Apple Mac Book

Running Microsoft Vista on MacBook - Works Like a Charm!

2008-03-18T06:39:00.000-07:00

The very first thing after setting up my brand new sparkling white MacBook (2GHZ) to install necessary updates and download Boot camp. Bootcamp is a partition manager and currently still available for free as it is in BETA. By then I already had some concerns as I had only bought an update to an old 2K license I have which would require a "clean" update anyway - so fingers crossed and let's hope for the best!

I should have read the Boot Camp user file first - than I would have know that the Win2K update was a bit too ambitious! Luckily I had not opened the my Vista Home Premium upgrade box an could return it and buy the FULL version.

With all the requirements fulfilled I took a deep breath and started the process in MacOSX:

Read the "read me" file coming with Bootcamp

Print out the User guide (or have it on a second PC)

Installing Bootcamp - no problem at all - just double click the file you just downloaded and follow the screens, I decided to go for the 32GB FAT partition and will most likely use the laptop with a small external Hard drive or maybe upgrade to a bigger one later on.

During the process you will have to insert a CD where Bootcamp will save the required vista drivers for your MacBook.

The MacBook then restarted directly in Windows mode and asks you to insert the operation system you wish to install. In my case the Vista Home Premium CD followed by the serial number. I also allowed the system to check the number directly online. (You can also upgrade from Microsoft XP but will need in this case to install XP first and upgrade with Vista later.)

Vista Installation started and about 30 minutes and a few restarts later everything was done!

That certainly was the easiest OS installation I had done so far - and I now have the choice between OSX 10 (Tiger) and Vista - on a beautiful sleek looking laptop - what more could I want?

I cannot say much about the performance with this setup - but I would not count on the promised 6 hours maximum battery life With regards to software running under Vista - Firefox and Skype work just fine as well as of course Office applications. If you are using Zone Laps as a firewall you will be disappointed as I could not get it running just yet.

So far so good - that's all I can report at the moment but I thought I let you know anyway. Simply because if you are going into a computer store and ask the staff - I only got a very weak smile when I wanted to buy the Apple Mac + Vista, alongside some recommendations buying "VistaforMac" (which as far as I know does not exist!) or emulator software.

Anyway - It works!

Best regards,

Anja

Anja began her career in Information Technology more than 11 years ago as a Graphic and Web Designer. As one of the project managers, Anja was responsible for the launch of the international website for the car manufacturer BMW (http://www.bmw.com) and has also worked on web projects for national television in Germany (SWR) and the DTI in the UK.

http://www.tetridia.com/

Ten Essential Things to Know Before Buying A MacBook Air

2008-03-18T06:26:00.000-07:00

Business travelers know that there are two essential factors that need to be considered whenever one is purchasing an ultraportable laptop. The first is that an ultraportable laptop should be small enough to carry around whenever one is traveling, and it should be light enough not to cause physical pain at the end of the day. The second consideration is functionality. Most ultraportable laptops get stripped down to the minimum features as a sacrifice to size and weight, but they should nonetheless help the business traveler work whenever he or she is mobile.

Of all the Apple MacBooks available in the market today, there is no doubt that MacBook Air is the thinnest, sleekest and lightest laptop they have at the moment. Any Apple MacBook enthusiast would find the MacBook Air tempting enough at first glance to shell out a couple of thousand dollars. But if you are thinking of getting yourself one, consider reading first the list below of the ten essential things you need to know before you buy a MacBook Air.

First five on the list are the pros of the MacBook Air.

Core 2 Duo processor. The MacBook Air comes with a repackaged 1.6 GHz Core 2 Duo processor specially made by Intel for the MacBook. Sure, it is visibly slower than most desktops, but it is fast enough to satisfy and it will not cause the MacBook Air to burn your lap.

Backlit LED screen. The MacBook Air may be slim, but you would not have any problems with the width of its LED screen. At 13 inches, this screen is bigger than those of most ultraportable laptops.

