Macbook air
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Gallery: MacBook Air
Haven't seen enough of Apple's decidedly tasty MacBook Air? Wanting to see some shots to persuade you that you do actually need to buy one? Never fear, for we've got a smorgasbord of MacBook Air photos.%Gallery-14035%
Get a "manila envelope" sleeve for your MacBook Air
Well, this was inevitable. When Steve Jobs dramatically presented the MacBook Air by removing it from a manila envelope, two enterprising artists saw an opportunity, and the result is AirMail.It's a vinyl laptop sleeve for the MacBook Air that looks just like -- you guessed it -- a standard issue manila envelope. They're lined with fleece and even feature a tie enclosure. Each hand made bag costs $29.95US, and they begin shipping two weeks from today.It's not the most durable bag available, but among the most clever.
AirMail: the manila folder MacBook Air sleeve gets real
Sure, we all got a chuckle when Steve casually pulled the MacBook Air out from within a manila envelope on stage, but we didn't exactly expect to-be owners to snag one from the supply cabinet and put it to use. Nevertheless, the quick-thinking duo that is Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. Evans had an idea to riff on Apple's and create -- surprise, surprise -- a fully functional case resembling a manila folder. Reportedly, this sleeve is handmade from "durable upholstery-grade vinyl and lined with fuzzy, soft fleece," which should protect your forthcoming MBA from all but the nastiest of bumps. Supposedly, you can pre-order one now for $29.95 and expect it to arrive right alongside your new micro-rig, but if these truly are handmade, we'd go ahead and expect a backlog. Oh, if only we were this clever.
Reader question: Can you use the MBA Superdrive with other Macs?
Several readers have asked about using the MacBook Air's DVD SuperDrive on machines other than the MBA. As Engadget noted yesterday, the power draw on USB for the SuperDrive may be prohibitively high for standard ports to handle, and the MBA is engineered specifically to support the high-demand drive. An Apple support rep at the booth had only one comment: the drive is designed for the MacBook Air and supports the MacBook Air, full stop. If you absolutely have to try out the drive on a different machine, best bet is to bring your laptop to an Apple Store in a couple of weeks, plug in the DVD and see what happens (there aren't drives out on the show floor for me to test with, unfortunately). There are other USB-powered options for disc burning, including the Plextor portable -- it does use 2 USB ports to guarantee adequate wattage for the power-hungry burn process, and it looks pretty awful, but it should get the job done.
New MacBook Air battery $129, installation free at Apple
As Dave noted earlier, one significant downside of the new MacBook Air is the non-replaceable battery. Well it turns out that's not exactly right. Our blog brothers at Engadget have learned from Apple that you can get the battery replaced by Apple for the same $129 that a MacBook (Pro) battery costs and Apple will install it for free. It's not nearly as good as a user-replaceable battery since this doesn't allow you to take a spare on the road, but at least it's nice to know that you can do something once the original battery stops holding a full charge.
Steve pitches the MacBook Air at CNBC
As he usually does, Steve went on CNBC after this morning's keynote presentation to pitch his company's newest goodie. In this case, the MacBook Air. He talks about the size, of course, but also the relationship between Apple and Intel as well as the process of building the MacBook Air:"...We built probably a hundred models to get to this ... If we could make this real, we would all just lust after this. And we did ... It's been two years of work to make this."Most interestingly, CNBC reports that the supposed failed negotiations between Apple and China Mobile amounted to nothing more than a single visit to Cupertino by a single representative; hardly the contentious relationship we thought existed.
First Macbook Air multi-touch control panel screenshot
That's right, it's like you're looking into some crazy crystal ball, one which is showing you how all your future interactions with your Mac will be carried out... probably. Feast your eyes on this glimpse into the soon-to-arrive apocalyptic nightmare-world of gestures.
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-13920%
MacBook Air: plenty more details
Want more pedantic details on the MacBook Air? You got 'em. The micro-DVI out is single-link only, meaning it can drive a 24-inch monitor, not a 30-inch. There's no DisplayLink converter / adapter yet. Remote Disk comes on the install DVD -- ironically, Apple expects you to carry around a DVD to install so you can access someone else's DVD drive. Righty-o. It uses MagSafe, but the new connector is angled 90-degrees to stay out of the way. You can use a regular MacBook / Pro adapter, assuming you don't mind the side being propped up a little (or hanging off the edge of a table). You can also use the MBA's 45w adapter on other machines -- the plug should still fit, but the adapter may not have enough juice to charge AND power a running machine. The MacBook Air superdrive needs special hardware in the MBA to work -- Apple wouldn't tell us if any other devices will be able to use the thing, but we imagine the ~500mA USB outputs won't be enough. The 64GB SSD option is +$1000 -- but you probably already knew that if you hit Apple's site. The speaker is mono only (not stereo), so your audio output will suffer a bit. The audio comes out of the keyboard holes in the right side, and it sounds a little funny. The port array folds down, it's not a door over ports that don't move. It feels extremely sturdy. Duh, the only audio input will have to be via USB or the built-in mic. The machine comes packaged with micro-DVI to DVI and micro-DVI to VGA adapters, but you have to snag the S-Video and composite adapters separately.
Poll: Did you pre-order a MacBook Air?
