What are the differences between the MacBook Air (NVIDIA/Late 2008) models and the original MacBook Air?

Please note that all Macs mentioned in this Q&A have been discontinued. The MacBook Air (NVIDIA/Late 2008) was replaced by the "Mid-2009" MacBook Air on June 8, 2009.

The MacBook Air (NVIDIA/Late 2008) models -- the MacBook Air "Core 2 Duo" 1.6 13" (NVIDIA/Late 2008) and MacBook Air "Core 2 Duo" 1.86 13" (NVIDIA/Late 2008) -- are practically identical compared to the original model that these systems replaced externally -- with one notable exception -- but quite different internally.

Photo Credit: Apple, Inc.

Externally, the MacBook Air NVIDIA/Late 2008 models use the same ultrathin (0.16-0.76 inches thick) case as the original MacBook Air -- complete with the same 13.3" display, full-size "chiclet-style" back-lit keyboard, and single-button "three-finger" multi-touch gesture trackpad.

Except for video out -- the NVIDIA/Late 2008 models swap the "micro-DVI" port for a "Mini DisplayPort" -- connectivity is otherwise identical and includes AirPort Extreme (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, a single USB 2.0 port, and analog audio out. All MacBook Air models lack Ethernet (an external adapter is available), Firewire, and optical audio in/out.

Internally, the NVIDIA/Late 2008 line -- like the original -- have Core 2 Duo processors (of slightly different speeds), no internal optical drive, a "non-swappable" battery, and the memory cannot be upgraded beyond the onboard 2 GB.

However, the NVIDIA models have a number of internal architecture improvements as well. These include a faster architecture with a faster system bus (1066 MHz compared to 800 MHz), faster memory (1066 MHz DDR3 compared to 800 MHz DDR2), and a larger on chip L2 cache (6 MB compared to 4 MB), as well as faster graphics -- a NVIDIA GeForce 9400M with 256 MB of memory shared with the system compared to an Intel GMA X3100 with 144 MB of shared memory. The NVIDIA/Late 2008 line supports an external display at 2560x1600 compared to 1920x1200 on the original model.

The NVIDIA/Late 2008 additionally is configured by default with more storage and SATA rather than PATA support.

These differences are summarized below for your convenience:

MacBook Air	Original	NVIDIA/Late 2008
Processor Speed:	1.6, 1.8 GHz	1.6, 1.86 GHz
Bus Speed:	800 MHz	1066 MHz
Memory:	800 MHz DDR2	1066 MHz DDR3
Drive Size:	80, 64 GB	120, 128 GB
Drive Type:	HD, SSD	HD, SSD
Drive Interface:	PATA	SATA
Video Processor:	Intel GMA X3100	NVIDIA GeForce 9400M
Integrated Video RAM:	144 MB	256 MB
External Display:	1920x1200	2560x1600
Video Out:	micro-DVI	Mini DisplayPort
Intro Price:	US$1799, US$3098	US$1799, US$2499

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Please refer to the Ultimate Mac Comparison feature to dynamically compare any MacBook Air model to any other G3 or later Mac.