Apple unveils super-thin "Air" laptop, Web movies
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Apple on Tuesday launched an aluminum-clad laptop just three-quarters of an inch thick, seeking to bring a new computer to market with the same cachet as its iPod and iPhone devices.
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Apple Computer Inc. today revamped its all-in-one iMac desktop computers and debuted a new $1,999 top-end model with a 24-inch screen.
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MacBook Air users might need to move their new ultra-thin laptops to keep bits moving to and fro, Apple Inc. said in a note on its support site, just one of several problems posted now that the new portable has started shipping.
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Capping off his Macworld 2008 keynote, Apple CEO Steve Jobs put the rumors to rest by announcing the "world's thinnest notebook" called the MacBook Air.
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While some call the thinnest ultra-portable laptop the market has ever seen a boon for business travelers, others are doing benchmark testing that reveal the MacBook Air is slower than its sister laptops.
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In this one-minute video, Wired's Jose Fermoso checks out Apple's new, ultra-light, ultra-slim MacBook Air.
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Take that, Gateway: Steve Jobs rolls out slimmer, faster, aluminum-clad all-in-one computers.
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WiMax-capable products were on display all over the CES trade show, yet the announcement at Macworld of Apple's stylishly thin MacBook Air laptop made no reference to the high-speed newtork. Does Steve Jobs know something other vendors don't?
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AFTER a two-month delay, Apple has unveiled its new iMac desktop computer which integrates disk drives and processors into a flat display less than two inches (5cm) thick.
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Apple chief executive Steve Jobs took the wraps off a super-slim new laptop, unveiling a personal computer less than an inch thick that turns on the moment itâs opened.
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At the annual show in San Francisco, Apple chief executive Steve Jobs made two major announcements but only confirmed what bloggers had already sniffed out: iTunes will start renting out movies, and the company will offer a super-thin laptop.
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Apple Computer Inc.&#039;s latest laptop looks sleek, runs fast and should give makers of Windows-based notebooks considerable cause for concern.
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Steve Jobs wowed the Macworld audience when he unveiled the slim, ultraportable MacBook Air notebook, but users and analysts say its lack of some important features may make it unattractive to buyers.The&#160;ultraportable notebook, launched at the conference and expo on Tuesday, has a 13.3-inch wide-screen display and a full-size backlit keyboard. It uses a 1.8-inch hard drive, also found in the iPod, and a smaller version of Intel&#39;s Core 2 Duo processor.Apple has also developed a program called Remote Disk, with which users can download software from the optical drive of a nearby computer using built-in 802.11n wireless networking. At 3 pounds (1.3 kilograms), Jobs called it the lightest and thinnest notebook on the planet.Scott Armstrong, a Mac user, was watching the Web for news from the show as Jobs unveiled the notebook, which is .076 inch at its thinnest part and from 0.8 inch to 1.2 inches high, by removing it from a business-size manila envelope. For all its impressive features, it does not meet the needs of Apple&#39;s traditional multimedia audience, said Armstrong, who is also president of the Macintosh Users Group in Kennewick, Wash.One omission is a FireWire communications port, which is necessary to transfer big multimedia files, Armstrong said. Apple has led the effort to promote FireWire, so it&#39;s surprising it wasn&#39;t included in MacBook Air, Armstrong said. One USB port isn&#39;t enough, he said.The machine lacks storage capacity and, at 4,200 rpm, the hard drive is really slow, Armstrong said. &quot;Most people would like to have features in their laptops. This product is for people who won&#39;t need stuff or hook stuff up,&quot; Armstrong said.It may be targeted at students, who could sacrifice features for portability, Armstrong said. &quot;They haven&#39;t discontinued the MacBook and MacBook Pro notebook models, so they are doing it for a niche market,&quot; Armstrong said.The Air&#39;s novelty value could attract buyers, but the $1,799 starting price tag is too heavy for a machine lacking features.&quot;They won&#39;t stay with this for long, they&#39;ll come out with something more innovative with Air,&quot; Armstrong said.The MacBook Air is a mismatch with Apple&#39;s price-sensitive customers, such as educators and those who do creative work and require significant storage for music, photos, and video, Citigroup said in a research note on Wednesday. Moreover, ultraportable-laptop users are generally Windows-based PC users, not Mac users, Citigroup said.While the product could be a long-term success, Apple will produce the laptop in small volumes until more features are added, Citigroup said.Unlike&#160;Asus&#39;s Eee PC, the MacBook Air may sell slowly because of its high price point and overlapping functionality with the existing MacBook and MacBook Pro lines, said Shaw Wu, an analyst with American Technology Research, in a research note. However, Apple is adept with product placement, as shown by the iPhone and iPod, where there has been minimal cannibalization despite overlapping functionality, Wu said.The MacBook Air may be niche, but Apple could be pioneering the adoption of future technologies&#160;such as&#160;wireless communication between devices, said Jim Ritz, a Mac user and member of the Apple Pi user group in Rockville, Md.Users were concerned when Apple got rid of the floppy drive, and now Apple is now betting that the time for wireless networking has come by removing the Ethernet port and including wireless storage, Ritz said.Adding more wireless features establishes Apple&#39;s intent to change the way users look at ultraportable laptops, Ritz said. &quot;I&#39;m curious to see what the notebook looks like a year from now.&quot;Ritz has a plan that will help him afford to buy a MacBook Air, which he wants to try out -- he says he&#39;s going to offer to sell his recently purchased MacBook to his wife.&quot;It&#39;s a costly little puppy no doubt, but all new things are expensive,&quot; Ritz said of the MacBook Air.Apple officials could not be reached for comment regarding concerns with the MacBook Air that were raised by Mac enthusiasts and analysts.