Full-sized keyboard. Many laptops have keyboards that are too small to be used. This ultrathin Apple MacBook thankfully did not sacrifice the pleasure of typing on a full-sized keyboard just to shave off a few inches in size.

Fast wireless access. With a good router, the MacBook Air can transfer up to 4 MBps of data, enough to satisfy even speed crunchers.

The Leopard OS. The Apple Macbook's Leopard OS is considered to be a breakthrough by MacBook users, especially since it supports multi-finger gestures on the touchpad.

Now, for the cons.

Ports. The MacBook Air has only three ports - a USB 2.0 port, a micro-DVI and an input for the headphone.

Battery. The MacBook Air does not have a user-replaceable battery, which could be a problem if the user has no access to a main power source. With minimum use, the battery life of this Apple MacBook is only less than three hours.

Disk drive. The disc drive is a slow 80 GB 1.8 inch unit. You can upgrade it to a 64 GB SSD one, though.

Remote Disk. This MacBook does have a Remote Disk to replace an actually drive, but it is only good for installing software, downloading data and reinstalling the OS in case of problems.

Separate SuperDrive. The MacBook Air does have its very own optical USB SuperDrive, but it is sold separately.

Considering buying a MacBook Air? Think on these ten things first before you do and decide for yourself if this Apple Macbook is indeed a good buy.

This Article is written by James Kara Murat, the contributor of Printer Ink Related Articles. More information on the subject is at Ten Essential Things to Know Before Buying A MacBook Air, and related resources can be found at PrintCountry FAQ.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Kara_Murat

Apple Macbook Buyer's Guide

2008-03-18T06:20:00.000-07:00

There's a lot to like about the Apple Macbook series. The Macbooks are sleek, have excellent keyboards, and since Apple makes both the operating system and hardware, the user generally gets a very cohesive computing experience. While the Macbook line-up is very straightforward when compared to the what you normally see with Dell and HP, it's still possible for the consumer to make a mistake when purchasing a Macbook. This guide will help simplify this process.

The Macbook line-up is made up of three distinct models. The Macbook, Macbook Pro, and Macbook Air. There's no definitive notebook that will suit everybody. Each model is designed for a specific type of user.

Lets first examine the Macbook. I consider this to be the entry-level, general use notebook. I don't mean that in a bad way. Anyone interested in general business apps, internet, basically anything that's not too graphics intensive will enjoy using this notebook.

The Macbook as a 13.3" screen which is a good compromise between usability and size. The keyboard is solid and overall package is very portable. One possible con is the weight. For a notebook of this size, it's a bit heavy at 5 pounds. Interested in a simple, fast notebook that works well with most non-graphically intensive apps? The Macbook is for you. Now if you're looking for something with some graphics firepower you need to take a good at the Macbook Pro.

Why get a Macbook Pro? It costs hundreds more and it's a bigger package. One big answer...it's the GPU. If you want a true discrete graphics processor, you need to get a Macbook Pro. If you want to do things like high-end video editing, 3-d modeling, and 3-d gaming, a decent GPU is a must and Apple delivers well with the Macbook Pro. Currently, the Macbook Pro comes with the Nvidia 8600GT. This is a good mid-range GPU and should work well with most graphically oriented applications.

Other advantages of the Macbook Pro...better quality LED backlit display, larger display, a really nice aluminum enclosure, backlit keyboard, Multi-touch trackpad, GPU, and good selection of input/output ports.

Disadvantages include: much higher price, larger/heavier, harder to upgrade hard drive (doing it yourself will void the warranty), the metal enclosure gets hot and if it takes a hit, there's a good chance it will dent (unlike the more resilient polycarbonate encased Macbook).

So who type of person will enjoy the Macbook Pro? If you like using applications that are graphically demanding get the Macbook Pro. So we're talking people working in 3-D, high-end video editors, and gamers. Also, if you want a portable computing experience that's closer to that of a desktop, the Macbook Pro's larger display and superior performance will get you there.

