MacBook Air

From Mac Guides

The MacBook Air ("MBA") is an ultrathin portable computer from Apple. First announced at Macworld San Francisco 2008, it ranges from 0.16" to 0.76" thick, has an LED backlit display, multi-touch trackpad, MacBook-like keyboard with an ambient light sensor and built in iSight. It comes in a full aluminum case and has a claimed 4.5 hour battery life.

Contents 1 Rev. C (June, 2009) 1.1 Specifications 2 Rev. B (October, 2008) 2.1 Specifications 3 Rev. A (January, 2008) 3.1 Specifications 4 Links 5 See Also

Rev. C (June, 2009)

Apple updated the MacBook Air at WWDC 2009 with faster processors and more affordable pricing.

Specifications

	Standard	High End
Price (USD)	$1499	$1799
Processor	1.86 GHz Core 2 Duo	2.13 GHz Core 2 Duo
Memory	2 GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM (nonexpandable)
Storage	120 GB SATA hard drive, 4200 rpm (128 GB SSD BTO option)	128 GB solid-state drive
Graphics	NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics

Rev. B (October, 2008)

Apple refreshed the MBA with faster NVIDIA graphics, cooler running and slightly faster Intel Penryn processors, and larger mass storage choices. A Mac OS X software update added four finger gesture support to the Revision B's trackpad. Externally the MBA remains the same with the exception of a Mini DisplayPort replacing the Micro-DVI port, and consequently display adapter cables are no longer standard issue.

Specifications

	Standard	High End
Product Number	MB543LL/A	MB940LL/A
Price (USD)	$1799	$2499
Processor	Intel Core 2 Duo SL9300 at 1.6 GHz (1.86 GHz BTO option)	Intel Core 2 Duo SL9400 at 1.86 GHz
	6 MB shared L2 cache, 1066 MHz frontside bus
Memory	2 GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM (nonexpandable)
Storage	120 GB SATA hard drive, 4200 rpm (128 GB SSD BTO option)	128 GB solid-state drive
Graphics	NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics
Media	Ability to "borrow" a Mac or PC's optical drive / USB SuperDrive accessory available for $99 US
Display	13.3" widescreen LED-backlit display at 1280 by 800
Ports	One USB 2.0, Mini DiplayPort, audio out
Wireless	802.11n and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
Weight and Dimensions	3.0 lb (1.36 kg), 0.16 to 0.76 inches thick 12.8 inches width, 8.94 inches depth
Other	Built in iSight

Rev. A (January, 2008)

Apple announced the MacBook Air to great fanfare in January, 2008, with the company marketing the MBA's thin shape and ability to fit inside an ordinary manilla envelope. The MBA's engineering was unquestionably advanced — Intel had to supply special Merom CPU packaging exclusively to Apple. (Apple has since wrestled with heat problems on the original MBA that have been tamed with firmware updates and operating system patches, albeit at the cost of some performance and battery life.) Some critics wondered whether "thin" was the answer to a question no one asked. Apple did not reduce the MBA's screen size (13.3 inch 1280x800, same as the MacBook but with LED backlighting) or keyboard (full size and nearly identical to the MacBook's), mocking Sony for having made those particular compromises in their TZ series notebook. However, Apple had to make some compromises to squeeze most of the MacBook experience into a dramatically thinner package: smaller mass storage devices due to the 1.8 inch/5 mm internal form factor, a single USB 2.0 port (which may require a third party extender cable for some devices), no Firewire, no built-in Ethernet port (Apple's USB Ethernet cable is a $29 option), no integral optical drive, no audio in jack, a hard limit of 2 GB of RAM (soldered to the motherboard), and a battery sealed internally like an iPod's.

For many owners the MBA is the ultimate second machine, the Mac to take on the road or out to the patio, although some owners use the MBA as their primary or even sole machine. Ironically one of the best MBA accessories is the iPod, particularly the bigger Classic models: MBA owners can use part of their iPod's storage to hold data files and less often used applications that may not fit on the MBA's integral mass storage device.

Apple's optional external USB SuperDrive requires special drivers will not work with other Macs or PCs without installing these drivers (Drivers are available for Windows on the Boot Camp driver disc). For those buyers who didn't spend the extra $99, with the MBA Apple introduced a sharing program for Windows and Mac OS X called Remote Disc. Remote Disc allows MBA owners to access another machine's DVD-ROM drive over a network for data file access only, including for reinstalling Mac OS X Leopard on the MBA from scratch. (The MBA can boot wirelessly, supported by a nearby Mac or PC running Remote Disc.)

Specifications

	Standard	High End
Product Number	MB003LL/A	(BTO)
Price (USD)	$1799	$3098 ($2598 beginning July, 2008)
Processor	Intel Core 2 Duo at 1.6 GHz (1.8 GHz BTO option)	Intel Core 2 Duo at 1.8 GHz
	4 MB shared L2 cache, 800 MHz frontside bus
Memory	2 GB of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (nonexpandable)
Storage	80 GB PATA hard drive, 4200 rpm (64 GB SSD BTO option)	64 GB solid-state drive
Graphics	Intel GMA X3100 graphics processor with shared memory
Media	Ability to "borrow" a Mac or PC's optical drive / USB SuperDrive accessory available for $99 US
Display	13.3" widescreen LED-backlit display at 1280 by 800
Ports	One USB 2.0, Micro-DVI, audio out
Wireless	802.11n and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
Weight and Dimensions	3.0 lb (1.36 kg), 0.16 to 0.76 inches thick 12.8 inches width, 8.94 inches depth
Other	Built in iSight

Links

• MacBook Air

See Also

• Which Apple notebook should I buy?

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