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Apple MacBook Air 13.3" Laptop (1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 2 GB RAM, 64 GB Solid-State Drive) | 
| Brand: Apple
Category: Personal Computer
List Price: $2,798.00
Buy New: $2,793.00
You Save: $5.00
Rating:  32 reviews
Sales Rank: 623
Media: Personal Computers
Size: 64 GB Solid State
Shipping Weight (lbs): 7.2
Dimensions (in): 16.3 x 12.5 x 5.2
Model: Z0ER-2
ASIN: B0007OW520
Release Date: February 12, 2008
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 1 to 2 months
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| Features:
| • | 1.6 Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 4 MB shared L2 cache; Intel GMA X3100 video processor with 144 MB shared memory | | • | Thinnest, lightest MacBook ever includes multi-touch trackpad, built-in iSight webcam, and up to 5-hour battery life | | • | One USB 2.0, built-in Wi-Fi (802.11n draft plus 802.11b/g), Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, Micro-DVI video output with adapters | | • | Preloaded with Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard operating system and iLife '08 suite of applications | | • | 13.3-inch glossy LED-backlit screen; 64 GB solid-state hard drive; 2 GB of RAM (maximum capacity) |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Product Description
With the MacBook Air, Apple has created the world's thinnest laptop--measuring an unprecedented 0.16-inches at its thinnest point (and 0.76 inches thick overall). Apple also introduces its vaunted multi-touch technology, found on the iPhone, to its laptops with the MacBook Air, enabling you to pinch, swipe, or rotate to zoom in on text, advance through a photo album, or adjust an image via the oversized trackpad. Despite the its slender shell, the MacBook Air doesn't skimp on the specifications. It includes a 13.3-inch LED-backlit widescreen display, full-size and backlit keyboard, and a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing. The MacBook Air is powered by a custom-built 1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, which provides an optimized, multithreaded architecture for improved multitasking performance. And this model is loaded with a 64 GB solid-state drive, which has no moving parts for enhanced durability. Other features include 2 GB of RAM, Wi-Fi connectivity via 802.11a/b/g/n standards, a micro-DVI video output (with included adapters), and up to a 5-hour battery life. It comes pre-loaded with Apple's Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard operating system, which adds over 300 new features including easy backup of your most important data via Time Machine, a redesigned desktop that helps eliminate clutter, and the newest version of the fast-loading Safari web browser. It also comes with the iLife '08 suite of applications, including iPhoto, iMovie, Garageband, and iTunes. 
Amazingly thin at just 0.16 inches at its thinnest and 0.76 inches at its thickest point, the MacBook Air weighs just 3 pounds. | Apple's Thinnest Laptop Is Also Its Greenest
The MacBook Air embodies Apple's continuing environmental progress with its aluminum enclosure, a material highly desired by recyclers; Apple's first mercury-free LCD display with arsenic-free glass; and brominated flame retardant-free material for the majority of circuit boards as well as PVC-free internal cables. In addition, the MacBook Air consumes the least amount of power of any Mac, and its retail box, made primarily from 100 percent post-consumer recycled material, is 56 percent smaller by volume than the previously smallest MacBook packaging. Design
The thinness of MacBook Air is impressive, but even more impressive is that fact that there's a full-size notebook encased in the 0.16 to 0.76 inch of sleek, sturdy anodized aluminum. This svelte, 3-pound laptop has a vibrant, energy efficient 13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display, and its spacious trackpad offers multi-touch gesture support for pinch, rotate and swipe--making it more intuitive than ever to browse and rotate photos or zoom into web pages in Safari. It also features a full-size keyboard that's backlit, making it ideal for dimly lit environments such as airplanes, studios or conference halls. It includes a built-in ambient light sensor automatically adjusts the brightness of the keys as well as the display brightness for optimal visibility. One of Apple's most celebrated innovations is the MagSafe power adapter connector, which offers a magnetic connection instead of a physical one. So, if you happen to trip over a power cord, you won't send the MacBook Air flying off a table or desk--the cord simply disconnects, without damage to either the cord or the system. Optical Drive