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Frenzied excitement gathers pace So, CES packs up for another year and everyone takes a break from the full-on, week-long frenzy. However, another big event is about to steal the spotlight as Apple is expected to announce an ultra-slim laptop at its annual show on Tuesday.â¦
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With the&#160;ultra-thin MacBook Air&#160;reaching stores soon, Apple is selling accessories that make up for the laptop&#39;s skimpy features. Apple is already taking orders for a slim external optical drive and an Ethernet adapter, both designed for the MacBook Air, that plug into the laptop&#39;s only USB (Universal Serial Bus) port. The accessories are designed to match Air&#39;s slim footprint, Apple said. Belkin and WaterField Designs are also cashing in, announcing notebook bags designed for the unconventional MacBook Air.MacBook Air&#39;s optical driveTo make up for the lack of an optical drive in the laptop, Apple is taking orders for the MacBook Air SuperDrive on its Web site. The sleek drive can play and burn CDs and DVDs, and in the laptop&#39;s spirit, &quot;takes up little space on your desk or tray table,&quot; according to the company. The portable optical drive measures 5.47 by 5.47 by 0.67 inches (139 by 139 by 17 millimeters) and weighs 0.71 pounds (320 grams). The drive plugs into Air&#39;s USB port, and doesn&#39;t require a separate power adapter.The $99 drive is available on Apple&#39;s Web site.Ethernet adapter for MacBook AirTo supplement wireless networking built into MacBook Air, Apple is selling the USB Ethernet Adapter for wired networking. The Ethernet dongle is light and plugs into Air&#39;s USB port, according to Apple. Available on Apple&#39;s Web site, the $29 adapter will ship in two to three weeks.Video connector for AirMost of the older external multimedia devices -- TVs and VCRs -- can be connected to MacBook Air with Apple&#39;s Micro-DVI to Video Adapter. Designed specifically for the laptop, the adapter connects to a laptop&#39;s DVI (Digital Video Interface) port and includes S-Video and composite connectors that connect external multimedia devices like projectors to the laptop. The $19 adapter is available on Apple&#39;s Web site.Belkin&#39;s Macbook Air SleeveA MacBook Air is too small for a conventional notebook bag, so Belkin has created a bag specifically for Air&#39;s slim profile. With a neoprene cover, the Sleeve bag can protect the MacBook Air from damage by absorbing shock, said Melody Chalaban, a Belkin spokeswoman. The Sleeve is small enough to be slipped into a bag or backpack, Chalaban said. A model of the Sleeve will come with a strap to hook the bag around the shoulder.Starting at $29.99, the neoprene Sleeves will be available starting March. A $49.99 Sleeve, which will ship in May, includes leather and the option to access the laptop from the top or side.WaterField&#39;s SleeveCaseWaterField Designs this month introduced SleeveCase, a hardcover bag designed to protect the MacBook Air from impact. The cover, made of thick synthetic nylon and neoprene, cushions the laptop while in transport, the company said. Over 50 sizes of the bag are in stock, WaterField said. The bags can be carried individually or slipped into a messenger bag, backpack or suitcase.SleeveCase prices start at $38, depending on size and model. It started shipping earlier this month.
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There's something in the air -- a new ultrathin laptop from Lenovo that some observers think could become the first major competitor to Apple's MacBook Air.
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Apple introduced a new iTunes movie rental service and an ultralight Mac notebook that could set a new industry standard for thinness.