Apple finally took the wraps off the new MacBook Air, which they updated by packing a bit more performance and features into an even slimmer design compared to the previous model. The introduction saw an updated 13.3-incher that’s lighter at 2.9 pounds, as well as an all-new 2.3-pound 11-inch model that could give existing netbooks and ultraportables some serious competition if you don’t mind the four-figure price tag.
Both models have been slimmed down, measuring 0.11 inches at their slimmest points and 0.68 inches at their thickest, but the biggest change seems to be in the storage. Both models won’t be using conventional mechanical hard drives anymore, and will use flash storage exclusively. While flash storage might be priced higher than conventional hard drives, they do add to the whole MacBook Air concept: the custom-designed solid state drives Apple packed in the new Airs are 90% smaller and lighter than conventional hard drives, provide faster data access, are more reliable. With no moving parts, SSDs make for longer battery lives too. The new Airs are listed to last for up to 7 hours and up to 30 days on standby.
The new MacBook Airs are built with the same unibody enclosure Apple’s been using, but still packs a full-sized keyboard for comfort, the same glass multitouch trackpad found on the MacBook Pro, and a built-in FaceTime camera that’ll let you do videocalls with iPhone 4 and the new iPod touch. Apple also found enough space to add an extra USB port and SD card reader around the edges.
The 13.3-incher features a 1440 x 900 screen, which is the same resolution found on the 15-inch MacBook Pro, and packs a 1.86GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GBS of memory, 128/256GB flash storage, and Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics. Prices start at $1,299.
The smaller 11.6-inch model features a 1.4GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 2GBs of memory, 64/128GB storage, and the same GeForce 320 graphics to power a 1366 x 768 display. Prices start at $999.
All models and configurations are available right now from the Apple Store.
[images courtesy of Apple]
Tags: Apple, MacBook Air, Notebooks