Let's round out this discussion with the Macbook Air. This particular notebook is severely limited. It has the slowest processor, you can't upgrade the memory, you get a puny amount of storage, no ethernet jack, and no built-in optical drive. Despite all these restrictions, this is the perfect notebook for the right person.

Who is the perfect fit for the Macbook Air? For one thing, this person already owns a Mac that's their main machine. Please do not try to make the MacbookAir your main machine as you'll constantly run into the machine's limitations. Basically, the Air is designed to be a portable extension of your main desktop. If you keep that in mind, you'll be rewarded with a ultra-light, machine that will handle all of your general applications while you're on the road with style. So running your business/internet apps will be not be a problem. Trying to play Crysis or editing gigabytes of HD video footage is not recommended.

I hope this guide has made the Macbook selection process easier for you. If you happen to live near an Apple store, I strongly recommend dropping by and asking questions. I've generally found the staff at my local store to be knowledgeable and friendly. While you're at the store dig in and play around with the various models. Best of luck and I hope your mobile Mac experience is a good one.

For more information, you can reach Jason through his blog, Apple Otaku. It covers a weird mix of Apple related products and Japanese culture.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Nakamura

Sexiest Windows Laptop

2008-03-14T14:25:00.000-07:00

There are many PC laptops on the market that are very capable of running the Microsoft Windows operating system and many of them are available in compact and very stylish form factors. However, none seem to be able to compare to the super slick and ultra fashionable laptop computers that have become more than a portable computer, but also a status symbol with the internationally recognizable Apple logo. In the past, to buy one of these Apple Macbook laptops meant buying into everything that is Apple computers, including Apple's operating system. That meant fewer choices of software, especially open source and freely available software. Granted that there were many great software that ran better on an Apple system than on a PC, but the hurdles of trying to communicate with PC users or share files with PC users oftentimes turned prospective users away. But not anymore...

The new Apple MacBook computers are now better and faster ever since Apple adopted the Intel Core 2 Duo chipset that is used throughout the PC laptop market. This change in direction from Apple Computers has enabled PC computer geeks like me who have always eyed the Apple hardware to entertain the possibility of acquiring one just to run Microsoft Windows on it. The possibility of running Mac OS X on a PC laptop was also new, but why would you want to do that when the Apple hardware is a lot nicer. For me, there was no reason to own an Apple MacBook other than for vanity reasons. And that is why this article will try to give you the best of both worlds by having your Apple MacBook laptop and your Microsoft Windows operating system all at the same time. Having your cake and eating it too? I think so...

Pre-Requisites

Licensed copy of Boot Camp.
Licensed copy of Microsoft Windows XP or Vista.

Installation Procedure

After setting up your Apple MacBook computer and performing all the necessary system updates, install Boot Camp. This software will create a separate partition to run your Windows operating system. Ask a computer nerd about partitions if you are unsure or uncomfortable with it. Partitions essentially create a separate area on your hard drive (hence "partition") to do anything you want such as store files or install new operating systems.
After going through all the required steps, the MacBook will restart in PC mode prompting you for a Windows operating system to install. Provide it with your licensed CD/DVD of Windows and follow the on-screen instructions. You will be taken through the typical Windows installation steps that you are already familiar with (if you are a geek).
You are done!

What? That's it? Yes, with the introduction of Apple Boot Camp, the process of installing a Microsoft Windows operating system on an Apple could not be any easier. Within an hour, you will be up and running with your Microsoft Windows XP or Vista on the hottest laptop on the market. Of course, there are some minor issues here and there, but they depend on the external peripherals you want to run with your new Windows MacBook and the associated drivers. There are many resources on the internet that will help you resolve these popular problems, but for 90% of users who do make the switch, you will not run into any major hurdles.

