Jobs introduces MacBook Air, 'world's thinnest notebook'
SAN FRANCISCO -- Apple introduced online movie rentals and the MacBook Air, a laptop small enough to fit in a manila envelope.
The three-pound laptop is the "world's thinnest," Apple CEO Steve Jobs said Tuesday at the annual Macworld conference. Jobs also touted new entertainment initiatives and an upgrade to Apple TV in his much-anticipated speech.
The MacBook Air will be on sale for $1,799 by the end of the month. It measures 0.76 inches at its thickest point and has the same 80 gigabyte, 1.8 inch hard drives that Apple uses in its iPod digital music players. Its trackpad, which serves the same purpose as a computer mouse, uses some of the touch screen technology found in Apple's iPhones.
The laptop will be "the object of tech desire for 2008," says tech analyst Michael Gartenberg with researcher Jupiter. "The thinness is a big plus and will attract a lot of attention," says tech analyst Roger Kay with researcher Endpoint Technologies Associates.
But the tiny laptop does have some disadvantages. To get the computer ultra-small, Apple removed the CD/DVD drive. "We don't think users will miss it," Jobs said.
That's because Apple is touting the computer as a wireless device. A new program will allow software installation disks to be run on other computers — both Windows and Macs — and transferred wirelessly to the Air.
Movie-watching may also be tricky, since the Air lacks a DVD player. But Apple introduced an alternative — renting movies over the Internet.
Apple has cut deals with every major studio, including 20th Century Fox, Paramount, Sony, MGM and Universal, to offer movie rentals through its iTunes online music store. They can be played not just on the Air, but also on iPods, other PCs, and televisions attached to an Apple TV digital entertainment device.
Prices are $2.99 for an older movie, or $3.99 for a new one. High-definition versions are offered for a dollar more. More than 1,000 titles will be available by the end of February. Customers have 30 days to view their rental, although they only have 24 hours to complete the film once they start watching it.
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