Apple Inc. typically just releases one model of an iPhone, an iPad, an iMac desktop, and/or a MacBook every year or every two years. Yet, Apple has conquered the tablet market taking 80% of total sales. It is already the third largest desktops and laptops seller in the United States. And Apple's iPhone 4 is the world's single best-selling smartphone.

In the recent quarter for instance, despite the absence of the iPhone 5, Apple reported record revenue of $28.6 billion and net profit of $7.3 billion, beating analysts' estimates for the 29th straight quarter, according Bloomberg News.

Since deciding to use the Mac OS and the iOS, its own operating systems for its own devices, Apple has gone beyond boundaries -- avoiding of sitting with rivals in the slowly moving Microsoft Windows bus driven by Bill Gates.

The new MacBook Air, Apple's lightweight laptop, exhibits Apple's penchant for innovation. In Apple's words: unparalleled stability, incredible performance, and stunning graphics.

The MacBook Air features the latest generation Intel Core i5 and Core i7 dual-core processors. With a processor of speeds up to 1.8GHz and faster memory, the new MacBook Air gains 2.5x faster processing performance over the previous generation. It also has the Intel HD Graphics 3000 processor, which includes an on-chip engine for video encoding and decoding.

The Air is the first device to run on the Mac OS X Lion, Apple's eighth major operating system update. OS X takes inspiration from the iOS, the platform used for the iPad and iPhone, to deliver an interface and overall experience provided in mobile computing.
The device comes in two versions: an 11-inch and a 13-inch.

Prices start at $999 for a base-model 64-GB 11-inch Air. The 11-inch Air with 128-GB storage is priced at $1,119. The 13-inch MacBook Air with 128 GB storage comes at $1,299. The model with 256 GB storage is priced at $1,599.

Lion OS X

The OS X, according to Apple, gives long battery life by dimming the screen in low-light conditions and even regulating processor activity between keystrokes.

Like what millions have been doing on the iPad screen, the OS X allows Air users can also tap, scroll, pinch, and swipe using multi-touch gestures on the trackpad or Apple's magic mouse to control what's n the screen.

The desktop now has a Dock, handy place for storing and launching your favorite apps. The Dock also includes Stacks, folders that give you quick access to documents, files, and downloads. Launchpad is a full-screen home for all the apps on your Mac.

For finding, organize, and share files fast, the OS X has a Finder that gives you easy access to all the files on your system.Files can be sorted by kind, application, date modified, date added, or size. In addition, features like Spotlight and Quick Look make locating the file you're looking for effortless

OS X offers systemwide support for gorgeous, full-screen apps that use every inch of your Mac display. You can have multiple full-screen apps open at once - along with multiple apps in window

The device also has FaceTime capability, a back-lit full-size keyboard for typing with ease even in low light, flash storage, which allows booting up in seconds and launching apps quickly, and thunderbolt ports, which enables lightning-fast data transfer and more expansion capabilities.

Built-in apps include Mail, Address Book, iCal, the Mac App Store, iTunes, Safari, Time Machine, FaceTime, Photo Booth, Mission Control, Launchpad, AirDrop, Resume, Auto Save, Versions, Quick Look, Spotlight, QuickTime, and more.

Owners of existing Apple laptop and desktops can upgrade to the Lion OS X for $29.99. The flash drive option is offered at Apple Stores for $69.99.

11-inch and 13-inch models

The basic features of the 11-inch Air are:

* Ultralight at 2.38 pounds

* 0.11 inches at their thinnest point

* Aluminum unibody design

* 1.6 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 with 3 MB shared L3 cache

* 2GB or 4GB of 1333MHz DDR3 onboard memory

* Intel HD Graphics 3000 processor with 256MB or 384MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory

* 5 hours of battery life for 11 inch

* Two USB 2.0 ports (up to 480 Mbps) plus Thunderbolt port * Wi-Fi + Bluetooth connectivity

The basic features of the 13-inch Air are:

* Ultralight at 2.96 pounds

* 0.11 inches at their thinnest point

* 1.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 with 3MB shared L3 cache 4GB of 1333MHz DDR3 onboard memory

* 7 hours of battery life

* Intel HD Graphics 3000 processor with 256MB or 384MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory

* Two USB 2.0 ports (up to 480 Mbps), Thunderbolt port and SD card slot for connections and expansions

* Wi-Fi + Bluetooth connectivity

White MacBook Gone

Apple has retired the white MacBook as its entry-level laptop, replacing it with the 11-inch Air. In fact, it has removed the white MacBook, which also starts at $999, from the website.

Mark Spoonauer at Laptop Magazine notes that based on the pricing, plenty of people are going to buying the base level Air as an entry into the Apple world. However, he notes consumers prefer for a primary computer the larger 13-inch screen, which is at least $200 more expensive than the 11-inch Air.

"[W]hile the MacBook Air is a great secondary or tertiary machine, we usually would not recommend it as a "main computer". First of all, because the ergonomics of a 11″ are not that good for extended use. Also 64G or 128GB might not be sufficient storage for many users," Hubert Nguyen says in a review at ubergizmo.

However, as to the form factor and the aesthetics, the new Air has mostly received praises.

Laptop Magazine's Spoonauer says, "As an ultraportable, the Air is superior in almost every way. It offers a bright display with wide viewing angles, good sound, a comfy backlit keyboard, a large and intuitive touchpad, and a processor that's fast enough to handle most tasks."

"It's the thinnest, and if we may say so, sexiest laptop around today: the MacBook Air," says Ryan Block of endgadget.
"Hands-down the best computer I've ever owned," says TechCrunch's MG Siegler. He noted the speed, the battery life, and the portability of the top of the line 13-inch model.

"I've had the chance to use one of the new systems for the past few days, and it screams. Even the people who thought I was crazy last year to replace my MacBook Pro with the Air may have second thoughts now," Siegler said.

Praising the Lion

The Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg calls Lion a new operating system for a new age: "Lion is a giant step in the merger of the personal computer and post-PC devices like tablets and smartphones."

According to 9to5 Mac, the OS X Lion, just launched July 20, has already become the top paid app on the Mac App Store. It has received almost 7,000 reviews with 90% giving five-star ratings.

RELATED STORIES