Who used it first?
Sony, with one of their earlier Vaio revs. There have been plenty of references to the design on this very board.
You know, this whole "everyone copying Apple" thing is getting so incredibly old. On one hand, I will say that they have had some influence on tech fashion here recently. But why be bothered by it? They set a trend. You should all be thrilled that your favorite company is currently sitting the high water mark on computer styling.
On the other hand, saying that any thin laptop is automatically a ripoff of the air is so very dense. Laptops, since their very inception, have been striving for thinner, sleeker, and easier to carry about. Apple (arguably) managed to make a laptop a little thinner than the rest (by mere millimeters). Any other company wanting to match or beat it's profile doesn't make them copycats, who were suddenly inspired by the amazingly innovative and novel idea of a thin laptop (like no one else thought of it beforehand). No. They're just doing what tech companies do. Competing with each other by first matching, then attempting to outdo.
Comeon. You're all probably in your mid-late 20's here on average. Quit acting like brain damaged children, and think of a better argument.