Apple introduces the MacBook Air

Apple has unveiled MacBook Air, saying it is the world’s thinnest notebook. MacBook Air measures 0.16-inches at its thinnest point, while its maximum height of 0.76-inches is less than the thinnest point on competing notebooks.

MacBook Air has a 13.3-inch LED-backlit widescreen display, a full-size and backlit keyboard, a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing, and a trackpad with multi-touch gesture support so users can pinch, rotate and swipe.

The new notebook is powered by a 1.6 GHz or 1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 4MB L2 cache, and includes as standard features 2GB of memory, an 80GB 1.8-inch hard drive, 802.11n Wi-Fi technology and Bluetooth 2.1.

“We’ve built the world’s thinnest notebook—without sacrificing a full-size keyboard or a full-size 13-inch display,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “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.”

All these features comes in an aluminium 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.

MacBook Air delivers up to five hours of battery life. Apple’s Migration Assistant software now enables users to quickly transfer files, applications and preferences from an old Mac to MacBook Air over a wireless network.

The MacBook Air SuperDrive optical drive is available separately for just US$99. The MacBook Air SuperDrive is powered by MacBook Air’s USB port, eliminating the need to carry a separate power adapter.

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.

The company says this new product embodies Apple’s environmental progress with its aluminum enclosure, mercury-free LCD display with arsenic-free glass and brominated flame retardant-free material for the majority of circuit boards as well as PVC-free internal cables.

The new MacBook Air will be shipping in two weeks through the Apple Storefor a suggested retail price of US$1,799 in the U.S.