Macbook Air

Original Macbook Air
Manufacturer	Apple Inc.
Type	Laptop/Notebook/Netbook
Release date	July 20, 2011 (2011-07-20) (current model) January 29, 2008 (2008-01-29) (original release)
Retail availability	January 30, 2008 (2008-01-30)
Operating system	OS X
Power	45 W MagSafe Power Adapter, AC wall plug and power lead
Website	www.apple.com/macbookair

The MacBook Air family is a line of ultraportable Macintosh notebook computers created by Apple Inc.

The first-generation MacBook Air was a 13.3"-only model, previously promoted as the World's Thinnest Notebook, introduced at the Macworld Conference & Expo on January 15, 2008.^[1] It featured a custom^[2] Intel Merom CPU and Intel GMA graphics. In late 2008, the CPU was updated to a faster, non-custom Penryn CPU and integrated Nvidia GeForce graphics while the hard drive capacity was increased and the micro-DVI video port was replaced by the Mini DisplayPort.^[3] A mid-2009 refresh, introduced alongside the MacBook Pro family, featured a slightly higher-capacity battery, and a faster Penryn CPU.^[4]

History[link]

Steve Jobs with a MacBook Air at the 2008 keynote.

Steve Jobs introduced the first MacBook Air during a speech at the 2008 keynote.^[5] The MacBook Air was greeted with a mixed reception when it was introduced. The portability of the MacBook Air was praised in reviews, however the compromise in features was criticized.^[6][7][8] The full-sized keyboard, weight, thinness, and Multi-Touch trackpad were appreciated in reviews, while the limited configuration options and ports, slow speed (in non-SSD models), non-user replaceable battery, small hard drive, and price were criticized.^[6][7]

On October 20, 2010, Apple released a redesigned 13.3" model, with improved enclosure, screen resolution, battery, and flash storage instead of a hard drive. In addition, a new 11.6" model was introduced, offering reduced cost, weight, battery life, and performance relative to the 13.3" model, but better performance than typical netbooks of the time.^[9][10][11]

On July 20, 2011, Apple released an updated model in the same form factor as the prior model. The new model was powered by new Sandy Bridge dual-core Intel Core i5 and i7 processors, had a backlit keyboard, Thunderbolt which shares function with Mini DisplayPort and Bluetooth was upgraded to v4.0. Maximum flash storage and memory options were almost identical.^[12]

Design[link]

Left side of a MacBook Air. From left to right, MagSafe power connector, USB port, headphone jack and built-in microphone.

The MacBook Air is designed for thinness; it is also lighter than most competing models.^[13] The computer features a glossy LED backlit display and a full-size keyboard, as well as a large trackpad that responds to iPad-related Multi-Touch gestures such as pinching, swiping, and rotating.^[14] With the release of Mac OS X Snow Leopard, the Air's multi-touch trackpad also supports handwriting recognition of Chinese characters.^[15]

On the 11-inch MacBook Air, the left side of the computer has a MagSafe power connector, a USB port, a headphone jack, and a microphone.^[14] The right side of the computer has a USB port and a Mini DisplayPort, now sharing Thunderbolt function in the 2011 version. On top of the screen bezel there is a webcam, first dubbed iSight and now the FaceTime camera.

The MacBook Air was the first subcompact laptop offered by Apple since the full-featured 12" PowerBook G4 was discontinued in 2006. It was also Apple's first computer with an optional solid-state storage drive.^[16] ArsTechnica found "moderate" performance improvements of the 64 GB^{[note 1]} solid-state drive of the first generation Air over the standard 80 GB hard drive in tests. On October 14, 2008, new models were announced with improved capacities of 128 GB (solid-state) and 120 GB (hard drive). For the late 2010 MacBook Air, only flash storage is available, in 64 or 128 GB capacities on the 11" model, and 128 or 256 GB on the 13".

