Global manufacturer Apple has revealed two new versions of the popular MacBook Air at the ‘Back to Mac’ event this week.
The firm announced that two new models will be added to the successful Mac line in the coming months, with the cheapest starting at just $999. A version of the ultrathin notebook will be released onto the market with a 13.3″ screen, while a more compact MacBook Air will also be released which features an 11.6″ screen. The compact version weighs as little as 2.3 pounds and is just 0.11″ at its thinnest. The new MacBook Airs come with a new multi touch trackpad which, just like the iPad, allows users control the machine by pinching, rotating and swiping.
Full details of the specifications have yet to be revealed but it’s clear that Apple have clearly been influenced by the success of some of their other products.
“We asked ourselves what would happen if a MacBook and an iPad hooked up? Well, this is the result,” commented Steve Jobs.
Key features shared with the iPhone and iPad include no hard drive, no optical drive and the inclusion of the popular FaceTime application.The FaceTime application will allow Mac users to have video chats with other Mac, iPhone or iPod Touch users and it’s believed the application’s phenomenal popularity prompted Apple to quickly add it to the rest of their line.
Apple also chose the event to announce some other major changes to their lines. A new version of the Mac OS X is set to be released in summer 2011. Named Lion (Mac OS X 10.7), the upgraded operating system has clearly been influenced by the iPad. New features include an App Store which lets users download useful applications, a Launch Pad which lets users access the programmes they want quickly and easily and a Mission Control feature which encompasses other standalone applications such as Dashboard and Spaces.
Other announcements include improvements to a range of programmes including iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, iDVD and iWeb.
