MacBook Air Late 2008

MacBook Air Late 2008

MacBook Air

Discontinued
Released: October 14, 2008Discontinued on: June 8, 2009
United States: 1799Japan: 214800

Overview

The Apple MacBook Air "Core 2 Duo" 1.6 13" (NVIDIA/Late 2008) is driven by a 1.6 GHz Intel "Core 2 Duo" processor (SL9300), which contains two independent processor cores on a single chip, a 6 MB on-chip shared L2 cache, and operates on a 1066 MHz frontside bus.


It is equipped with 2 GB of onboard 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, a 120 GB SATA (4200 RPM) hard drive, and a NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor that shares 256 MB of DDR3 SDRAM with main memory. The device also includes an integrated iSight video camera, a full-size backlit keyboard with an ambient light sensor, and a 13.3-inch widescreen TFT LED-backlit active-matrix "glossy" display with a 1280x800 native resolution, all housed in a three-pound aluminum case measuring a slender 0.16-0.76 inches.


Connectivity options comprise AirPort Extreme (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, a single USB 2.0 port, analog audio out, and video output via a Mini DisplayPort that supports an external 30-inch display. It does not include built-in Ethernet (an external adapter was available), Firewire, or optical audio in/out.


This MacBook Air model utilizes the same external housing as the original, featuring an identical 13.3" display, full-size keyboard, and a single-button, "three-finger" trackpad. Internally, it also omits an optical drive, features a non-user-replaceable battery, and its memory cannot be upgraded beyond the 2 GB it comes with. However, it boasts numerous internal enhancements, including superior NVIDIA graphics, a faster architecture with an upgraded system bus and memory, and an expanded L2 cache. Furthermore, it ships with greater storage capacity (with SATA support instead of PATA) and replaces the older mini-DVI port with the modern Mini DisplayPort standard.

Evaluation

The late 2008 revision was a significant step up, primarily due to the inclusion of the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics, which provided a substantial boost over the original's integrated Intel graphics. This made the machine feel much more responsive in daily use and capable of light graphical tasks. The shift to a faster 1066 MHz frontside bus and DDR3 RAM was also praised for improving overall system performance. However, it was still hampered by its non-upgradable 2 GB of RAM and a single USB port, which remained points of contention for users who desired more flexibility.

Product Info

Product Info Table
Model IDMacBookAir2,1
Apple Model NoA1304 (EMC 2253*)
Apple Order NoMB543LL/A
Apple SubfamilyLate 2008

Price

Price Table
Original Price (US)1799
United States1799
Australia2899
Austria1699
Belgium1699
Canada1999
China15198
Denmark12999
Finland1699
France1699
Germany1699
Hong Kong14900
Ireland1699
Italy1699
Japan214800
Netherlands1699
New Zealand3299
Norway15290
Portugal1699
Spain1649
Sweden16995
Switzerland2399
Taiwan62900
United Kingdom1299

Body

Body Table
Form FactorMacBook Air
Case TypeNotebook
Dimensions.16-.76 x 12.8 x 8.94 in / 1.93 x 32.51 x 22.71 cm
Avg. Weight3.0 lbs / 1.36 kg

Platform

Platform Table
Processor TypeCore 2 Duo (SL9300)
Processor Speed1.6 GHz
Processors1 (2 Cores)
Architecture64-Bit
System Bus Speed1066 MHz
Cache Bus Speed1.6 GHz (Built-in)
L1 Cache32k/32k
L2/L3 Cache6 MB (on chip)
FPUIntegrated
ROM/Firmware TypeEFI
EFI Architecture64-Bit
Geekbench 2 (32)2259
Geekbench 2 (64)2563
Geekbench 3 (32)1419
Geekbench 4 (SC)1086
Geekbench 4 (MC)1803

Memory

Memory Table
Standard RAM2 GB
Maximum RAM2 GB
RAM TypeDDR3 SDRAM
Min. RAM Speed1066 MHz
Motherboard RAM2 GB

Storage

Storage Table
Standard Storage120 GB HDD
Std. Storage Speed4200 RPM
Storage InterfaceSerial ATA (1.5 Gb/s)
Storage Dimensions1.8" (5.2 mm)
Standard OpticalNone

Display

Display Table
Built-in Display13.3" Widescreen
Native Resolution1280x800
Video CardGeForce 9400M
Standard VRAM256 MB
Maximum VRAM256 MB
VRAM TypeIntegrated
2nd Display SupportDual/Mirroring
2nd Max. Resolution2560x1600
Video (Monitor)1 (Mini DisplayPort)

Audio

Audio Table
Microphone1 (Internal)
Headphone1
Sound OutNone

Wired Connectivity

Wired Connectivity Table
USB Ports1 (2.0)
USB1 (2.0)
Standard EthernetNone
Standard ModemNone

Wireless Connectivity

Wireless Connectivity Table
Standard AirPort802.11a/b/g/n
Standard Bluetooth2.1+EDR

Power

Power Table
Battery Type37 W h Li-Poly
Battery Life4.5 Hours
Power Adapter1

Software

Software Table
Pre-Installed MacOSX 10.5.5
Maximum MacOSX 10.11.6
Windows SupportBoot/Virtualization
Minimum WindowsXP SP2 (32-Bit)
Maximum Windows7 (32-Bit)

Accessories

Accessories Table
Incl. KeyboardFull-size
Incl. InputTrackpad (Gesture)

Upgrades

Upgrades Table
Processor UpgradeSoldered