With both an update to its operating system due next summer and new laptops available now, Apple is trying to infuse the Mac with some of the best qualities of the iPhone and iPad.
The new line of MacBook Airs are thinner and lighter than the prior model, while aiming to offer the kind of instant-on and ultra-long battery life found in the iPad. Available in both 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch models, the machines range from $999 to $1,599 depending on the combination of screen, processor, and storage. All use flash memory rather than a hard drive, boasting anywhere from five to seven hours of battery life in "wireless Web use," Apple said.
At its "Back to the Mac" event, Apple unveiled a pair of new MacBook Airs.
Speaking to reporters, Apple CEO Steve Jobs likened the new products, which range from 2.3 pounds to 2.9 pounds, to what might result if a MacBook and an iPad "hooked up."
Longer term, Apple wants to bring more of the iOS to the Mac, adding broader support for multitouch and an App Store. Those and other features will find there way into the next Mac OS X, dubbed Lion, which is due out in Summer 2011.
Apple intends to bring the App Store to the Mac sooner though, with plans to launch a version for Snow Leopard within 90 days. Developers can start submitting apps next month. Although the App Store won't be the only way to get Mac apps, it will be "the best" way, Jobs said.
Finally, the company announced a new version of iLife, available today. It will sell for $49 for existing Mac owners and will come free on new Macs.
