Apple MacBook Air "Core 2 Duo" 1.6 13" (NVIDIA) Specs (MB543LL/A)
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The Apple MacBook Air "Core 2 Duo" 1.6 13" (NVIDIA/Late 2008) ispowered by a 1.6 GHz Intel "Core 2 Duo" processor (SL9300) with two independent processor "cores" on a single chip with a 6 MB on-chip shared level 2 cache running on a 1066 MHz frontside bus.
It features 2 GB of onboard 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, a 120 GB SATA (4200 RPM) hard drive, a NVIDIA GeForce 9400M "graphics processor with 256 MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory", an integrated iSight video camera, a full-size backlit keyboard with ambient light sensor, and a 13.3" widescreen TFT LED backlit active-matrix "glossy" display (1280x800 native resolution) in a razor thin (0.16-0.76 inch), three pound, aluminum case.
Connectivity includes AirPort Extreme (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, a single USB 2.0 port, analog audio out, and video out capabilities (Mini DisplayPort) that support an external 30" display. It lacks Ethernet (an external adapter is available), Firewire, and optical audio in/out.
The MacBook Air "Core 2 Duo" 1.6 13" (NVIDIA/Late 2008) uses the same housing as the original model -- with the same 13.3" display, full-size keyboard and single button, "three-finger" trackpad. Internally, it likewise lacks an optical drive, the battery is not designed to be removable, and the memory cannot be upgraded beyond the onboard 2 GB, but it has a number of internal improvements as well including faster NVIDIA graphics, a faster architecture with a faster system bus, faster memory , and a larger L2 cache. It additionally ships equipped with more storage (and SATA rather than PATA support) and swaps the mini-DVI port for a new Mini DisplayPort standard.
Also see:
- What are the differences between the MacBook Air (NVIDIA/Late 2008) models?
- What are the differences between the MacBook Air (NVIDIA/Late 2008) and the original MacBook Air?
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Click on the underlined category text for related details. The most commonly needed info is "open" by default, but all info is important.
| Introduction Date: |
October 14, 2008 |
Discontinued Date: |
June 8, 2009 |
| Details: |
The "Introduction Date" refers to the date a model was introduced via press release. The "Discontinued Date" refers to the date a model either was replaced by a subsequent system or production otherwise ended. |
| Processor Type: |
Core 2 Duo (SL9300) |
Processor Speed: |
1.6 GHz |
| Details: |
The Intel 45 nm Penryn "Core 2 Duo" (SL9300) processor includes two independent processor "cores" on a single silicon chip.
Also see: How fast is the MacBook Air (NVIDIA/Late 2008) compared to the original MacBook Air? How fast is it compared to the "Unibody" MacBook and MacBook Pro models? |
| Processor Upgrade: |
Soldered |
FPU: |
Integrated |
| System Bus Speed: |
1066 MHz |
Cache Bus Speed: |
1.6 GHz (Built-in) |
| Details: |
1066 MHz frontside bus, on-chip level 2 cache runs at processor speed. |
| ROM/Firmware Type: |
EFI |
ROM/Firmware Size: |
N/A |
| L1 Cache: |
32k/32k |
L2/L3 Cache: |
6 MB (on chip) |
| Details: |
Includes a 6 MB shared "on chip" level 2 cache that runs at processor speed. |
| RAM Type: |
DDR3 SDRAM* |
Min. RAM Speed: |
1066 MHz |
| Details: |
Ships standard with 2 GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM onboard. |
| Standard RAM: |
2 GB |
Maximum RAM: |
2 GB |
| Details: |
2 GB of RAM is onboard, and cannot be upgraded. |
| Motherboard RAM: |
2 GB |
RAM Slots: |
None |
| Details: |
There are no RAM slots. |
| Video Card: |
GeForce 9400M |
VRAM Type: |
Integrated |
| Details: |
This model has a NVIDIA GeForce 9400M that shares memory with the system. |
| Standard VRAM: |
256 MB |
Maximum VRAM: |
256 MB |
| Details: |
Apple reports that "memory available to Mac OS X may vary depending on graphics needs" and that the minimum graphics usage is 256 MB with this model, but notes "an additional 16 MB is requred when using an external display". |
| Built-in Display: |
13.3" Widescreen |
Native Resolution: |
1280x800 |
| Details: |
13.3" color widescreen TFT LED-backlit active-matrix "glossy" display with a 1280 by 800 native resolution. Apple reports that it also supports "1152 by 720, 1024 by 640, and 800 by 500 pixels at 16:10 aspect ratio; 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, and 640 by 480 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio; 720 by 480 pixels at 3:2 aspect ratio". |
| 2nd Display Support: |
Dual/Mirroring |
2nd Max. Resolution: |
2560x1600 |
| Details: |
The maximum resolution supported on an external display is 2560x1600. |
| Standard Hard Drive: |
120 GB (4200 RPM) |
Int. HD Interface: |
Serial ATA |
| Details: |
A 120 GB (4200 RPM) Serial ATA drive is standard. A 128 GB solid-state drive is available as an optional build-to-order upgrade for US$500.