Have fun with your slick, cool, new Windows MacBook and let the whole world know how you like it.

Melvin S. Tan has spent all his life around computers and has a degree in computing science from the University of Alberta in Canada. Melvin is presently employed in the software engineering industry but in his past time, he maintains The MacBook Laptop Store which is a website devoted to Apple's MacBook laptop system.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Melvin_Stanley_Tan

MacBook Air Vs ThinkPad X300

2008-03-14T12:40:00.001-07:00

Apple's MacBook Air introduced the world to the thinnest notebook to date. Released in January of 2008, it is known as "ultrathin, ultraportable, and ultra unlike anything else." With the recent announcement of the new ThinkPad X300 from Lenovo, analysts are predicting that the ThinkPad will give Apple a run for it's money. The following is a brief review of each.

MacBook Air

The new Apple MacBook Air comes in a bit thinner than the Lenovo ThinkPad X300, measuring only 0.16 inches at its thinnest point. Steve Jobs actually introduced the new laptop to a crowd of onlookers at the Macworld Conference in San Francisco, by pulling the ultra thin notebook out of an office envelope. With a price tag of just under $2000, this notebook is a bargain in a class of laptops that are usually a bit more pricey.

Because the MacBook Air is so thin, the battery must be built in. Early tests are reporting about two to three hour battery life between charges. Other drawbacks include no built in GPRS/Edge etc, no optical drive, one USB port, and no choice of pointing device. Though it was designed for an SSD flash drive, it can also be purchased with an iPod drive, and Apple is expected to upgrade the drive by the end of the year. Despite some of these early drawbacks regarding features, overall this is a beautiful looking and very durable laptop, which Apple should improve upon over the upcoming year.

ThinkPad X300

Though not as sexy as the MacBook Air, the ThinkPad is built with the business user in mind. While the MacBook air is a consumer machine, this laptop is built more to be a business tool. The ThinkPad has a replaceable battery, replaceable optical drive, and three USB ports, compared to only one on the MacBook Air. The ThinkPad keyboard includes both Touchpoint and Touchpad pointing devices, a very durable / industrial strength built frame, a full set of management tools, and a more advanced flash drive. The ThinkPad also complies with EPEAT Gold, meaning it is one of the most "green", eco-friendly laptops on the market.

Which one is better?

Along with all of the executive minded features of the ThinkPad, comes an executive level price tag. The ThinkPad X300 will be initially made available for around $2,799. So if cost if your main bargaining point, then the sub $2000 MacBook Air is your best bet. Otherwise, your decision should be based on needs. The ThinkPad is designed for the top executive that is always on the run. ThnkPads have never really been known for being "sexy" products, but they have always been thin, while still being reliable. But if you are looking for something ultra thin and ultra cool, at a great price, and you don't need all of the high end business type features of the ThinkPad, then the MacBook Air may be your best bet.

Only time will tell which one comes out on top, but these are both great, innovative products that should spur the ultra thin laptop market for years to come.

Mike Martin is a computer programmer and website designer. http://www.flatlaptops.com Purchase discount laptops, including the MacBook Air and new ThinkPad X300.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_T_Martin

Apple Or Spy-ware

2008-03-14T11:44:00.000-07:00

The release of the Apple laptop was the product that helped put Apple back on top in the computing world. For years, Apple had been appreciated by graphic designers, artists, and other visually minded people who appreciated the plethora of graphics programs on Apples computers. And for this reason, Apple became entrenched in a niche market and struggled gain footing as a serious competitor in the computing world.

Apple laptops, such as the iBook and PowerBook models, were visually single also. They stood distant from other laptop drawings with their brand shiny ashen or shimmering silver shade and a wavy drawing that lacked edges. These laptops appealed to both the better level as well as the communal occupant.

