The MacBook Air: Thinnovation

.76 inches thick of pure bliss. Released by Apple just a few short weeks back, the MacBook Air is the world’s thinnest notebook. So thin, in fact, that you can only connect it to the internet via wireless as its frame is too thin to accommodate an Ethernet port. In fact, the only ports that it does contain are a headphone jack, a usb 2.3, and a micro-dvi, all three of which are located on a fold-down hatch near the right side of the unit. A separate power port can be found along the bottom left.

I haven’t used it yet, but aesthetically, it’s gorgeous. Then again, are we surprised? Apple has built its reputation on releasing dependable, yet visually-pleasing products that we in the design, advertising, and film industry practically drool over. Have you seen their headphones? For Christ’s sake, even they’re freaking beautiful. Each day that Steve Jobs walks out on stage with that “I have a surprise for you” look on his face, we treat it like a holiday. 2007 gave us the iPod Touch, and the iPhone, and even Apple TV which may not have amounted to the success that it was anticipated to have, but still proved to be a pretty kick-ass product. Now, less than a month into 2008, we’re introduced to the MacBook Air, as it was slyly removed from an office-standard manilla envelope.

So what’s missing? Not much. Aside from the fact that it depends solely on a wireless network, the Air still contains everything you would expect from a MacBook product. The screen is a bit smaller the the MacBook or MacBook Pro options, but at 3.0 pounds and 13.3 inches with a 1280x800 resolution, it’s still impressive for its size and weight. It has a full-size keyboard, and a large multi-touch trackpad, with the addition of backlit key illumination, allowing for easy work in low-light settings.

Then there’s the balls of this machine. The elements within it that basically say, “fuck you, man. I may be little but I can still kick your ass.” Somehow, Apple’s engineers treated us to 2GB of RAM, an 80GB harddrive that I swear must retain the technology we have seen since Inner Space, and the choice between a 1.6 or 1.8GHz Core 2 Duo processor, custom built to fit within the compact dimensions of the Air. A built in iSight camera and 5 full hours of wireless battery life are bad perks either.

Will I get it? Probably not. I have a MacBook Pro that I use through work and my own MacPro tower at home that keeps me company in the long wee hours of the night. So, I’m good right now, but to students who are constantly racing around campus and high schools, or writers and casual users that want to introduce themselves to the wonderful, wonderful world of Mac, this is perfect. My only concern is that although they say it’s “ultrathin, ultraportable, and ultra unlike anything else you’ve ever seen,” they don’t say it’s ultradurable. So, knowing me I’d set it somewhere where I’d end up sitting on it and breaking the tiny thing in half. Then again, maybe that’s what that big fat glowing apple on the lid is for.