Because of the amazingly thin design of the MacBook Air, an optical (DVD/CD) drive was not included. To install software from a disc, you can wirelessly use or "borrow" optical drives on remote PCs or Macs using the Remote Disk feature. This allows you full access to an optical drive without having to haul one around. If you want to have an optical drive for burning CDs and DVDs, you can purchase the optional MacBook Air SuperDrive (sold separately). This multi-format CD/DVD read/write drive is powered by the MacBook Air's USB port, eliminating the need to carry a separate power adapter. Networking
The MacBook Air doesn't include wired Ethernet networking, and instead relies solely on Wi-Fi to connect to your home network as well as wireless hotspots. The built-in 802.11n wireless networking provides up to five times the performance and twice the range of 802.11g, but it's also backward-compatible with 802.11a/b/g routers, enabling you to communicate with the a wide variety of Wi-Fi resources. It works seamlessly with the optional AirPort Extreme base station as well as Apple's Time Capsule Wi-Fi base station/hard drive--both of which include 802.11n capabilities. If you don't have access to a wireless network, you can use an optional USB Ethernet Adapter (sold separately) Use the built-in Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) wireless technology to connect to your PDA or cell phone, synchronize addresses, or download pictures from your cell phone. You can also use a wireless headset for iChat audio chats and VoIP calls as well as quickly share files with a colleague. Video Conferencing with Built-in iSight
Artfully placed in the display bezel is an iSight camera, which enables easy video conferencing as well as allows you to snap pictures of yourself and create video podcasts. Using the iChat AV application, video conferencing is integrated into your iChat buddy list, so initiating a video conference is a breeze. iChat also lets you hold audio chats with up to 10 people and provides high-quality audio compression and full-duplex sound so conversation can flow naturally. For video podcasting, you can record a short clip using the iSight camera, then use iWeb to create a video blog entry or post your GarageBand-recorded podcast. Display and Graphics
The MacBook Air includes a vibrant 13.3-inch LED-backlit display and a full-sized keyboard. | Whether you're working on a Keynote presentation or watching a movie before you catch a flight, every document, video, and photo on your MacBook Air will look sharp on the glossy 13.3-inch widescreen display. With pixel-perfect 1280-by-800 resolution, it's great for viewing and working with media. Video is powered by the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100, which provides 144 MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared with main memory. It features Intel Clear Video Technology, which delivers outstanding video playback with sharper image quality, increased clarity, and enhanced visual quality of interlaced content on progressive displays. Hard Drive and Memory
For storage, this MacBook Air comes with a 64 GB solid-state hard drive. Faster and more reliable, solid memory provides a rapid boot-up and quicker access to applications while improving battery life. It's also more reliable than a hard disk drive because there are no moving parts. Since data is written to stationary memory instead of a spinning hard disk, you have less risk of hardware problems with the hard disk when you're on the move. The 2 GB of PC5300 DDR2 RAM (two SO-DIMMs of 1024 MB) has an industry-leading 667 MHz speed, and it maximizes the capacity for this laptop. Intel Core 2 Duo Processor
Custom-built to fit within the compact dimensions of the laptop, the MacBook Air is powered by a 1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with a super-fast 800 MHz front-side bus (FSB), and an enormous 4 MB of Smart Cache, an L2 cache that can be shared between the cores as needed. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU and RAM, and a faster front-side bus will deliver better overall performance.) 
