Apple Releases MacBook Air

Alongside the release of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, Apple has debuted the next generation of MacBook Air, bringing an array of state-of-the-art features to the world’s thinnest line of notebook Macs. Among the top billed features of the new machines are Intel ‘Sandy Bridge’ processors offering up to twice the performance of the previous generation, the inclusion of Apple’s revolutionary Thunderbolt I/O technology and the addition of backlit keyboards. The newly announced machines are optimized for OS X Lion and ship with the brand new operating system pre-installed.

Retaining the 11- and 13-inch form factors of the previous generation, the newly announced models of Air deliver the same extreme portability, instant-on flash capabilities and remarkable battery life—up to seven hours—of their predecessors. With both models only 0.68-inches at their thickest point and weighing in at under three pounds, the Macbook Air benefits from fantastic portability, durability and now substantially faster performance.

Perhaps the most exceptional feature of the latest Macbook Air is the shift to ‘Sandy Bridge’ platform Intel processors. The same blazingly fast processors featured in the most recent editions of MacBook Pro and iMac, the new processors propel the MacBook Air to new performance heights—especially when coupled with the fast, instant-on solid state drives included with every model. Apple claims the new machines offer up to twice the performance of the previous generation, and that the new line of processors work in harmony with updated graphics and faster 1333 MHz memory to provide users with the power needed to edit photos and video, play games and make FaceTime calls with ease.

Thunderbolt—quickly becoming a standard feature on all Macs—delivers unprecedented speed and versatility to the MacBook Air. Using a single cable, users can chain Thunderbolt accessories and drives including the all-new Thunderbolt equipped LED Cinema Display. While Thunderbolt shows tremendous promise, it is still in its infancy. Users who prefer, or need, to use legacy connections such as FireWire and Gigabit Ethernet can easily adapt Thunderbolt with accessories as they’re released.

The new line of MacBook Air also restores backlit keyboards across all models. A popular element of the original Air, the feature was removed when the redesigned models launched last fall. The reinstated luminescent boards include the auto adjusting ambient light sensor featured in other Macs such as the most recent line of MacBook Pro. The new models of Air are also appointed with brilliant LED backlit displays and glass Multi-Touch trackpads.

Designed with OS X Lion in mind, new MacBook Air ship with the just released OS. With over 250 revolutionary new features, Air users can bring the operating system to life with robust Multi-Touch support, streamline workflows with Launchpad and Mission Control and work with confidence as Resume, Auto Save and Versions collaborate to save progress in the background.

The new generation of MacBook Air are available now in the following stock configurations:

11-inch : 64GB – $999.99

• 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor
• 2GB memory
• 64GB flash storage
• Intel HD Graphics 3000

11-inch : 128GB – $1,199.99

• 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor
• 4GB memory
• 128GB flash storage
• Intel HD Graphics 3000

13-inch : 128GB – $1,299.99

• 1.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor
• 4GB memory
• 128GB flash storage
• Intel HD Graphics 3000

13-inch : 256GB – $1,599.99

• 1.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor
• 4GB memory
• 256GB flash storage
• Intel HD Graphics 3000