The CPU in the first-generation MacBook Air was a custom engineered Intel Core 2 Duo Merom that was 40 percent of the size of the standard chip package.^[17] For models of late-2008,The CPU was replaced with a low-voltage Core 2 Duo Penryn chip with 6 MB of cache, running on a 1066 MHz bus.^[18]

The MacBook Air has no user-replaceable parts. The flash memory and battery are enclosed within the casing, with RAM soldered onto the logic board. The flash memory, engineered to be difficult to access, has a 128MB cache^[19] and a mSATA connection to the logic board.^[20] The battery can be replaced using normal screwdrivers, though it is unclear whether this process would void the computer's warranty.^[21][22] As part of the out-of-warranty service, Apple offers to replace the battery for a fee.^[23]

The optional MacBook Air SuperDrive.

Apple incorporated several features in the design of the MacBook Air, such as the reduction of toxic chemicals like lead, to make it more environmentally friendly. The MacBook Air contains no BFRs and PVC wiring, meets Energy Star Version 5.0 requirements, has a recyclable enclosure, and is rated EPEAT Gold; its display is made from arsenic-free glass and does not contain mercury.^[24][25] To reduce the computer's size and weight, several features were sacrificed. It was Apple's first notebook since the PowerBook 2400c without a built-in removable media drive.^[26] It also omits a FireWire port, Ethernet port, line-in, media card slots (except the 13" 2010 and 2011 model, which has an SD card slot), and a Kensington Security Slot.^[27]

To regain the features of an optical drive, users can either purchase a external USB SuperDrive or the bundled Remote Disc software, only for disk browsing or software installation, to wirelessly access the optical drive of another computer^[28] that has the Remote Disc program installed.^[29][30] It can also be used to 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, which requires Remote Install Mac OS X to be running on the remote computer. The software does not allow playback or information of DVDs or CDs, nor installing MS Windows.^[28] For these features, an external USB drive is required.^[28] More recent versions of the Macbook Air replaced the installation DVD with a USB flash drive containing the system software, eliminating the need for the remote install.

The 2010 revision includes two speakers for stereo sound while earlier versions have one speaker located under the keyboard.

Specifications[link]

Reception[link]

Many commentators consider the 11-inch MacBook Air to have the essential attributes of a netbook, despite not being marketed as such, and its comparatively high price.^{[35][36][37][38][39]} Forrester Research analyst Frank Gillett attributes Apple's increased success in the enterprise market to the 2010 MacBook Air and the iPad.^[40]

Competition[link]

A few years after the release of the Macbook Air, Intel has developed a set of specifications for the Ultrabook, a higher-end type of subnotebook produced by various PC manufacturers and usually running Windows. Competing directly with the Air, the Ultrabook is intended to reduced size and weight, and extended battery life without compromising performance.^[41][42][43]

"Thinnest" disputes[link]

At the launch of the first MacBook Air in January 2008, Apple claimed it to be the thinnest laptop in the world. The discontinued Sharp Actius MM10 Muramasas was described in some sources as thinner than the Macbook Air, being 0.54 inches (14 mm) thick at its minimum.^[44] It, like the MacBook Air, was a tapered design, with a maximum height of 0.78 inches (20 mm), in fact slightly thicker than the MacBook Air.^[45]

Since the release of the first MacBook Air, other ultrathin laptops have been released, such as the Dell Adamo,^[46] launched in March 2009, which is a constant 0.65 inches (17 mm) thick. Apple subsequently removed "The world's thinnest notebook" from their marketing materials.

Early issues[link]

The flip-down hatch on the side of the original MacBook Air is a tight fit for some headphone plugs and USB devices, requiring users to purchase an extension cable. Apple removed the flip-down hatch on the late 2010 model in favor of open connection ports as on most other laptops.^[47][48] Since the release of the first-generation product, some MacBook Air users have complained of overheating that caused CPU lockup. Apple released a software update in early March 2008 to fix the problem with mixed results: the deactivation of one CPU core appears to have been corrected; however, the runaway kernel problem remains for at least some users.^[49] The problem is aggravated by system-intensive tasks such as video playback or video chatting.^[50] Due to a more mature manufacturing process, the CPUs in the second-generation MacBook Air perform better under load as the first-generation chips ran hotter, requiring throttling the processor to avoid overheating, further degrading performance.^[51]

Timeline of the MacBook family

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Notes[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: MacBook Air

Wikinews has related news: Apple unveils new MacBook Air laptops, iLife '11 software suite

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