The innovative now-you-see-it, now-you-don't port hatch flips down to reveal (and closes to hide) all the ports you really need: a USB 2.0 port, a headphone jack, and a micro-DVI port. | The Intel Core 2 Duo's 128-bit SSE3 vector engine handles 128-bit computations in a single clock cycle, accelerating data manipulation by simultaneously applying a single instruction to multiple data. And its two execution cores are designed to share resources and conserve power, helping it to achieve higher levels of performance since it uses fewer watts. And with 4MB of shared L2 cache, the MacBook Air is a multi-tasking monster. With such substantial L2 cache, data and instructions can be kept close to the two processor cores, greatly increasing performance and allowing the entire system to work more efficiently. And, because the processor cores share the L2 cache, either can use the entire amount if the other happens to be idle. Other Features
- DVI output using micro-DVI to DVI adapter (included)
- VGA output using micro-DVI to VGA adapter (included)
- Composite output using micro-DVI to video adapter (optional)
- S-video output using micro-DVI to video adapter (optional)
- Analog audio output/headphone out (minijack)
- Built-in mono speaker and omnidirectional microphone
- Integrated 37-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery provides up to 5 hours of battery life
- Built-in full-size keyboard with 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys, including 12 function keys, 4 arrow keys (inverted "T" arrangement), and embedded numeric keypad
- Supported resolutions: 1280 by 800 (native), 1152 by 720, 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, 800 by 500, 720 by 480, and 640 by 480 pixels at 16:10 aspect ratio; 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, and 640 by 480 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio; 720 by 480 pixels at 3:2 aspect ratio
Preloaded with Leopard, you'll enjoy enhanced productivity and a clutter-free desktop (thanks to the redesigned 3D Dock with Stacks). | Preloaded with Leopard and iLife '08
The biggest Mac OS X upgrade ever, the Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard operating system features over 300 new features, including: - Time Machine, an effortless way to automatically back up everything on a Mac
- A redesigned Finder that lets users quickly browse and share files between multiple Macs
- Quick Look, a new way to instantly see files without opening an application
- Spaces, an intuitive new feature used to create groups of applications and instantly switch between them
- A brand new desktop with Stacks, a new way to easily access files from the Dock
- Major enhancements to Mail and iChat
Leopard's new desktop includes the redesigned 3D Dock with Stacks, a new way to organize files for quick and easy access with just one click. Leopard automatically places web, email and other downloads in a Downloads stack to maintain a clutter-free desktop, and you can instantly fan the contents of this and other Stacks into an elegant arc right from the Dock. The updated Finder includes Cover Flow and a new sidebar with a dramatically simplified way to search for, browse and copy content from any PC or Mac on a local network. Time Machine lets you easily back up all of the data on your Mac, find lost files and even restore all of the software on their Mac. With just a one-click setup, Time Machine automatically keeps an up-to-date copy of everything on the Mac. In the event a file is lost, you can search back through time to find deleted files, applications, photos and other digital media and then instantly restore the file. The MacBook Air also comes with the iLife '08 suite of applications that make it easy to live the digital life. Use iPhoto to share entire high-res photo albums with anyone who's got an email address. Record your own songs and podcasts with GarageBand. Break into indie filmmaking with iMovie and iDVD. Then take all the stuff you made on your Mac and share it on the Web in one click with iWeb. What's in the Box
MacBook Air, MagSafe power adapter, Micro-DVI to DVI adapter, Micro-DVI to VGA adapter, cleaning/polishing cloth, install/restore DVDs, printed documentation
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| Customer Reviews: Read 27 more reviews...
 Awesome August 30, 2008
RonAnnArbor (Ann Arbor, MI United States)
I have been a mac laptop user for years and year, most recently with a Macbook Pro. In fact, I had switched to the macbook pro as my all-in-one computer for several years for work, home, and travel.
Boy, was that a mistake, and one that the Macbook Air has readily filled -- I now own an iMac at home, and use the Macbook AIr for travel and work. I just love it. It is so small and light, it makes no noticable difference in my carryon or work messenger bag. Even after many months of use, it still has the "wow" factor when people see it, something us Apple geeks truly thrive on...and it has all the features i need on the road.
I did break down and buy the external superdrive, because it is just so much faster than using the Remote Disk feature on the MBA. In addition, I found that I use the ethernet USB adapter more ofter than not, since it is suprising how many hotels in the US and Europe are NOT wireless -- order one with your MBA and spare the hassle. I think Cupertino must run on a different system, since wireless is an amazing idea that might work there, but does not work in 90 percent of the rest of america.
Still, the speed it good, I don't notice any major slowness, programs open zippily, run well, and everything just plain old works.
I read a lot of reviews before buying, and I have to tell you, I have experienced zero of the problems that some write about. I am very happy with this purchase.
