{"id":2780,"date":"2008-01-16T15:20:31","date_gmt":"2008-01-16T09:50:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/01\/apple-macbook-air-is-worlds-thinnest-notebook\/"},"modified":"2026-11-04T16:55:58","modified_gmt":"2026-11-04T11:25:58","slug":"apple-macbook-air-is-worlds-thinnest-notebook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/01\/apple-macbook-air-is-worlds-thinnest-notebook\/","title":{"rendered":"First MacBook Air (2008): The World&#8217;s Thinnest Notebook Then and Now"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The <strong>first MacBook Air<\/strong> was unveiled by Apple on 15 January 2008 and billed as the world&#8217;s thinnest notebook. Here is what that original model offered, why it mattered, and how it compares with the MacBook Air you can buy in 2026. (For Apple&#8217;s newest twist on the laptop, see the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/11\/touchscreen-macbook-pro\/\">touchscreen MacBook Pro<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-67116\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/first-macbook-air-2026-1024x538.webp\" alt=\"First MacBook Air 2008 specs and history\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/first-macbook-air-2026-1024x538.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/first-macbook-air-2026-300x158.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/first-macbook-air-2026-150x79.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/first-macbook-air-2026-768x403.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/first-macbook-air-2026.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> The first MacBook Air (2008) was 0.16 inches at its thinnest point and 0.76 inches at its thickest, with a 13.3-inch screen, Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of memory and an 80GB hard drive, priced from $1,799. It had no built-in optical drive. Today&#8217;s MacBook Air uses Apple silicon and comes in 13-inch and 15-inch sizes.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af2a8d4dfa36\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af2a8d4dfa36\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/01\/apple-macbook-air-is-worlds-thinnest-notebook\/#The_first_MacBook_Air_worlds_thinnest_notebook_in_2008\" >The first MacBook Air: world&#8217;s thinnest notebook in 2008<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/01\/apple-macbook-air-is-worlds-thinnest-notebook\/#First_MacBook_Air_specs\" >First MacBook Air specs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/01\/apple-macbook-air-is-worlds-thinnest-notebook\/#Why_the_original_MacBook_Air_mattered\" >Why the original MacBook Air mattered<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/01\/apple-macbook-air-is-worlds-thinnest-notebook\/#MacBook_Air_in_2026\" >MacBook Air in 2026<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/01\/apple-macbook-air-is-worlds-thinnest-notebook\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/01\/apple-macbook-air-is-worlds-thinnest-notebook\/#When_was_the_first_MacBook_Air_released\" >When was the first MacBook Air released?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/01\/apple-macbook-air-is-worlds-thinnest-notebook\/#How_thin_was_the_first_MacBook_Air\" >How thin was the first MacBook Air?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/01\/apple-macbook-air-is-worlds-thinnest-notebook\/#How_much_did_the_first_MacBook_Air_cost\" >How much did the first MacBook Air cost?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/01\/apple-macbook-air-is-worlds-thinnest-notebook\/#Did_the_first_MacBook_Air_have_a_CD_drive\" >Did the first MacBook Air have a CD drive?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/01\/apple-macbook-air-is-worlds-thinnest-notebook\/#Can_the_first_MacBook_Air_still_be_used\" >Can the first MacBook Air still be used?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_first_MacBook_Air_worlds_thinnest_notebook_in_2008\"><\/span>The first MacBook Air: world&#8217;s thinnest notebook in 2008<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&#8220;Which is the thinnest laptop in the world?&#8221; In January 2008 Apple&#8217;s answer was the MacBook Air. In its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apple.com\/newsroom\/2008\/01\/15Apple-Introduces-MacBook-Air-The-Worlds-Thinnest-Notebook\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">press release<\/a>, Apple said it measured 0.16 inches at its thinnest point, and that its maximum height of 0.76 inches was less than the thinnest point on competing notebooks.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/macbook-air.png\" alt=\"Original Apple MacBook Air 2008 seen from the side\" width=\"209\" height=\"74\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"First_MacBook_Air_specs\"><\/span>First MacBook Air specs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Despite the thin body, Apple fitted in a full-size laptop experience:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Display:<\/strong> 13.3-inch LED-backlit widescreen.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Keyboard and trackpad:<\/strong> full-size backlit keyboard and a large trackpad with multi-touch gestures.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Camera:<\/strong> built-in iSight camera for video chats.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Processor:<\/strong> 1.6GHz or 1.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 4MB L2 cache.