The new MacBook Air isn't actually invisible like I first suspected. Nor does it float. It's just way thin and has no optical drive. The Air rocks a 13.3" screen, is 0.76 inches at the thickest, weighs 3 pounds, and features a multi-touch trackpad. It comes with an ultrathin 80GB hard drive, but you've got the option for a 64GB solid-state drive if you prefer yours with no moving parts. Part of the Air's appeal is its incredible wireless diversity. You can install software on the machine by "borrowing" the disk drive of another computer and having it send the data to the Air.
You can also transfer files wirelessly from another computer or the new Time Capsule external HD/Wi-Fi station. The 1.6GHz with 80GB standard hard drive starts at $1,800. The 1.8GHz with 64GB solid-state hard drive starts at $3,100. Both models begin shipping in two weeks.
Technical specs
• .16 to .75-inch thickness on top
• 12.8 x 8.94 inches
• 3 pounds
• 5 hours of battery life with everything running
• Intel Core 2 Duo Processor at 1.6 or 1.8GHz, motherboard the length of a pencil.
• 800MHz frontside bus.
• 2GB RAM 667MHz DDR2 standard.
• 13.3-inch screen, LED backlit.
• 1,280 x 800 pixels
• Micro-DVI adapter (for DVI, VGA, composite and S-Video output)
• Intel GMA X3100 Graphics processor with 144MB RAM shared
• 1.8-inch 80GB HD or 64GB Solid State Drive (no moving pieces, but for a stunning $1,300 price increase!)
• Multitouch trackpad with gestures. Pans, zooms, rotates, etc.
• 802.11n and Bluetooth 2.1.
• Optional external HD for $99, USB-bus powered.
• Full backlit keyboard.
• One USB 2.0, one audio port, one Micro-DVI