Curious minds need to know -- despite the built-in RAM, the fixed battery, single (and soon to be overworked) USB port, lack of integrated 3G and the lofty $1,799 starting price point, did you still pull the trigger on a MacBook Air pre-order? We know, it is ridiculously thin, and it is ultra-light, so we're wondering just how many of you ponied up the premium for all that sexiness. Drop your answer in the poll below, and feel free to add a couple pennies (or more, we won't mind) in comments. %Poll-8314%
The highlight of MWSF '08 keynote
OK, the keynote is over. We're all aflutter over the new products and software (in fact, my iPhone is wiggling with delight). We can't wait to get our hands on a MacBook Air. How about you? What was your personal highlight from Steve's keynote? The MB Air? The Apple TV 2? Yet another chance to support the US economy while increasing your personal debt?Vote in our unscientific poll and check back tomorrow for the results. In a few weeks we'll be able to judge how it compares to keynotes past, but today we think it was pretty darn great. %Poll-8297%
MacBook Air battery replacements: $129, free install!
We've got word back from Apple on MacBook Air battery replacement. The good news is a new MBA battery is the same as a new MacBook Pro battery: $129. And hey, installation is even free! The bad news hasn't changed though, you'll still likely have to hand over your machine to Apple until they can get the new battery installed. Who knows, maybe they'll roll out a program for end-user battery installation.
Champagne wishes & caviar dreams: the SSD-equipped MacBook Air
The solid-state-drive and the MacBook Air. 64 GB of goodness and no moving parts. You know you want it; fast, quiet, cool, power-saving and simply the finest laptop money can buy -- plus, you can shave with the front end, or slice cucumbers. One minor note, however, for those who measure their tax refunds in the thousands instead of the tens or hundreds of thousands: this prime bit of kit will take a huge bite out of your bankroll.How huge? Check the Apple Store (and marvel that the number wasn't mentioned specifically in the keynote except to say "pricey") -- a whopping $3100 for the new hotness. Sure, it may be worth every penny, but first you have to find all those pennies and herd them into a recognizable grouping of some sort.Would the SSD MBA be worth it to you? Extra points if you don't have an actual M.B.A. graduate degree and you can still afford one.Thanks Rich
Video: MacBook Air hands-on
Now with real-live multitouch action! Check out the video after the break.
Accessories for MacBook Air: External USB SuperDrive
More additional gear to carry for the lightest laptop you can buy -- Apple's external SuperDrive DVD writer, with a USB 2.0 connector and all the capabilities of a normal laptop optical drive. It's a $99 slot-loading 8x SuperDrive, full specs: DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW (gesundheit!) Writes DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL discs at up to 4x speed Writes DVD-R and DVD+R discs at up to 8x speed Writes DVD-RW discs at up to 6x speed and DVD+RW discs at up to 8x speed Reads DVDs at up to 8x speed Writes CD-R discs at up to 24x speed Writes CD-RW discs at up to 16x speed Reads CDs at up to 24x speed It's USB-powered and, I'd expect, a legit boot disk source. While you won't need a DVD drive for installing software, it'll definitely be handy for watching movies (the ones you don't rent).
Apple USB Ethernet Adapter brings RJ-45 to your MacBook Air
Haven't spent enough on that recently pre-ordered MacBook Air just yet? Cupertino's got just the thing: Apple's USB Ethernet Adapter. As the title implies, this USB dongle enables your mostly wireless MBA to become a bit more wired by adding an RJ-45 that supports 10/100BASE-T. 'Course, for $29, we'd recommend just scraping up a used WiFi router, but to each his / her own.[Via TUAW]
Apple offers up Micro-DVI to DVI / VGA / Video adapters for MacBook Air
We know, Apple's been selling these video-out adapters separately for awhile now, but at least it saw fit to toss 'em in with its new $1,799 (or much, much more) machine. Still, those to-be owners of the MacBook Air who want extras will have to shell out $19 a pop if they're interested in snagging an additional Micro-DVI to DVI Adapter or Micro-DVI to VGA Adapter (both pictured after the jump). For those scouting composite / S-Video outputs, you'll have to cough up $19 in addition to your lappie's purchase price in order to claim a Micro-DVI to Video adapter. Per usual, these suckas won't play nice with any piece of hardware other than the MBA, but you saw that one coming a mile away, now didn't you?Read - Micro-DVI to Video adapterRead - Micro-DVI to DVI AdapterRead - Micro-DVI to VGA Adapter
Accessories for MacBook Air: USB Ethernet
Get used to hearing the word 'dongle' in casual conversation, because Apple is shipping one for the MacBook Air -- an Ethernet to USB adapter for those who absolutely must use a wired network. For $29 you get a 10/100Base-T Ethernet connection and the opportunity to use up your one USB port for connectivity (hint: either get used to typing on the full-size keyboard on the laptop, or pick up a small USB hub). It's not the fastest gun in the West but it will certainly get the job done.
Remote Disk
The MacBook Air doesn't have an optical drive, but it does have a new software feature called Remote Disk. This comes with every MacBook Air and works with both Macs and PCs. Simply install the Remote Disk software on the Mac or PC that has an optical drive and that drive will now be available to the MacBook Air. Slide a disk into the optical drive and Remote Disk shows up in the MacBook Air's Finder. Install software to your heart's content, but sadly you won't be burning CDs using Remote Disk.
MacBook Air doesn't have a user-replaceable battery
We sort of understood it with iPods, and we grudgingly accepted it with the iPhone, but the MacBook Air has a sealed, non-user-replaceable battery, and that means we're suddenly a lot less in love. We're digging for details on how much it'll cost to swap out -- and what Apple expects road warriors to do when their slick new ultraportable dies on the go, stick with us.
