Apple MacBook Air and MacBook Pro size showdown

How does Apple's new wonder of the world stack up to its fat, old, slow, nasty brethren? Well, you may be surprised to learn that the footprint doesn't change that much, but in the thickness category there's simply no comparison. Take a look at the shocking gallery below and you'll see just what we mean.

Gallery: Apple MacBook Air and MacBook Pro size showdown

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[Randavance @ Jan 15th 2008 4:47PM]

It keeps making me think of a silver Foleo.

Very impressive though.

[TRUTH @ Jan 15th 2008 6:10PM]

MACBOOK AIR DOESN'T LOOK GOOD WITH FAT AMERICANS.

[webran61 @ Jan 15th 2008 4:48PM]

Macbook Pro: "fat, old, slow, nasty brethren?"

Ooooh. Ouch.

I wouldn't say that. Especially considering everything the MBP has that the MBA doesn't have, for virtually the same price. (We don't need to list them again do we?)

If anything, the introduction of the MBA has made me more inclined to pick up the prestigious, fully-equipped MBP.

[Nathan Kwarta @ Jan 15th 2008 4:54PM]

"Especially considering everything the MBP has that the MBA doesn't have, for virtually the same price"

Agreed. I'll stick with the MacBook Pro.

[AlphaDeltaVIII @ Jan 15th 2008 11:58PM]

Yeah, or even the Macbook has more features. Plus is 2 lbs really worth the cost and lack of power/functionality?

[thetinguy @ Jan 16th 2008 12:38AM]

My MBP surely runs loops around any MBA without an SSD.

[mike @ Jan 15th 2008 4:48PM]

Slow? the air is a bloody 1.6 GHZ tortoise. what is engadget smoking.

[kyoseki @ Jan 15th 2008 4:54PM]

Seriously, woohoo! It's a quarter of an inch thinner, and all you have to give up for that is speed, non replaceable ram, non replaceable battery and no internal dvd reader, all at only double the cost of a machine that's practically the same damned size.

Get over it.

[HadrianM @ Jan 15th 2008 4:48PM]

Interesting.. the point-pad is bigger.. I guess for multitouch-goodness.. but.. Question: Is it two-button finally?

[pito189 @ Jan 15th 2008 5:07PM]

Why do you want two buttons?

[Ian Armstrong @ Jan 15th 2008 5:28PM]

He wants two buttons because if you Bootcamp XP on a mac there isn't an easy right-click solution.

[Matthew @ Jan 15th 2008 5:29PM]

I'd want it just for for layer clicking in Photoshop.

[rcappo @ Jan 15th 2008 5:34PM]

Two buttons would be nice. Or does it have virtual buttons, where if you touch the left side for left click and the right side for right click? I'm not going to use two hands to get a right click in Photoshop or some other program that I'm use to using a PC for with two buttons.

As for this Air laptop. I would rather have the basic MacBook with a SSD in it. Even 32GB would be enough. It would still be less money.

[Ignacio @ Jan 16th 2008 3:16PM]

The MBA, just as any other MacBook, allows you to right click simply by using two fingers on the trackpad instead of one.

[dg @ Jan 17th 2008 12:06PM]

Just as ignacio said, and TO ALL OTHERS WHO DON'T KNOW HOW TO RIGHT-CLICK ON A MAC:

Turn on the two-finger tap in the Mouse options in System Preferences, then two-finger-tap away!

SIMPLY TAKE TWO FINGERS AND GENTLY TAP THE TRACKPAD (Just like one-finger tapping the trackpad to left-click, only with TWO FINGERS!)

[Ian @ Jan 15th 2008 4:49PM]

SLOW? Did you just say the MBP is slower than the MBA?

Dude, I would take my MBP over that piece of crap any day, just because it's slimmer doesn't mean its better!

[Shyam D @ Jan 15th 2008 4:53PM]

Why in the world is the Air being compared to the MBP?
The specs, form, etc. are ALL so much closer to the Macbook. The only thing that is similar to the MBP over the Macbook is the aluminum color. Otherwise this is literally a Macbook Slim or w/e you want to call it. I seriously want to see a comparison to the Macbook.

[Kizorblade @ Jan 15th 2008 4:52PM]

Slow? Pfft. A Macbook Pro would kick it's arse any day. Smaller, lighter, blah, yes, the Macbook Air wins.

But SLOW?

[Ty @ Jan 15th 2008 4:54PM]

BEHOLD the Engadget marketing machine! 1.6 Ghz is now magically faster than 2.2 Ghz. Upgradeable memory is now worse than non-upgradeable!

Also, it will blend!

[Joshua Topolsky @ Jan 15th 2008 5:00PM]

This room might be suffering from an impaired grasp of sarcasm.

[Ty @ Jan 15th 2008 5:08PM]

Veiled sarcasm on a gadget review site...

Is that...

Journalism?

[tits @ Jan 15th 2008 7:22PM]

what? you cant upgrade your memory?