The Apple laptop also incorporated accessibility into its drawing. This Apple product was different in that it could be worn with PC and Windows harvest, which is one of the attributes that helped push Apple outside its constrictive refines. Apple users were no longer restricted. Another benefit is that the Apple laptop tended to outperform comparable laptop PCs.

The narrative drawing of Apple laptop even included a built in trackball which served to set it even extend distant from its competition. No other laptop manufacturers included such a report that was integrated as well. With the Apple laptop, the trackball was sited in front of the piano making it easier to use and greatly more comfortable will.

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There are hundreds of Adware deletion programs on the push. Your best bet is to go to a place like Spybot Download It lists the best Adware Removers presently on the push. Or just google the speak "adware remover". Like I said, you'll find hundreds. Some are good, some aren't. Free Spybot is a great situate for you to see which ones work, but I know some of you just like to google, and that's approval too ;). Just get one, I feel bad having to current so wholly for something so nominal.

Get Your Independent Guide to Spybot Downloads

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jesse_Miller

Refurbished Apple Laptops

2008-03-14T11:13:00.000-07:00

Refurbished Apple laptops are popular refurbished products in the IT market. Apple Macintosh laptops are available as two types of refurbished products such as manufacturer refurbished laptops, also known as Apple certified reconditioned laptops, and renowned exterior professional refurbished laptops.

Apple certified reconditioned laptops are refurbished by Apple engineers. These laptops are thoroughly examined by experts for quality assurance. The customer has the option to add or remove components according to individual choice while buying refurbished Apple laptops. It is also possible to upgrade the memory, hard drives and other accessories to suit individual needs.

Refurbished Apple laptops undergo a rigorous reconditioning process before they are despatched for sale. Products that are returned by retailers come under the section of Apple?s Return and Refund Policies. Eventhough these returned laptops might have only minor technical faults, all units pass through Apple?s quality refurbishment procedure. Each refurbished Apple laptop undergoes complete examination including full burn-in testing. Replacement of defective parts if any and thorough cleaning and scrutiny of individual parts are done while reconditioning. After that the laptop is repacked with proper user manuals, cables, and a new serial number for identification as a refurbished item. All refurbished Apple laptops have AC adapters, battery, and pre loaded operating system. Before sending to the refurbished selling section, the product is once again quality checked. Basic technical procedures of Apple?s finished good testing process are used in the refurbishment of Apple laptops.

Refurbished Apple laptops are cheap compared to new ones. Genuine Apple components are used for replacement of defective parts to maintain a perfect quality. Apple?s one year limited guarantee is given for refurbished Apple laptops. These products are also granted separate hardware warranty for three months. Buying extended warranty coverage of Apple care protection plan offers three years of world class maintenance support. You can also avail of discounts and promotional sales of refurbished Apple laptops.

Renowned exterior professional refurbished Apple laptops also undergo severe checking similar to factory refurbished laptops. These products also are provided warranty for specific periods.

Refurbished Laptops provides detailed information on Refurbished Laptops, Cheap Refurbished Laptops, Dell Refurbished Laptops, IBM Refurbished Laptops and more. Refurbished Laptops is affiliated with Used Cheap Laptops.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Max_Bellamy

Mac Mini Spesification with Intel Core 2 Duo

2008-03-09T03:25:00.000-07:00

Mac mini at a Glance

1.83GHz or 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
Apple Remote with Front Row
Up to 2GB memory⁴
Intel GMA 950 graphics processor
DVI connector, VGA adapter
Slot-loading optical drive
Up to 160GB hard drive⁴
Built-in Gigabit Ethernet
Analog and digital audio
Expansion via USB and FireWire
iLife ’08, Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger

Intel Core 2 Duo on Mac Mini

Based on Intel’s next-generation Core microarchitecture, the Intel Core 2 Duo offers a second-generation chip born of Intel’s new 65-nanometer process. That process lets Intel create incredibly small transistors — small enough, in fact, to fit a hundred inside a single human cell. With two powerful processors designed to share resources and circuitry so unimaginably small, Intel Core 2 Duo achieves far higher levels of performance while actually consuming less power.

