDrive |
| Camera | Built-in iSight, 640×480 pixel resolution |
| Battery | 37 W-Hr Lithium-ion polymer battery 5 hours estimated run-time |
| Physical dimensions | 22.7 cm D × 32.4 cm W × 0.4~1.94 cm H 8.9 in. D × 12.74 in. W × 0.16~0.76 in. H 1.36 kg (3.0 lbs.) |
| Bluetooth | Built-in (2.1+Enhanced Data Rate) |
| Port connections | 1× USB 2.0 1× Micro-DVI video port (adapters are included for VGA or DVI monitors up to 1920×1200 pixels) 1× Audio out (3.5 mm stereo jack) |
| Audio | 1× microphone 1× mono loudspeaker External speakers must be plugged in for stereo. |
| Keyboard | Backlit full-size keyboard with ambient light sensor |
| Trackpad | Supports multi-touch gestures |
| Timeline of portable Macintoshes |
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See also
References
- ^ "MacBook Air". Apple Inc. Retrieved 2008-01-15.
- ^ Frakes, Dan (2008-01-16). "MacBook Air's Tradeoffs". Macworld. Retrieved 2008-01-18.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Cohen, Peter (2008-01-15). "Apple introduces MacBook Air". Macworld. Retrieved 2008-01-21.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "Apple Introduces MacBook Air—The World's Thinnest Notebook". Retrieved 2008-01-16.
- ^ http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080115-apple-macworld-keynote-announcements.html
- ^ CNet: MacBook Air: Not the thinnest notebook ever
- ^ Official Portege 2000 Data Sheet
- ^ Yager, Tom. "MacBook Air, a detailed preview". Infoworld. Retrieved 2008-01-18.
- ^ "MacBook Air". Apple Inc. Retrieved 2008-01-15.
- ^ "MacBook Air - Guided Tour". Apple Inc. Retrieved 2008-01-15.
- ^ Gruber, John (2008-01-15). "The MacBook Air". Daring Fireball. Retrieved 2008-01-15.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "MacBook Air's Fatal Flaw: Battery, RAM, HD Sealed Like an iPod". Gizmodo. 2008-01-15. Retrieved 2008-01-15.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "MacBook Air Out-of-Warranty Battery Replacement Program". Apple Inc. Retrieved 2008-01-15.
- ^ "Sources: MacBook Air battery replacements take only minutes". AppleInsider. 2008-01-18. Retrieved 2008-01-19.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "MacBook Air - Technical Specifications". Apple Inc. Retrieved 2008-01-15.
- ^ Lal Shimpi, Anand (2008-01-15). "Apple's MacBook Air: Uncovering Intel's Custom CPU for Apple". AnandTech. Retrieved 2008-01-15.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Anand Lal Shimpi (2008-01-17). "The MacBook Air CPU Mystery: More Details Revealed". Anandtech.com. Retrieved 2008-01-19.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)
External links
- Apple - MacBook Air
- MacBook Air Developer Note
- MacBook Air Unboxed
- MacBook Air: Top 10 things wrong with it, Dan Warne, APC magazine, 16 January 2008.