[Tony @ Jan 16th 2008 2:59PM]

Mine is 2.6

[Tone @ Jan 15th 2008 4:55PM]

Am i the only one that think the MacBook Air isn't that great?

[Ty @ Jan 15th 2008 4:56PM]

Prepare to have your post deleted! Buy now or have your forum account deleted! Buy buy buy!

[DP @ Jan 15th 2008 6:28PM]

No, I think we are the majority.

[Eric M. @ Jan 15th 2008 4:55PM]

Oh I can't wait to see the I'm a Mac ads for this. I can imagine an anorexic Mac guys in the corner looking at the overweight PC. Its like the jokes just write themselves.

[IndiaTech @ Jan 15th 2008 4:56PM]

Seeing all the negative vibes this thing has generated, it was smart of Palm to can Foleo.

[adrian @ Jan 15th 2008 4:56PM]

It may be thin, but the look suggests it's not one of Apple's better industrial designs. The name is suspect as well. Disapointing.

[IndiaTech @ Jan 15th 2008 4:56PM]

Seeing all the negative vibes this thing has generated, it was smart of Palm to can Foleo.

[James @ Jan 15th 2008 5:07PM]

Now try sticking it next to a MacBook. The footprint doesn't change at all.

[benromero303 @ Jan 15th 2008 5:09PM]

please do the Mac Book Air and Mac Book size showdown not the Mac Book Pro!

[Greg Duckworth @ Jan 15th 2008 5:12PM]

Worst Macworld keynote ever amirite? =) Seriously though, I would wait for multi-touch to hit the MBP cause this "Air" thing is crippled to the point of uselessness. I was really wishing they would announce a multi-touch tablet.

[Scott C. @ Jan 15th 2008 5:15PM]

I was about to buy a MacBook Pro the other day until I heard they may be releasing a new macbook. The reason I would like to buy one now, being a pc guy, is the option of boot camp and being able to run both operating systems. Do we know yet if the new MacBook Air will be bootcamp compatible? Thoughts anyone?

[Daniel @ Jan 15th 2008 5:21PM]

bootcamp is software doesnt need any specific hardware - well except an intel chip I believe ? and it has one? I might be wrong :)

[luidabruin @ Jan 15th 2008 5:25PM]

i dont see why not.
1. it has intel inside
2. it runs 10.5

[dagamer34 @ Jan 15th 2008 5:34PM]

It probably will be, but 80gb is mighty small to have two operating systems. Even with a 120GB in my MBP, I still feel the pinch. IF anything, wait until they offer a 160GB option (like they should have today) on the MBA.

[KR @ Jan 15th 2008 5:33PM]

I have a 15" MBP, and I really like its design. It's definitely a sleek, slim machine.

However, it seems downright TUBBY in these pictures.

Whether you like the new MBA or not, you have to admit it's one tiny machine.

[btm @ Jan 15th 2008 5:40PM]

idk... but the MBA has got that retro appeal - slower processor and thicker bezel.

[Ty @ Jan 15th 2008 5:49PM]

My coworker said the same thing to me about his 2002 Dell portable music player.

"Dude, it's retro. It's got retro style! Plus, if my car were going down a hill and my brakes failed, I could jam this thing in the steering wheel and it would hold. The wheel would just snap your iPod Touch in half!"

[John @ Jan 15th 2008 5:48PM]

I was waiting for an ultraportable. 13,3" is NOT an ultraportable. This thing is HUGE.

[Wayne Chiang @ Jan 15th 2008 5:52PM]

thin = fragile = more likely for the screen to break

[thetinguy @ Jan 16th 2008 12:42AM]

Yea I know, that aluminum they use in the case is like glass.

[Ethan @ Jan 15th 2008 5:54PM]

I've always thought that width and length are more important than thickness. Which stops you from putting it in a bag?

[broli @ Jan 15th 2008 5:57PM]

How many mba's did they slip to engadget for such a remark.

[MentalNomad @ Jan 15th 2008 5:58PM]

Sony X505 is not thinner.... it is thicker at the back, where it joins the display.

The new Air is deceptively thin. That is, because of the beveled edges, you're deceived into thinking it's even thinner than it is. Hold it at the right angle when open and it looks like it's paper-thin and floating in the ari.

[holycow @ Jan 15th 2008 6:13PM]

"How does Apple's new wonder of the world"
SERIOUSLY Engadget ? a WONDER ? ...

[inksdk @ Jan 15th 2008 7:01PM]

Steve Jobs leveraged his reality distortion field again this time. MacBook Air is no way to be the slimmest notebook ever. Toshiba Portege 2000 is even smaller.

Toshiba Portege 2000: 11.4*9*0.73
Apple Macbook Air: 12.8*9*0.76

[cobb @ Jan 15th 2008 7:29PM]

I was hoping for this thing to compete with the EEE(although I knew it woudlnt pricewise). This is just a small laptop. 13" is too big to be called an ultraportable in my opinion

[jonthemiller @ Jan 15th 2008 7:32PM]

I thought it said "prize showdown" and got really excited...you disappoint me Engadget. (hint hint...that'd make a great contest.)