 Great until you need to restore from Time Machine August 28, 2008
Bill Staley (Santa Monica, CA USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have been the informal tech guy for two Airs. One for 8 months, one for 6 months. I have also traveled with them. They are generally wonderful, especially if the weight is a big factor. All other laptops seem heavy and inelegant. But ...
(1) If you ever want to use an ethernet connection to the internet (as opposed to wireless), then you have to bring the dongle that converts the one USB port to ethernet. For example, to check your office email at a Kinko's. Definitely buy it.
(2) To do a full restore from Time Machine, you need BOTH an OSX disc (either Disc 1 that comes with the Air or an off-the-shelf OSX disc). But you only have one USB port and no firewire ports. The SuperDrive will not share that port on a USB hub (nor will it work on any computer but an Air). It is easy to back up with Time Machine to a small external drive. (We used an WD Passport.) But don't. Use an external hard drive that has its own power supply. Not elegant, but if you ever need to do a full restore (and you might because your Air will lead a hard life, especially if it is a student's life), it is much easier with a powered external hard drive. The SuperDrive that you can buy for the Air (and you should buy it) does not work from a USB hub. A powered DVD drive from another manufacturer (ours is from Toshiba) works on a powered USB hub. The WD Passport will not connect to the Air via a powered USB hub (at least through the one I use). But a powered WD MyBook external hard drive does connect to the Air via the powered hub. So use a powered external hard drive for your Time Machine backups, and if you need to do a full restore, get a powered USB hub and a powered external DVD drive with a USB output. The Apple Genius Bar might not have these. Note: See (11) below for a possible alternate method using the DVD drive on a nearby computer.
(3) The Genius Bar geniuses know a lot more about the MacBook than the Air because the Air is still relatively new.
(4) If you ever do a full "restore and erase" from the two discs that come with the Air, you need to know this: At the end of first disc, about 1.5 hours into the process, it flashes "Get ready to insert Disc 2." Then it reboots and eventually says "Installing. Calculating time remaining" and ejects the disc. It does NOT say "Insert Disc 2". If maybe you were not watching it for the entire first 1.5 hours, you would not have seen the message at the end of Disc 1 before the reboot. What it wants when it ejects Disc 1 is for you to insert Disc 2. Not very brilliant programming. Every two-disc Windows program and game says "Insert Disc 2 and press Enter." Not these install discs. I found out when I went to the Genius bar and the Genius restarted the install process. He went to lunch and I watched the computer for two hours (this is what I want you to avoid), so I happened to see the message at the end of disc one. It was a special moment in my life.
(5) Be careful where you put the Air and the SuperDrive. I heard of someone throwing out their Air with the Sunday paper. Might be an urban legend, but I lost my SuperDrive, possibly the same way.
(6) Backups to Time Machine are more likely to happen if you use a Time Capsule as a wireless router + external hard drive. You can also print through Time Capsule, instead of plugging the printer into the Air when you need to print. Be sure to have the printer plugged into the Time Capsule and turned on before you install the Time Capsule. Otherwise, you will probably need to call AppleCare to walk you through the re-install with the printer. Don't get off the phone until the printer works and Time Machine works, not just the wireless internet. For a student whose life is on the Air, I would definitely consider the Time Capsule an essential accessory to the Air. For someone who uses the Air as an occasional computer for travel and has her life on an iMac, the Time Capsule is nice but not necessary.
(7) Get a neoprene sleeve for the Air. Then when it is thrown into a backpack or briefcase, it will be safer. Also, in its sleeve on a desk it is less of an object of desire for thieves (in my humble opinion). After all these months, the Air is still eye candy (as you well know if you got this far in this review).
(8) I understand that the wireless antenna is in the hinge that attaches the screen to the body of the Air. So it is somewhat directional. Try sliding it around to get better reception.
(9) Wireless reception does not seem to be a strength of the two Airs that I use. The 4 MacBooks that preceded the two Airs in our lives seemed to get more consistently good wireless reception. This is a shame, because the Air depends more on its wireless than the MacBooks, which have real ports. I hope that in future generations of the Air Apple finds a way to get the best possible wireless reception for the Air.
