So after all, the rumors were right. Maybe it is not as great as
the iPhone, but Apple’s ultimate laptop, the MacBook Air, unveiled today
at MacWorld by Steve Jobs has a lot of potential.
The MacBook Air laptop is less than 2 centimeters thick,
features a backlit 13-inch (33-centimetre) screen, a full-size keyboard and a
pad responsive to Apple's multi-touch control gestures. It weighs in at less
than 1.5 kilograms, Jobs said.
The MacBook Air has the following measurements: Height - 0.16-0.76
inch (0.4-1.94 cm), Width - 12.8 inches (32.5 cm), Depth: 8.94 inches (22.7 cm)
Selling in the US for $1,799, the laptop is
powered by Intel's 1.6 GHZ Core 2 Duo processor as standard, with an available
1.8GHZ upgrade. It has 2 GB of RAM, battery life of 5 hours and an 80 GB hard
drive.
An optional 64GB solid state drive contains no moving parts
for added durability. Every MacBook Air includes a micro-DVI port so users can
connect to Apple’s 20-inch or 23-inch Cinema Displays to extend their desktop
or connect to projectors and other displays via DVI, VGA, Composite and S-video
adapters. MacBook Air includes USB 2.0 for plugging in peripherals or charging
an iPod or iPhone, a headphone jack and Apple’s MagSafe Power Adapter designed
especially for mobile users.
The MacBook Air has no built in CD drive, but does offer an
external drive for an additional 99 dollars, the MacBook Air SuperDrive. The
MacBook Air SuperDrive is powered by the USB port, eliminating the need to
carry a separate power adapter
Featuring built-in 802.11n wireless connectivity and a video
camera, the MacBook Air goes on sale in the US in two weeks time.
"We've built the world's thinnest notebook - without
sacrificing a full-size keyboard or a full-size 13-inch display," said
Jobs. "When you first see MacBook Air, it's hard to believe it's a high-
performance notebook with a full-size keyboard and display. But it is."
MacBook Air features a full-size keyboard design in a sleek
and durable aluminum enclosure. The backlit keyboard makes it ideal for dimly
lit environments such as airplanes, studios or conference halls, and a built-in
ambient light sensor automatically adjusts the brightness of the keys as well
as the display brightness for optimal visibility.
Steve Jobs also unveiled upgrades to the iPhone, iTunes Movie
Rentals and a wireless gadget that automatically backs up data from Mac
computers and laptops.
The iTunes Movie Rentals service will feature films from all
the major Hollywood studios and allow users to
watch on PCs, Macs, iPods and iPhones.
Apple hopes its new technology will help it dominate the
online movie rental business in the same way it dominates the sale of music
tracks with iTunes. However the company faces more entrenched competition in
the movie sector as established firms like Amazon.com and Netflix already offer
similar services.
"iTunes Movie Rentals instantly brings great movies
from all the major studios directly to your iPod, iPhone, TV or computer -
without having to drive to the video store or wait for DVDs to arrive in the
mail," Jobs said. "Movie lovers can now discover and enjoy movies as
simply and easily as music lovers discover and enjoy music today on
iTunes."
The new Apple TV device allows users to automatically stream
content from the internet to their television sets and hi fi systems.
Jobs also announced software upgrades for the iPhone and
iPod Touch to improve their online performance, including an automatic location
finder that triangulates a user's position from signals received from nearby
cellphone towers and wi-fi stations.
Another new gadget announced by Jobs, the Time Capsule,
combines an 802.11n base station with a server-grade hard disk that offers
automatic wireless backup for every Mac in the house.
"Bring Time Capsule home, plug it in, click a few
buttons on your Macs and voila - all the Macs in your house are being backed up
automatically, every hour of every day," Jobs said.
