MacBook Air is the most affordable Apple laptop and one of the most popular computing devices alongside the MacBook Pro. The support for Apple’s own integrated circuits and a more spectacular reinvention in 2022 have made it even more beloved over time. However, the combination of slim and lightweight design with almost no ports was not always a guaranteed success.
Over 16 years ago, Apple introduced the MacBook Air as a response to slim and lightweight everyday laptops and the growing interest in ultraportable netbooks. However, the MacBook Air itself had its quirks that seemed risky at the time. Nevertheless, it turned out to be a bet that ultimately paid off, greatly shaping what we expect from computers today, despite its peculiarities.
The introduction of the MacBook Air made history in Apple product presentations thanks to one key visualization. Steve Jobs, then CEO of the company, introduced the new laptop called MacBook Air, which – according to the presented slide – was thin enough to fit in a manila envelope that could be found in any office. The idea itself is amusing – who wouldn’t want a laptop as thin and light as a stack of memos? But could it really be that thin? At that moment, Jobs reached for the manila envelope lying on the table next to him and took out the MacBook Air from it, thereby proving that its construction was indeed that thin.
In hindsight, the 2008 MacBook Air seems simply dull compared to the laptops that Apple and its competitors introduced in the following years, but it was built based on a strategy that proved effective for the company. According to Jobs, “notebooks” at that time were thin and relatively lightweight, weighing three pounds, but to maintain lightness, they had to sacrifice screen quality, keyboard size, and processor performance. In contrast, the MacBook Air was able to offer a full-size screen, a full-size keyboard, and a more powerful (and custom) Intel Core 2 Duo processor in a body that was thinner than competing laptops.
The original Air was only 0.16 inches wide at its thinnest point, and its maximum height was “less than the thinnest point of competing notebooks.” A large part of this reduced size was due to the work done by Intel, reducing the size of their 1.6GHz and 1.8GHz Merom processors by 40% to fit on the laptop’s motherboard the size of a pencil. Combined with a 13-inch LCD display, a full-size keyboard, and Apple’s first multi-touch trackpad, it was hard not to notice its charm. Undoubtedly, the changes Apple made to the aluminum casing of the Air, narrowing its edges to create the illusion of even greater slimness, contributed to its attractiveness.
The MacBook Air seemed like a sensible choice when compared to the laptops available at that time. However, it had some remarkable deficiencies compared to the overall computer offerings. Firstly, it lacked an optical drive. Apple had a policy against using physical media, which is now the standard in 2024, but in 2008, it was shocking to introduce a full-sized laptop to the market without an optical drive, especially when the sales of software and even the music archiving and CD burning culture built around iTunes were dependent on it.
In response, the company sold portable optical drives when installing Microsoft Office was necessary, or allowed remote use of another computer’s optical drive if both had the appropriate software installed. However, the real gamble was that the MacBook Air was the first truly wireless computer. More and more things were being downloaded from the internet anyway, and most people simply browsed websites, so it was not an unreasonable argument.
This idea also explained the deficiencies in other areas. The MacBook Air did not have a FireWire port (previously the main way to connect iPods to computers) or an Ethernet port, and it only had one USB-A port for connecting and charging iPods or iPhones. This significantly limited the ability to connect devices to the MacBook Air without the need for adapters.
Furthermore, the Air did not have a removable battery, which meant it had to be recharged when running out of power and eventually completely replaced when the battery degraded. Apple initially used smaller, slower hard drives, which were later replaced with alternative SSDs at an additional cost. However, this aspect was later addressed in subsequent models.
These limitations prompted further innovation. The widespread use of SSDs in computers was one of those benefits, as was the development of the USB Type-C or USB-C standard. This smaller, reversible connector was based on Apple’s and other computer manufacturers’ efforts and met Apple’s requirement for smaller, fast-charging connectors. USB-C is now used in all Apple laptops, as well as iPads and the latest iPhone models.
Everyone wants a thinner laptop
The upcoming MacBook Air 2 – folded differently, but the basic features remain the same.
Let the photo show Raymond Wong
No matter how strange it seemed at the time, the MacBook Air changed what people expect from personal computers, or at least identified existing trends. People want laptops that are thinner and lighter, while also possessing a truly personal character, and they are willing to accept devices that are technically less powerful to achieve that.
Did the MacBook Air contribute to changing the perspective of computer users who focus more on consumption than creation, or did it simply emerge at the right moment?
MacBook Air – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
1. What are the main features of the MacBook Air?
– MacBook Air is an Apple laptop that stands out for its slim and lightweight design and the absence of most ports.
– The support for Apple’s own integrated circuits and the reinvention in 2022 have made it even more popular.
2. What were the quirks of the MacBook Air at its introduction?
– The original MacBook Air lacked an optical drive and FireWire and Ethernet ports.
– It only had one USB-A port.
3. What was the significance of the MacBook Air in the development of personal computers?
– The MacBook Air changed users’ expectations regarding the thinness and lightness of laptops.
– The creation of the MacBook Air inspired the development of other thin and light laptops.
4. What innovations did the MacBook Air introduce?
– The introduction of SSDs and USB-C ports were among the innovations introduced thanks to the MacBook Air.
– SSDs replaced smaller, slower hard drives.
– USB-C ports are smaller, reversible, and fast-charging.
5. How did the MacBook Air impact the laptop industry?
– The MacBook Air set a new standard for slim and lightweight laptops, influencing the entire industry.
– Other manufacturers started producing their own thin and light laptops following the success of the MacBook Air.
The source of the article is from the blog combopop.com.br