Apple introduces new MacBook Airs, other stuff
To coincide with the release of Mac OS X Lion, Apple has also released a new generation of MacBook Airs, Mac Minis, and LED displays (now dubbed Thunderbolt displays). The most interesting to us, of course, is the MacBook Air, particularly the 11-inch version which is a real -- if more expensive -- rival to the iPad.
Now with more processing power, courtesy of Intel's Core i5 or Core i7 (Sandybridge) processor, a high speed Thunderbolt I/O port, and a backlit keyboard(?!), it makes an already compelling alternative even more so. (If rumors of an early iPad 2 Pro or iPad 3 turn out to be true, it could make the decision even harder.)
“Portable, affordable and powerful, MacBook Air is the ultimate everyday notebook,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “MacBook Air features our most advanced technology and is an ideal match for Lion, especially with its new Multi-Touch gestures, full-screen apps, Mission Control and Mac App Store.”
Mac Mini with the new chips and port make a good if expensive home theater PC even more powerful and (eventually) flexible, while the new LED displays can be chained together to turn your desktop into a NASA-style control center.
“Mac mini delivers the speed and expandability that makes it perfect for the desktop, living room or office,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With faster processors, more powerful graphics and Thunderbolt in an incredibly compact, aluminum design, the new Mac mini is more versatile than ever.”
“The Apple Thunderbolt Display is the ultimate docking station for your Mac notebook,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With just one cable, users can dock with their new display and connect to high performance peripherals, network connections and audio devices.”
Anyone going to pick up a new Air?
[Apple PR (Air), Apple PR (Mini), Apple PR (Display)]
Editor-in-Chief of iMore, Executive Producer at Mobile Nations, co-host of Iterate and ZEN and TECH, cook, grappler, photon wrangler.
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I will be all over the Air the moment they release an Air tablet. As it is now I would still need both an Air and an iPad.
Common Apple work your magic!
OS XI will allow this. It is coming, I think we all know that. Convergence. I see the 11" MacBook Air becoming the iPad with a "Smart Cover" keyboard, using the same magnets.
And it can wipe you after you crap.
IFlush
I am sure this has been on a drawing board. It is a logical evolution, or another product in the line.
can you do a TiPb TV comparing the new MacBook Air to the iPad 2? Like TiPb TV 1 but with the new hardware
More interested in the Mini to replace my 7 year old Dell.
$1000 for a netbook?
who said this was a netbook? SSD? Full Intel i5 processor? 2 GB RAM? Seems a bit much from the netbooks out there. The most expensive netbook on bestbuy.com is $530, a Lenovo IdeaPad. Model: 06517HU. 250 GB HD (not SSD) 1 GB RAM, and an Atom processor. No Bluetooth, No Thunderbolt. Not the same category.
A netbook is defined as a small, lightweight, ultra portable, and it lacks an optical drives therefore is IS in the same category. This is just a netbook and steroids.
Thus the extra cost.
Lol don't be a fanboy you think SSD and 1 extra gig of ram is worth 500 dollars? I love my iPhone but come on now anyone who buys this is an idiot buy a desktop and an iPad your better off
There are plenty of other stories you can read on the blog.
Picked up a Macbook Pro 2 weeks ago..so no..for me...
For people new to Mac or Air these are very attractive. But if you have the previous generation Air already like me, I can't see myself upgrading. I have the specced-out original 11" Air. I'd have to spend €1600 to double the SSD to 256MB and get a backlit keyboard. Lovely as those options would be, they're not necessary for that price.
How the hell did they fit a backlit keyboard in there?!
Really interesting that Apple has removed the optical drive from the Mac mini. Although I appreciate that music, movies, apps and now operating systems can be download from the Mac store, I still like the advantage have having an optical drive. Yes, I know you can piggy back off another Mac or purchase the external optical drive, but that is another expense and another item to carry around. Personally I like the convience of having an optical drive and be able to put in a DVD or CD whenever I want. I'm not convinced the computer world is quite ready to drop DVDs entirely at this point in time. Just my two cents.
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