64-bit.

With its 64-bit processor architecture, the Intel Core 2 Duo can manipulate data and execute instructions in chunks that are twice as large (64 bits versus 32 bits), delivering advanced computational power to Mac mini. That adds up to exceptional speed and agility, improved performance you’ll notice when working with photos in iPhoto or Aperture, creating Keynote presentations, editing video in iMovie, or playing Doom.

Speedy system architecture.

Augmenting the advanced Core 2 Duo processor is an equally advanced system architecture. It includes, for example, up to 4MB of shared L2 cache.² That’s double the amount previously available, and it really lets Mac mini fire on all cylinders. With such substantial L2 cache, data instructions can be kept close to those two processor cores, greatly increasing performance and allowing the entire system to work more efficiently. And because the processors share the L2 cache, either of the processor cores can use the entire amount if the other core happens to be idle.

And let’s not forget the enhanced, 128-bit SSE3 vector engine that the Intel Core 2 Duo processor introduces to the Mac mini family. Able to handle 128-bit computations in a single clock cycle, the SSE3 vector engine accelerates data manipulation by simultaneously applying a single instruction to multiple data. That means you can get more done in less time. So, the next time you use iMovie or Final Cut Express to render effects, you can thank the SSE3 vector engine for the snappier performance.

Apple Mac Book Feature

2008-03-09T03:17:00.000-07:00

More is more.

Music, photos, movies — not to mention your documents and other files — all start adding up. And add up they can, because the new MacBook offers larger hard drives across the line. With up to 2GB of memory standard, you can multi-task like never before.

Making connections.

Sometimes your work needs room. So extend your MacBook desktop by connecting a 20- or 23-inch Apple Cinema Display. But why stop the add-ons there? Your MacBook also includes two USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire 400 port, Gigabit Ethernet, audio input and headphone jacks, and a convenient lock slot. When you want to burn a party mix CD or a Hollywood-caliber iMovie creation, do so on a 24x Combo drive or an 8x double-layer SuperDrive.

Power play.

The MagSafe Power Adapter is just that: a magnetic connection instead of a physical one. So tripping over a power cord won’t send your shiny new MacBook flying off a table or desk. The cord simply breaks cleanly away, without damage to either the cord or the system.

Two-finger scroll.

With two-finger scrolling, the trackpad becomes a fast track to wherever you want to go. And if you come from a right-click world, it’s easy to make the MacBook fit in your comfort zone. There are shortcuts for right-click functionality, forward delete, and more.

Magnetic attraction.

Opening and closing your MacBook is a pleasure, thanks to a magnetic latch that catches without a catch. And because it's a magnet, there are no moving parts to snag, jam, or break.

Lights, MacBook, action.

Cleverly integrated above your MacBook display is an iSight camera. You can be there without being there using iChat. Video chat with a buddy, share a photo slideshow with Mom, or run through a presentation with a colleague. Since you're close-up ready, use iSight with Photo Booth for fun photo effects. Or star in your own indie flick with iMovie. Like everything Mac, your iSight just works. No need to waste valuable primping time installing software or configuring the camera. Just smile.

Apple MacBook :Inroduction

2008-03-08T15:58:00.000-08:00

We all knew it was coming and we had a pretty good idea about what form it would be arriving in. The announcement was supposedly delayed for a week, and the tension building up to its actual release was thick despite the overwhelming amount of information readily available, albeit rumored, on certain websites. Once the MacBook was announced, Apple shut the door on PowerPC portable computers, completing a chapter of the transition to its Intel-powered future.

On May 16, the MacBook replaced the nearly seven-year-old iBook and brought with it a new era of consumer-grade portables from Apple. For the first time since the clam-shell style iBooks were discontinued at the beginning of 2001 is an Apple portable available in more than one color. Apple has been toying with the idea of offering both black and white devices since the iPod nano and subsequently the video-capable iPod, and now they've begun offering their consumer-grade portable laptop, the predictably named MacBook, in similar glossy black and white models.