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Memory and storage:<\/strong> 2GB of memory and an 80GB 1.8-inch hard drive as standard.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Wireless:<\/strong> 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Price:<\/strong> from $1,799 in the US, shipping about two weeks after launch.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>There was no built-in CD\/DVD drive. Apple sold an optional external MacBook Air SuperDrive for $99, powered from the laptop&#8217;s USB port so you didn&#8217;t need a separate power adapter.<\/p>\n<p>To install software without a disc drive, Apple added a Remote Disc feature that let the MacBook Air use the CD or DVD drive of a nearby Mac or Windows PC over the network. For wired internet you needed a USB Ethernet adapter, as there was no Ethernet port.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_the_original_MacBook_Air_mattered\"><\/span>Why the original MacBook Air mattered<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Leaving out the optical drive and most ports was controversial at the time, and we listed several <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/01\/7-notable-feature-flaws-in-apple-macbook-air\/\">feature defects in the first MacBook Air<\/a>, such as the single USB port and sealed battery. But the idea that a laptop could be very thin and light, rely on wireless, and skip the disc drive became the norm. Thin-and-light Windows laptops, later called ultrabooks, followed the same path, and optical drives are now rare on laptops.<\/p>\n<p>It continued a long line of Apple design firsts, going back to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/01\/first-macintosh-computer\/\">first Macintosh computer<\/a> in 1984.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"MacBook_Air_in_2026\"><\/span>MacBook Air in 2026<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The MacBook Air is still Apple&#8217;s mainstream laptop. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apple.com\/macbook-air\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Apple&#8217;s MacBook Air page<\/a>, the current models:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>run on Apple&#8217;s own M5 chip instead of an Intel processor,<\/li>\n<li>come in 13-inch and 15-inch sizes,<\/li>\n<li>are under half an inch thick, and weigh about 2.7 pounds.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you are shopping for one, think about screen size, memory and storage first, since these can&#8217;t be upgraded later. Our checklist of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/08\/buying-laptops\/\">things to consider before buying a laptop<\/a> helps, and you can compare current <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/go\/apple-macbook-air\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"sponsored nofollow noopener\">MacBook Air models on Amazon<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_was_the_first_MacBook_Air_released\"><\/span>When was the first MacBook Air released?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Apple announced it on 15 January 2008, with shipping starting about two weeks later.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_thin_was_the_first_MacBook_Air\"><\/span>How thin was the first MacBook Air?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>It measured 0.16 inches at its thinnest point and 0.76 inches at its thickest.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_much_did_the_first_MacBook_Air_cost\"><\/span>How much did the first MacBook Air cost?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>It started at $1,799 in the US. The optional external SuperDrive cost $99.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Did_the_first_MacBook_Air_have_a_CD_drive\"><\/span>Did the first MacBook Air have a CD drive?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>No. You could buy the external MacBook Air SuperDrive or use Remote Disc to borrow the drive of another computer.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_the_first_MacBook_Air_still_be_used\"><\/span>Can the first MacBook Air still be used?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>It can power on, but it no longer gets macOS or security updates, so it isn&#8217;t suitable for everyday browsing or sensitive work.<\/p>\n<p>Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, QuickOnlineTips earns from qualifying purchases.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The first MacBook Air was unveiled by Apple on 15 January 2008 and billed as the world&#8217;s thinnest notebook. Here&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":67116,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[23,15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2780","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-computers","category-gadgets"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2780","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2780"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2780\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":69477,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2780\/revisions\/69477"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67116"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2780"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2780"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2780"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}