How do you replace or upgrade the hard drive in the MacBook Air? Can you swap the hard drive for an SSD? |
| Standard Optical: |
None* |
Standard Disk: |
None |
| Details: |
*The MacBook Air does not have an internal optical drive. An external MacBook Air SuperDrive is available for US$99. It writes DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL at 4X, DVD-R and DVD+R at 8X, DVD-RW at 6X, DVD+RW at 8X, reads DVD at 8X, writes CD-R at 24X, writes CD-RW at 16X, and reads CD at 24X.
Also see: What are the capabilities of the external SuperDrive available for the MacBook Air? Can it be used with other Macs? |
| Standard Modem: |
None* |
Standard Ethernet: |
None* |
| Details: |
*Neither an internal modem nor an internal Ethernet port are provided. An external Apple USB Modem (56.6k v.92) is available for US$49 and an external Apple 10/100Base-T Ethernet adapter is available for US$29. |
| Standard AirPort: |
802.11a/b/g/n |
Standard Bluetooth: |
2.1+EDR |
| Details: |
AirPort Extreme (802.11a/b/g/n) and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR standard.
Also see: What is 802.11n? How is it different from 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11a? |
| USB Ports: |
1 (2.0) |
Firewire Ports: |
None |
| Details: |
One 480-Mbps USB 2.0 port, no Firewire ports.
Also see: Complete Ports. |
| Expansion Slots: |
None |
Expansion Bays: |
None |
| Details: |
No expansion slots or bays provided. |
| Incl. Keyboard: |
Full-size |
Incl. Input: |
Trackpad (3-Finger) |
| Details: |
Apple reports that the integrated backlit keyboard with ambient light sensor has "78 (US) or 79 (ISO) keys, including 12 function keys, 4 arrow keys (inverted "T" arrangement)."
The solid-state trackpad features "multi-touch gesture support for precise cursor control; [and] supports two-finger scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, tap, double-tap, and drag capabilities".
Also see: What is the difference between the "multi-touch gesture" trackpad and the trackpad used in earlier Apple notebooks? |
| Case Type: |
Notebook |
Form Factor: |
MacBook Air |
| Details: |
The MacBook Air uses an ultrathin aluminum case design with a "catchless" magnetic latch. |
| Apple Order No: |
MB543LL/A |
Apple Subfamily: |
Late 2008 |
| Details: |
The Apple order number should be unique to this system. |
| Apple Model No: |
A1304 |
Machine Model: |
MacBookAir2,1 |
| Details: |
Please note that these identifiers refer to more than one model. |
| Battery Type: |
37 W/Hr Li-Poly |
Battery Life: |
4.5 Hours |
| Details: |
Apple reports that this model has an "integrated 37-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery" and the company claims that it can provide up to 4.5 hours of "wireless productivity".
Also see: What is the battery life of the MacBook Air (NVIDIA/Late 2008) in real-world usage tests? |
| Pre-Installed MacOS: |
X 10.5.5 |
Maximum MacOS: |
Current* |
| Details: |
*Please note that this system can run the current version of MacOS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard". It is not supported booting into 64-bit mode, although this is believed to be due to an Apple imposed EFI block rather than a technical limitation. It does support "OpenCL" and Grand Central Dispatch. |
| MacOS 9 Support: |
None |
Windows Support: |
Boot/Virtualization |
| Details: |
Also see: Are there any third-party programs to run MacOS 9/Classic applications on Intel Macs?
Site sponsor OHS specializes in heavily upgraded Macs capable of running both MacOS X and MacOS 9 applications.
For more on running Windows on Intel Macs, please refer to the exhaustive Windows on Mac Q&A. |
| Dimensions: |
.16-.76 x 12.8 x 8.94 |
Avg. Weight: |
3.0 lbs (1.36 kg) |
| Details: |
In inches while closed - minimum height to maximum height by width by depth, (0.4-1.94 cm, 32.5 cm, 22.7 cm). |
| Original Price: |
US$1799 |
Est. Current Retail: |
US$1000-US$1200 |
| Details: |
Please note that on average the estimated current retail pricing of used systems is updated twice a year (please refer to the date on the bottom of the page for the date last updated).
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. |
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