By the time I was done with my research, I'd changed my mind. This was a huge year for Apple. While there was no single triumphant product introduction, the company moved forward briskly on all fronts. It accelerated the iPhone's revolution of the smartphone industry by upgrading hardware and software and introducing the App Store. It reversed its previously poor record on environmentalism. It continued to be financially successful in an economy where blue-chip companies are failing. And it bolstered its notebook and desktop computer line, struggled with false rumors about Steve Jobs's health, fought a company looking to make Mac clones, and struggled with its MobileMe service.
Apple Floats On Air
Steve Jobs kicked off the year with a bang, unveiling the "world's thinnest notebook," the MacBook Air, a notebook so slender that it fits into a manila envelope.
The $1,799 notebook, weighing in at just 3 pounds, includes 2 GB memory, Intel Core 2 Duo 1.6-GHz or 1.86 GHz processor, supports Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and has a five-hour battery life. Storage is either a 120 GB hard disk drive, or 128 GB solid state drive.
But the most impressive specs are the measurements: three quarters of an inch at the hinge, tapering to a nearly razor-sharp 0.16 inches at the front, where it closes with a magnetic, rather than mechanical, latch.
InformationWeek reviewer Richard Hoffman said the machine is a "study in compromises," praising its size, weight, style, and overall portability. The processor is fast enough, but slower than other Macs; the battery is long-lived, but not user-removable, meaning you can't carry around an extra battery. Memory is good, but not expandable.
The Air helped drive strong Mac sales. It also drove competition: Toshiba introduced a 2.4-pound notebook in June that it said was the world's lightest, and Hewlett-Packard introduced the Vooodoo Envy 133.
The compact Air also drove accessory sales, such as this $55 case that resembles a manila envelope, but is made of leather.
For the fashionable business traveler, the MacBook Air is the must-have notebook.
resource: http://techweb.com
