The MacBook Air

Yesterday at MacWorld Convention 2008, Steve Jobs has presented the new MacBook Air — the world’s thinnest notebook.

The press had been intrigued with the catchline, “There’s something in the air,” leading many to speculate that an ultra-small ultra-thin device would be announced this year. Indeed, Apple has unveiled the MacBook Air, a 3-pound notebook that’s less than one-inch in depth. The notebook has a tapering thickness, measuring 0.76 to 0.16 inch — that’s a lot thinner than the Toshiba Portege R500-S5002, which is lighter than the Air by 0.6 pounds but is still one-inch thick.

The MacBook Air is a “green” device, boasting an aluminium casing and a 13.3-in. arsenic-free screen. Other features include a black keypad, multi-touch trackpad, and built-in iSight among others. The notebook runs on an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor which has been reduced to 60% its original size! The caveat: the MacBook Air has no optical drive, although an external bus-powered drive is sold separately for US$99. To be able to back-up your files, Apple also introduced the Time Capsule, which, in my opinion, is a ploy to get consumers to think that one gadget cannot exist without the other, and hence, additional sales. Chi-ching! The MacBook Air is currently available for pre-order at US$1799.

Curiously, Apple stocks are down even when Steve Jobs’ keynote rolled in. Perhaps investors thought the MacBook Air won’t be a mainstream hit like the iPhone was. After all, the Air is sleek, yes, AND sexy, but then again, for the common human who can’t afford more than a grand for an ultra-thin laptop, there’s always the crowd-favourite, Asus Eee PC.

Read full specs of the MacBook Air.

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