Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced the MacBook Air at the Macworld Conference & Expo on January 15, 2008. Apple describes it as the "world's thinnest notebook", although there have been thinner models in the past and newer, thinner, laptops have been announced.
Overview
To reduce the computer's size and weight, Apple omitted certain features long standard on its 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 the first subcompact laptop offered by Apple since the full-featured 12" PowerBook G4 was discontinued in 2006.Similarly to the PowerBook Duo series which preceded it, it lacks many features of the larger MacBooks, including a security slot and an Ethernet port, (although a USB-to-Ethernet adapter may be purchased separately). The MacBook Air offers one USB port. Like the entry-level MacBook, The MacBook Air lacks Cardbus and ExpressCard slots, both standard features in older and newer laptops. The device lacks a FireWire port, and as such OS X 10.5 Leopard does not require a FireWire port.
The Air is Apple's first laptop computer to be offered with an optional solid-state hard drive. ArsTechnica found "moderate" performance improvements of the 64 GB solid-state drive over the standard 80 GB hard drive in tests. The Air comes with 2 GB RAM memory as standard.
The CPU is an Intel Core 2 Duo chip, which was specially redesigned for the MacBook Air, reducing the physical chip packaging's size by 60 percent. While the processor is unique, it has been criticized for being under-powered and older-generation technology.
The laptop has the magnetic latch system of the MacBook and an aluminum casing like the MacBook Pro. The oversized 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 pre-loaded with Mac OS X v10.5 and iLife '08.
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. It can also reinstall the system software from the included installation DVD. Remote Disc supports netbooting, so the MacBook Air can boot from its installation DVD in another computer's drive.
User-serviceability
Unlike the rest of the MacBook family, 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. The MacBook Air's battery is not easily replaceable, enclosed in a manner similar to the iPod and related Apple product lines. The hard drive is not soldered and can be replaced through a non-trivial disassembly procedure. Relatively expensive solid-state drives (SSDs) are commercially available. As part of out-of-warranty service, Apple offers to replace the battery for a fee. It may be possible for the end user to replace the battery, though it is unclear whether this process would void the notebook's warranty. Users looking to replace batteries through third-party vendors will need to wait until replacement batteries are made available for this model.Environmental impact
The MacBook Air has an all-aluminum case, a mercury- and arsenic-free LCD glass substrate, PVC-free internal cables, and the majority of circuit boards free of brominated flame retardants. The environmental group Greenpeace, which had previously criticized Apple for its ecological practices, stated that the "greener" MacBook Air is a step towards what it considers necessary improvements.Concerns about overheating and CPU-lockup
Several MacBook Air users since the release of the first generation product have complained of problems with severe overheating, causing CPU lockup. This effect appears to be exacerbated in warmer climates, such as northern Australia. A software update released by Apple in early March which attempted to fix the problem had mixed results. The problem seems to appear when undergoing system-intensive tasks such as video playback, video chatting, or playing games.Turning the integrated fans to full speed by using third-party software or using USB-powered cool-pads does not cool down the notebook sufficiently to prevent core-shutdowns; undervolting the CPU however solves the MacBook Air's problems with overheating and CPU-lockups in most cases.
Criticism
The MacBook Air has been criticized by Ryan Block of Engadget for its high price compared to other notebooks of similar or better specification, with him suggesting that a premium is being paid for its form factor.The Macbook Air has also been criticized for the difficulty in accessing the headphone and USB port. Because of tight clearance, some devices, including some headphone jacks and 3G USB cellular modems will not fit, requiring users to purchase either a powered USB hub or an extension cable in order to use their devices.
As seen in the specification section, the Macbook Air lacks a Firewire port. It does not support Target Disk Mode of any kind, which would have enabled it to be used as an external hard drive for quick data transfers.
Specifications
| Component | Early 2008 |
|---|---|
| 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 1.8" 4200 rpm hard disk drive 64 GB SSD optional |
| Processor | 1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Merom, 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 |
| 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 |
| 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× Headphone jack (3.5 mm) |
| Audio | 1× microphone 1× mono loudspeaker |
| Keyboard | Backlit full-size keyboard with ambient light sensor |
| Trackpad | Supports Multi-Touch gestures like the iPhone, iPod touch, and MacBook Pro |
| K-slot | None |
Advertising
The MacBook Air launch was accompanied by a television commercial emphasizing its thin form factor. In the commercial a hand unthreads a manila envelope and slides out a MacBook Air, then opens it to wake it from sleep. The music playing is "New Soul" by Yael Naïm. This advertisement has often been parodied and comically reproduced, often depicting much thicker models being pulled out of manila envelopes in the same fashion, sometimes with difficulty. One such parody, purportedly from market rival Lenovo, depicts a failed attempt to return a Macbook Air to its envelope with a variety of accessories, before removing that manufacturer's ThinkPad X300 notebook from a similar envelope. A few of these video parodies are featured on YouTube.See also
References
External links
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Thursday July 24, 2008 at 18:53:48 PDT (GMT -0700)
View this article at Wikipedia.org - Edit this article at Wikipedia.org - Donate to the Wikimedia Foundation
Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced the MacBook Air at the Macworld Conference & Expo on January 15, 2008. Apple describes it as the "world's thinnest notebook", although there have been thinner models in the past and newer, thinner, laptops have been announced.
