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[Update] Macworld 08: MacBook Air is Apple’s long-awaited ultraportable
Apple’s multi-touch Newton tablet will be MIA at this year’s Macworld Keynote but in its place might be the MacBook Air. Yes sir, MacRumors claimed to have heard various whispers that Steve Jobs will introduce the MacBook Air. Take this information for what it’s worth, because Apple has been known to send out false hardware specs and design info.
The MacBook Air is said to sport a 13.3-inch screen, has an external optical drive, sporting a slim notebook form factor. The site stressed that the MacBook Air is NOT a sub notebook. It’s possible that Apple will embed WiMax into the new device.
If this info is remotely true, I know for sure I’m getting one! Lugging around my MacBook Pro this past year has been quit painful on my back and shoulder. It’s time for some Air baby.
Make sure to check SlashGear for live Macwold 08 Keynote coverage including up to the second reporting as well as images and videos.
23 Responses to “The MacBook Air”
billy January 12, 2008
really.. lugging around a 5 lb laptop has been “quite painful?”
shit, i’m no muscle head or anything, but go to the gym. that’s pathetic.
+4Vincent Nguyen January 12, 2008
[quote comment="35067"]really.. lugging around a 5 lb laptop has been “quite painful?”
shit, i’m no muscle head or anything, but go to the gym. that’s pathetic.[/quote]
Until you’ve walked in my shoes, you have no right to judge. Who do you think brings you the latest, and greatest news on SlashGear? I’ve clocked over 150,000 air miles in 2007 covering trade shows and press events all over the world and yes I was one of the first to get the iPhone – waiting in the rain and heat for 4-days.
So hell yes, I want a new offering from Apple that fits my need as a globetrotter. In my opinion, this new rumored MacBook “Air” seems to be it.
-9Dante January 12, 2008
Any word on a dedicated graphics card?
+2Cyto January 12, 2008
Seriously Vincent if they drop the weight to lets say 3 pounds would you really be better off lugging that around PLUS an optical drive which would probably be an additional pound so there by only losing 1 pound and not even have the convenience of an all in one unit. This is just apples piss poor shot at an umpc. I’m a mac user myself, got both an iphone and mac book. If you are going to be so posh on weight why don’t just get a macbook, seriously its not like you need the extra power when you are a journalist. Or maybe get yourself an asus eee pc and slap yourself some os x on that bad boy and mod in a 3g card like jkk or a touchscreen if thats your fancy. :) you’d save a considerable amount of weight.
-3aurin January 13, 2008
The difference between 5 and 3 pounds is huge, and my criteria after having used ultraportables since 1994 (!!) is that at 4 pounds the added weight becomes a strain to the back or arms after lugging it around an entire day – remember it goes in a backpack together with other essentials (towel, guidebook, thumbdrive;)
Look at this opinion from microsoft http://www.microsoft.com/windo.....dware.mspx
At present i use a lg express 2½ pound 12″ pc that is waiting to get replaced with a mac, and i have avoided all macbooks for the weight, as have my friends (one eventually getting a used 12″ powerbook while not lightweight, at least small enough to go into a daypack)
A professional itworking friend of mine has a battery in place of cd-drive on his lifebook, 10 hours of batterylife is much more valuable than cd/dvd’s (programs come via the net, music is automatically ripped with itunes, movies you compress with popcorn to bring along)
I am actually mostly concerned with the sideeffect of radiowaves for the human body, and cannot use a mobile phone anymore due to headaches, avoiding wifi too as i tend to loose my concentration using a wificonnected laptop, now thats annoying news for an airbook (i also gave up on buying a ipod touch for the same reason, as much as i love the nano)
aurin
Neutralfinland
Bizao ballmer January 13, 2008
I believe it’s time for a notebook without an optical drive. Apple must realize how sales of notebooks are rising and need to take advantage of different users need. ie. macbook pro, macbook, macnano? This year it will be about macs, as opposed to last years iPhone centric macworld. How thin can it go? Will they get rid of he ethernet port? Limits the size of the notebooks thickness options. New video out port? Current one is kind of thick as well.
-1Should be interesting besides iTunes updates and Apple TV.
Tim McCallum January 13, 2008
wtf? where are the ports?
NeutralJoseph January 14, 2008
[quote comment="35089"]The difference between 5 and 3 pounds is huge, and my criteria after having used ultraportables since 1994 (!!) is that at 4 pounds the added weight becomes a strain to the back or arms after lugging it around an entire day – remember it goes in a backpack together with other essentials (towel, guidebook, thumbdrive;)
[/quote]
Love it! everybody should know where their towel is!