(10) The hard drive is not big enough for a student's life if the student likes to store music and videos on it. An outboard hard drive is a distant second-best solution. (I like the WD Passport for this, since it does not need external power and it is small and reliable. USB power is enough for this drive since you will not be doing a full Time Machine restore from this drive. To backup the stuff on this drive, you will need another solution, which might be Time Machine on the Time Capsule.)
(11) I have not tried to connect the Air to another computer to use the other computer's CD or DVD drive. I have heard of people using this as a way to access the OSX DVD when they do a full restore from Time Machine to the Air, but I have not tried it.
Given all that, all of the Air owners whom I know would buy another one if they lost theirs. None would go back to a MacBook. (I do know people for whom the weight is not a big issue and who want more horsepower and ports and sometimes screen size, especially for games. They are happy with their MacBooks as their main computers.) Except for the wireless reception, the problems of the Air are problems for the tech person, not so much for the day-to-day user. Which is a good design choice.
Excellent machine with interesting compromises August 10, 2008
J. Boutilier (Thornton, CO United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
After being used to traveling with a MacBook Pro I wondered if the MacBook Air would have enough performance and capacity to satisfy my needs.
This is a beautiful machine. Extremely thin but very sturdy feeling. Wonderfully light even with required accessories. A terrific screen and keyboard that are a pleasure during all day use. Good battery life (about 4 hours in my case). Good processor and graphics power for mainstream business applications. Adequate disk space but limited disk performance. Barest minumum of ports requires dongles and a usb hub.
While its slower than my Macbook pro, the only times I really notice a difference are:
- Booting the machine takes longer (but I usually only do that a couple times a week)
- Starting some applications takes longer (but once started I can still run a LOT of apps in 2gb even including Parallels)
- True multitasking is limited to one intensive disk or cpu operation at a time (don't try and use the machine for anything significant while doing a backup, or while ripping a DVD).
So under normal use I was very pleasantly surprised how useable the AIR felt after being used to a PRO. For me the size and weight reduction is definitely worth the performance reduction.
Yes I would like a bigger, faster hard drive, but next year 120gb 5400rpm single platter units should be available. Yes I would like a built in ethernet port, but I'm not willing to pay a big form factor price to avoid the $29 dongle. Yes I would like 2-3 USB ports, but Targus makes some really tiny 4 port hubs for now.
I'm honestly not sure I would make any different design choices, and technology progress will take care of the only thing I've found to be occasionally very limiting (disk size and performance).
Spectacular August 6, 2008
Michael W. Holliday Jr. (Houston)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I am using this as a replacement for my iMac which I moved to the office. This computer is the best laptop I have ever owned (the first Mac), and I am in love with the operating system. I dont have to worry about viruses or other nonsense like that like I use to have to deal with all the time with my old Dell laptop. Plus its so light I can take it anywhere!
The only thing I don't like about it is that it doesn't have a firewire port. However, all in all I am very happy and could not have imagined a more perfect computer.
Great so far July 28, 2008
William Nichols (Seattle, WA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
i just purchased this computer a week ago so i suppose things could change but at this point the computer has been great. The portability was a huge factor for me as it should be for anybody contemplating the purchase of this laptop. As a student i don't really need this computer for much more than word documents, internet, email, itunes, and the occasional movie/youtube video. Speed has not been an issue - something i wasn't sure about as i almost purchased the SSD option. Fortunately i didn't and this has been fine. I ordered the superdrive just in case though i havn't used it yet. For installing microsoft office i used the remote disc drive and that worked absolutely fine. So far the fan/overheating problem that other people were talking about hasn't been an issue and the temp does get warm, but not hot enough to get laggy or be uncomfortable. So far my two nitpicks are that the battery isn't great - 4+ hours of internet/itunes if the screen brightness is down all the way... but i like to keep the brightness at at least 50%. The other thing is that the screen hinge design doesn't allow the screen to go very far back. As far as the port limitations go the only thing i use is audio jack, usb, and ethernet at school but there's wifi too. I did order the ethernet dongle just in case. An ethernet cable and maybe one more usb (tho that too isn't too big of a deal for me) would be nice, but still, i'm totally happy with my purchase :)
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