Steve Jobs Introduced the MacBook Air Exactly 10 Years Ago Today

[MacRumors]

Today marks the tenth anniversary of the late Steve Jobs unveiling the MacBook Air, the world's thinnest notebook at the time.

After introducing the AirPort Time Capsule and sharing some iPhone and Apple TV news, Jobs walked over to his podium, grabbed a manilla envelope, and pulled out the sleek MacBook Air. The crowd at Macworld erupted with applause as Jobs held the ultra-light notebook in the palm of his hand.

The thinness came at a cost. The base model ran $1,799 for a 1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM, and an 80GB hard drive. A maxed out version was also available for $3,098, around $300 more than the base Mac Pro at the time, with a faster 1.8GHz processor and a 64GB solid-state drive.

MacBook Air was all about firsts. The notebook was Apple's first without a CD/DVD drive, first to ditch a range of ports and connectivity options, first with a multi-touch trackpad, first to have the option for SSD storage, first to weigh just three pounds or less, and first with a mercury-free display.

A single design decision also epitomized the past decade of Apple: a flip-down door on the right side of the machine provided access to only a single USB port, a headphone jack, and a micro-DVI port.

We've seen Apple go down this path many times since: it introduced the MacBook with just a single USB-C port, reduced the MacBook Pro's connectivity to Thunderbolt 3 ports, and removed the headphone jack on the iPhone 7. Each change generated controversy, but ultimately set the course for its future.

Stephen Hackett of 512 Pixels has shared a great piece titled The MacBook Air: A Decade's Worth of Legacy over at MacStories that dives into the notebook's history. He also put together the video below.

A decade later, the MacBook Air remains a product in Apple's lineup, but likely only because it is a lower-cost option. Beyond a minor speed bump last June, the notebook hasn't been updated since March 2015, and it very well may be discontinued once Apple feels able to sell its 12-inch MacBook for around $999.

Article Link: Steve Jobs Introduced the MacBook Air Exactly 10 Years Ago Today

 

[james90755]

Interesting machine. Never bought one.

 

[826317]

Despite his antics in the workplace, he will always be missed.

 

[Lioness~]

Had a 11" some time ago. Loved it.

iPad is enough for portability today.

 

[Lesser Evets]

10 years later and it is dead... yet metamorphosed into the MacBook.

 

[Naimfan]

"The thinness came at a cost."

Ya think?

Like the crippled MacBook Pros of today?

 

[djlythium]

This was a game-changer. Never before had the tech world had so much power and utility in such a thin device. Netbooks were an attempt at this, but ultimately failed because they were singe-use devices. The Air set the stage for developments that would forge laptops beyond.

 

[zen]

I remember that keynote well. I also remembered the amazement at the ferociously high price!

 

[pika2000]

The Macbook Air was the de-facto template for arguably most of ultrabooks released, even until today. At its early days, especially the second gen with 11 and 13", they were awesome machines. And Haswell onwards gave the Macbook Airs unrivaled battery life.

I bought the 2011 11", then 2012 13", and finally 2013 11" (replacing the 2011). They were great. It is obvious that the retina Macbook is the sucessor (with focus on thin-n-light, and mostly wireless I/O). Either the retina Macbook has not given Apple good enough margin (or lower cost components), or Apple sees that the market is not ready yet in ditching ports. Keeping the old Macbook Air is cheaper than doing yet a new design that goes against their vision.

 

[Böhme417]

Even as this computer aged, I always felt like it had a certain allure. I still do. Even when the new MacBooks came out and then MBPs, the Air always had an appeal, despite its shortcomings. I just never found it practical enough to actually get one.

 

[ghostface147]

With the same specs as back then too! lol

 

[adamski23]

I remember that MacBook air -new soul commercial vividly. Loved the simplicity and song choice

 

[MICHAELSD]

Apple should really refresh the Air.

 

[keysofanxiety]

The first gen MBA was woefully underpowered and massively overpriced. However what it did offer was a vision for the future of portable computers and it was very desirable. That's always been the case with new Apple products I find.

 

[riverfreak]

Amazing device and a brilliant introduction that instantly changed the industry. Now MacBook Air ripoff designs are everywhere.

 

[arkitect]

Apple should really refresh the Air.

Well since this year will be the 10th anniversary they'll be introducing an Air X.

 

[maflynn]

Wow, has it been that long. I will say it was a defining moment in computing, one of which we still feel the reverbarations today.

 

[ImperialForces]

Stop reminding me how old I am!

 

[sgorneau]

My mid-2013 13" i7 1.7Ghz 8GB RAM is hands down the best Mac I have ever owned ... and I've had iMacs, Mac Minis, PowerBooks, and MacBook Pros. It is super light, portable, performant beyond expectations, still has great battery life, boots in about 6 seconds (only occasional reboot anyway), and runs on the latest OS.

It really is the best investment I ever made.

 

[coolfactor]

Best laptop that I've ever had! 2013 MacBook Air! Just wish I had chosen the larger-capacity model to get me through another four years!
[doublepost=1516031610][/doublepost]

Even as this computer aged, I always felt like it had a certain allure. I still do. Even when the new MacBooks came out and then MBPs, the Air always had an appeal, despite its shortcomings. I just never found it practical enough to actually get one.

Practical in what sense? I've been touting a 2013 Air for four years.... never had any limitations. It's a full-blown Mac in all the right ways!

 

[Basic75]

AFAIR it was also the first with a unibody-style construction.
[doublepost=1516031642][/doublepost]

Apple should really refresh the Air.

They did. It's called the MacBook.

 

[polee]

Happy birthday MacBook Air. I have two 11" and one 13.3 " which I still use off and on.

 

[a.gomez]

This thing was such the perfect example of "never buy Gen1 Apple products"

Mine was so horrid that they replaced it for a Gen3 under Apple Care when the hinge disintegrated. That repackaged C2D was garbage.

 

[elf69]

I have a 13" 1st gen 2008 air.

it still works, still has good battery life.

ok it is slow with el cap and 2GB ram but it does work.
the original HDD is bit small but not worth upgrading to SSD.

my fiancee uses it to backup her iPhone and iPad.
this is all it does now.

even today it still looks modern and fresh.

 

[recoil80]

Great keynote, I remember it very well. That's what I miss about SJ, his presence during Apple events.
My first, and only, Macbook Air was the one they refreshed in 2012 during WWDC. Good machine, and I still like it, but today I wouldn't buy a Mac without a retina display.