As configured by Apple, there are three models of MacBook to choose from. The cheapest, and least powerful model is nearly as capable as the original MacBook Pros (they received their own incremental upgrades this week as well). An Intel Core Duo T2400 processor (1.83GHz) powers this base model, and a 2.0GHz T2500 processor sits inside the other two. Unfortunately for lovers of glossy black Apple stuff, only the most powerful and expensive MacBook model is available in ebony. The specifications of the three base models can be seen below:

Processor	Intel Core Duo T2400 (1.83GHz)
Memory	512MB PC2-5300 DDR2
Hard drive	60GB SATA @ 5400rpm
Front-side bus	667MHz
Graphics	Intel GMA950, 64MB
Optical drive	Combo Drive (CD-RW/DVD-ROM

Meet the MacBook Air

2008-03-08T15:36:00.000-08:00

Out of the four big announcements at MacWorld today, the most significant was something that we all saw coming: an ultraportable MacBook. The name of this lightweight wonder is something we actually learned a few days ago when bits of news about it started to leak, though it is something that tech journalists have been predicting for months.

After all the speculation, rumors, leaks, and waiting, what we are left with is the MacBook Air. This notebook will measure in at 12.8″ x 8.94″ x 0.16-0.76 inch and weight 3.0 pounds, putting it in the same class as high-end ultraportables like Sony’s TZ and Toshiba’s R500, though it is a good deal thinner than other models. It will be powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo processor (1.6 or 1.8GHz) and be built around a 13.3″ 1280×800 LED-backlit display. Other features include 802.11n draft wireless, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, Intel GMA X3100 graphics processor, and 2GB of RAM standard. The notebook will also feature a full-sized keyboard, iSight webcam, and MagSafe power connector.

Packing a MacBook into such a small aluminum shell is not cheap though–the starting price for the Air will be $1799. This base model uses an 80GB 1.8″ disk and the 1.6GHz processor. If you want the full Air experience you’ll have to drop $3098 on the upgraded model which will feature the 1.8GHz processor and a 64GB SSD for storage.

One serious downside with the Air is its limited set of external connectors. The curved exterior does not give room for a full set of peripheral connections so Apple has limited the selection to an audio jack, a single USB 2.0 slot, and Micro-DVI out, all in a pop-out door on the right side. The notebook does not have an optical drive, but Apple developed two options to solve this. The first is a $99 USB accessory drive which can work with the MacBook, the other is a software solution, called Remote Disk, that lets the Air connect with a computer on the network and read a disk from that system’s optical drive. This second solution will work with both PCs and Macs so it looks like it will be quite useful.

The Air will use an extra large touchpad that will be able to work with a number of different finger gestures. These will vary based on what program you are using, but they will be similar to those used on the iPhone. Using gestures like pinches and swipes it will be possible to do things like zoom in/out, go forward or back, or rotate a photo. The MacBook Air’s video fully explains this.

The Air is expected to have a battery life of 5 hours. This seems generous given the size and processor, but we’ll give Apple the benefit of the doubt, based on past performance. Assuming this number, the Air will not offer the life of ultraportables like Sony’s TZ, Lenovo’s ThinkPad X61s, or the Panasonic W7, but it has a larger display than these and is not running an ultra-low voltage processor. It’s worth noting that the system does not look to have a user-replaceable battery. So, just like with the iPhone, if the battery dies, the device has to be sent back to Apple and if it runs out while you are in the middle of a flight, you’re out of luck.

If you are looking for some better pictures, Engadget got some early hands-on time with the system. Check out that rocker-style up/down button–it looks pretty annoying.

The MacBook Air is available for pre-order now but it probably won’t be in the hands of consumers for about two or three weeks.