Apple MacBook Air "Core 2 Duo" 1.6 13" (Original) Specs (MB003LL/A)
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The Apple MacBook Air "Core 2 Duo" 1.6 13" -- affectionately dubbed the "MBA" for short -- was Apple's first serious foray into the subnotebook market since the PowerBook 2400c and the PowerBook Duo line (although PowerBook G4 12" models also were rather small).
The "MBA" is powered by a customized 1.6 GHz Intel "Core 2 Duo" processor (P7500) in a miniaturized packaging design with two independent processor "cores" on a single chip with a 4 MB on-chip shared level 2 cache running on an 800 MHz frontside bus.
It features 2 GB of onboard 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, an 80 GB PATA (4200 RPM) hard drive, an Intel GMA X3100 integrated "graphics processor with 144 MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared with main memory", an integrated iSight video camera, a "MacBook-style" 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 (micro-DVI) that support an external 24" display. It lacks Ethernet (an external adapter is available), Firewire, and optical audio in/out.
Like all subnotebooks, it is important to recognize that Apple made some compromises on performance, expansion, connectivity, and affordability in favor of size and weight. Although the system has an impressively large -- for a subnotebook -- 13.3" display, full-size keyboard and a trackpad that supports "multi-touch gesturing" (two-finger scroll, pinch, rotate, swipe, tap, double-tap, and drag), it uses slower processors than the stock MacBook models, the memory cannot be upgraded beyond the onboard 2 GB, there is not an internal optical drive, and the battery is not designed to be removable.
Also see:
- What are the differences between the original MacBook Air configuration options?
- What are the differences between the original MacBook Air and the "regular" MacBook?
Buy This Mac -- and all other new & used Macs -- at site sponsor PowerMax!
Upgrade This Mac at site sponsor Other World Computing. Memory, drives, & more!
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: |
January 15, 2008* |
Discontinued Date: |
October 14, 2008 |
| 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.
*This model shipped on January 30, 2008. |
| Processor Type: |
Core 2 Duo (P7500) |
Processor Speed: |
1.6 GHz |
| Details: |
The Intel "Core 2 Duo" processor includes two independent processor "cores" on a single silicon chip. The original MacBook Air uses a customized Core 2 Duo processor with "a lower voltage specification in a new miniaturized packaging design" (P7500). A 1.8 GHz Core 2 Duo (P7700) processor originally was available via custom configuration for an extra US$300, and on July 8, 2008, Apple dropped the upgrade price to US$200.
Also see: What processor does the MacBook Air use? and How fast is the original MacBook Air compared to the MacBook and MacBook Pro? |
| Processor Upgrade: |
Soldered |
FPU: |
Integrated |
| System Bus Speed: |
800 MHz |
Cache Bus Speed: |
1.6 GHz (Built-in) |
| Details: |
800 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: |
4 MB (on chip) |
| Details: |
Includes a 4 MB shared "on chip" level 2 cache that runs at processor speed. |
| RAM Type: |
DDR2 SDRAM* |
Min. RAM Speed: |
667 MHz |
| Details: |
Ships standard with 2 GB of 667 MHz DDR2 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: |
Intel GMA X3100 |
VRAM Type: |
Integrated |
| Standard VRAM: |
144 MB |
Maximum VRAM: |
144 MB |
| Details: |
Apple reports that "memory available to Mac OS X may vary depending on graphics needs. Minimum graphics memory usage is 144 MB." |
| 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 768, 1024 by 640, 800 by 600, 800 by 500, 720 by 480, and 640 by 480 at 16:10 aspect ratio; 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, and 640 by 480 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio; [and] 720 by 480 at 3:2 aspect ratio". |
| 2nd Display Support: |
Dual/Mirroring |
2nd Max. Resolution: |
1920x1200 |
| Details: |
The maximum resolution supported on an external display is 1920x1200. |
| Standard Hard Drive: |
80 GB (4200 RPM) |
Int. HD Interface: |
Parallel ATA |
| Details: |
An 80 GB (4200 RPM, 8 MB buffer) 1.8 inch, 5 mm PATA hard disk drive is standard (40-pin ZIF connector). A 64 GB solid-state drive originally was available as an optional build-to-order upgrade for US$999, and on July 8, 2008, Apple dropped the upgrade price to US$599.
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 was offered 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) was available for US$49 and an external Apple 10/100Base-T Ethernet adapter was 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: |
MB003LL/A |
Apple Subfamily: |
MacBook Air - Original |
| Details: |
The Apple order number should be unique to this system. |
| Apple Model No: |
A1237 |
Machine Model: |
MacBookAir1,1 |
| Details: |
Please note that these identifiers may refer to more than one model. |
| Battery Type: |
37 W/Hr Li-Poly |
Battery Life: |
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 five hours of battery life with wireless activated.
Also see: What is the battery life of the original MacBook Air in real-world usage tests? |
| Pre-Installed MacOS: |
X 10.5.1 (9B2324) |
Maximum MacOS: |
Current* |
| Details: |
*Please note that this system can run the current version of MacOS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard". However, although it has a 64-bit processor, it has a 32-bit EFI and is not capable of booting into 64-bit mode. It also does not support "OpenCL". |
| 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$850-US$1000 |
| Details: |
*This was the price for the stock configuration with a 1.6 GHz processor and an 80 GB hard drive. Via custom configuration, it originally could be equipped with a 1.8 GHz processor and a 64 GB solid-state drive for US$3098, and on July 8, 2008, Apple dropped the upgraded price to US$2598.
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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