Overview
To reduce the computer's size and weight, Apple omitted certain features long standard on its 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 the first subcompact laptop offered by Apple since the full-featured 12" PowerBook G4 was discontinued in 2006.Similarly to the PowerBook Duo series which preceded it, it lacks many features of the larger MacBooks, including a security slot and an Ethernet port, (although a USB-to-Ethernet adapter may be purchased separately). The MacBook Air offers one USB port. Like the entry-level MacBook, The MacBook Air lacks Cardbus and ExpressCard slots, both standard features in older and newer laptops. The device lacks a FireWire port, and as such OS X 10.5 Leopard does not require a FireWire port.
The Air is Apple's first laptop computer to be offered with an optional solid-state hard drive. ArsTechnica found "moderate" performance improvements of the 64 GB solid-state drive over the standard 80 GB hard drive in tests. The Air comes with 2 GB RAM memory as standard.
The CPU is an Intel Core 2 Duo chip, which was specially redesigned for the MacBook Air, reducing the physical chip packaging's size by 60 percent. While the processor is unique, it has been criticized for being under-powered and older-generation technology.
The laptop has the magnetic latch system of the MacBook and an aluminum casing like the MacBook Pro. The oversized 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 pre-loaded with Mac OS X v10.5 and iLife '08.
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. It can also reinstall the system software from the included installation DVD. Remote Disc supports netbooting, so the MacBook Air can boot from its installation DVD in another computer's drive.
User-serviceability
Unlike the rest of the MacBook family, 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. The MacBook Air's battery is not easily replaceable, enclosed in a manner similar to the iPod and related Apple product lines. The hard drive is not soldered and can be replaced through a non-trivial disassembly procedure. Relatively expensive solid-state drives (SSDs) are commercially available. As part of out-of-warranty service, Apple offers to replace the battery for a fee. It may be possible for the end user to replace the battery, though it is unclear whether this process would void the notebook's warranty. Users looking to replace batteries through third-party vendors will need to wait until replacement batteries are made available for this model.Environmental impact
The MacBook Air has an all-aluminum case, a mercury- and arsenic-free LCD glass substrate, PVC-free internal cables, and the majority of circuit boards free of brominated flame retardants. The environmental group Greenpeace, which had previously criticized Apple for its ecological practices, stated that the "greener" MacBook Air is a step towards what it considers necessary improvements.Concerns about overheating and CPU-lockup
Several MacBook Air users since the release of the first generation product have complained of problems with severe overheating, causing CPU lockup. This effect appears to be exacerbated in warmer climates, such as northern Australia. A software update released by Apple in early March which attempted to fix the problem had mixed results. The problem seems to appear when undergoing system-intensive tasks such as video playback, video chatting, or playing games.Turning the integrated fans to full speed by using third-party software or using USB-powered cool-pads does not cool down the notebook sufficiently to prevent core-shutdowns; undervolting the CPU however solves the MacBook Air's problems with overheating and CPU-lockups in most cases.
Criticism
The MacBook Air has been criticized by Ryan Block of Engadget for its high price compared to other notebooks of similar or better specification, with him suggesting that a premium is being paid for its form factor.The Macbook Air has also been criticized for the difficulty in accessing the headphone and USB port. Because of tight clearance, some devices, including some headphone jacks and 3G USB cellular modems will not fit, requiring users to purchase either a powered USB hub or an extension cable in order to use their devices.
As seen in the specification section, the Macbook Air lacks a Firewire port. It does not support Target Disk Mode of any kind, which would have enabled it to be used as an external hard drive for quick data transfers.
Specifications
| Component | Early 2008 |
|---|---|
| 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 1.8" 4200 rpm hard disk drive 64 GB SSD optional |
| Processor | 1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Merom, 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 |
| 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 |
| 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× Headphone jack (3.5 mm) |
| Audio | 1× microphone 1× mono loudspeaker |
| Keyboard | Backlit full-size keyboard with ambient light sensor |
| Trackpad | Supports Multi-Touch gestures like the iPhone, iPod touch, and MacBook Pro |
| K-slot | None |
Advertising
The MacBook Air launch was accompanied by a television commercial emphasizing its thin form factor. In the commercial a hand unthreads a manila envelope and slides out a MacBook Air, then opens it to wake it from sleep. The music playing is "New Soul" by Yael Naïm. This advertisement has often been parodied and comically reproduced, often depicting much thicker models being pulled out of manila envelopes in the same fashion, sometimes with difficulty. One such parody, purportedly from market rival Lenovo, depicts a failed attempt to return a Macbook Air to its envelope with a variety of accessories, before removing that manufacturer's ThinkPad X300 notebook from a similar envelope. A few of these video parodies are featured on YouTube.See also
References
External links
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Thursday July 24, 2008 at 18:53:48 PDT (GMT -0700)
View this article at Wikipedia.org - Edit this article at Wikipedia.org - Donate to the Wikimedia Foundation
Copyright © 2008, Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.