+1Erik January 14, 2008
OMG, you get headaches from radio waves. lol, I knew from the beginning when you started whining about 4 Lbs. that you were a candy ass.. now it is certian. you complain about RF?!!?!?!
you are a damned fool
I am a college student, not strong by any means, and I carry a 30 Lbs back pack all over the place. toughen up! stop being such a damn pussy! I have a D820 with like…. 3 extra batteries and a Floppy adaptor, 6 large books, a heavy jacket, lots of keys, thick clothes and a lot of CD/DVDs
you’re being paid to carry your stuff, so stop whining, whiner!
+1Mac guyver January 14, 2008
I talk to some apple guys and said that it’s not a macbook air that will be the event because someting new in the air is about a new component like the Airport that will allows all apple products (iphone, ipod, macbook, itv…) to be connected together and share medias.
Neutralelbo January 14, 2008
Macbook Error or Air?
NeutralVincent Nguyen January 14, 2008
I can’t remember the last time I used the optical drive on my macbook pro. You guys remember the Sony VAIO — way way way back? That was a perfect size notebook – at least for me. It had an external cd rom drive which I hardly carry around. Maybe Apple will do some magic and fit the optical drive in the device somehow. Who knows.
[quote comment="35082"]Seriously Vincent if they drop the weight to lets say 3 pounds would you really be better off lugging that around PLUS an optical drive which would probably be an additional pound so there by only losing 1 pound and not even have the convenience of an all in one unit. This is just apples piss poor shot at an umpc. I’m a mac user myself, got both an iphone and mac book. If you are going to be so posh on weight why don’t just get a macbook, seriously its not like you need the extra power when you are a journalist. Or maybe get yourself an asus eee pc and slap yourself some os x on that bad boy and mod in a 3g card like jkk or a touchscreen if thats your fancy. :) you’d save a considerable amount of weight.[/quote]
NeutralHJ January 14, 2008
As long as I can set my desktop background to Ron Paul, I am buying the MacBook Air.
NeutralMacfan January 15, 2008
I’ve seen some photoshops of the supposedly new macbook and it really looks stunning without the DVD/CD Drive…. I’m thinking of getting one too if the price ain’t higher than todays Macbooks.
NeutralVincent Nguyen January 15, 2008
Let me say…just what I need. Thank you Apple.
NeutralAndrew January 15, 2008
Who needs a computer that only has a hard drive of 80 gb???? An ipod has more then that! And if you drop it that thing is gona break! This laptop sux!
-1Casey January 16, 2008
Okay seriously guys, the weight is really not a big deal at all. I travel around like mad some times carrying around a huge backpack full of gear. Yeah I get tired from it, and then I get used to it. If all I had to carry around was a 5 pound laptop, I’d be in heaven. Seriously, if you can’t handle 5lbs, you’re really too lazy.
As for how I feel about this system – I’m not entirely sure. I’m glad to see the optical drive go – the only time I ever use that is for OS installation. And it’s great the other internal components have been slimmed down and optimized for size. It’s also great to see the SSD hard drive as an option. But I must say, the shape looks kind of ugly and the price tag is really much too high for what this system is.
What no laptop manufacturer out there seems to get, is that some of us don’t have constant access to power, and 5 hours is simply not enough sometimes (and let’s face it, when has battery life ever actually lived up to the claims, anyways?). What I wish is that somebody made a battery the same size as the MBP so that it fit neatly underneath, which would plug into the battery slot, but provide many hours more life. Then I could use my laptop all day for a really long day in the field, or for a couple hours a day each day, charging it up on the weekends.
I’m really grateful that there’s a focus on power savings and things are getting more energy efficient these days, but I don’t think that means we should start making smaller batteries as we go too. :P
+1Brian January 16, 2008
Really it comes down to what you are going to be using the machine for. Personally, if I am going to carry a laptop, I will carry the one I already own which is only .7 pounds more than this. If I am too weak to carry a laptop, I would opt for a umpc or just not traveling at all because how would I ever carry my clothes.
The thing that I am not so sure about are the heat issues associated with mac laptops. The macbooks were extremely hot when they came out. This macbook air (although toned down a bit) doesn’t seem to have room for good ventilation. If hot, I don’t see it becoming useful.
+1Suchindra January 17, 2008
Oh boy I love the new mac book air, Waiting to buy one .
NeutralAsh January 17, 2008
Apple will start shipping MacBook Air in two weeks :)
NeutralArt January 18, 2008
Everybody needs to calm down. Apple has yet again come out with an impressive product and all i hear are complaints. Have you once heard Apple say that the Air is 3 pounds so your arms wont hurt? No. It is technology changing in a way that people don’t want to accept. The only downside of this product is having a non-removable battery. Thats it. If you dont like the Air, you dont have to buy it.
+1Moon March 16, 2008
Wow, I love the MacBook Air. It’s pure thinnovation.
Neutralfree macbook air May 5, 2008
I have been waiting long enough and i now feel it’s the right time to invest in a macbook air to be honest. I’m starting a graphic design course at college in September and want to have mastered the feel of it by then.
Neutral