Steve Jobs Keynote: The MacBook Air

Steve Jobs is onstage at Moscone, saying Apple is releasing the world's thinnest notebook--the MacBook Air.

He's running through existing thin notebooks: They weigh three pounds and are 0.8-1.2 inches thick. They have small displays and miniature keyboards. And they're not fast because they can't support fast processors.

Apple looked at all this. It liked the three-pound weight. But there was too much compromise on thickness, size display, and keyboard, and on CPU power.

Sony's subnotebook is .76-.16" thick, compared to Sony's 1.20"-0.80". "The thickest part is thinner than the thinnest part of the Sony."

He's removing the MacBook Air from a manila envelope--and it is, indeed, remarkably thin looking."

"Let's go explore this in more detail...its the world's thinnest notebook."

13.3-inch LED-backlist display. It saves power, is bright, and is instant on.

It has a full-sized backlist keyboard and a big touchpad with gesture control. You can do iPhone-like multitouch manuevers to browse photos, etc.

The Air has an 80GB hard drive; 64GB solid-state storage is optional. It uses a special Core 2 Duo CPU, designed for Apple by Intel, that's 60 percent smaller than the standard one.

Intel CEO Paul Ottelini comes onstage. He's talking about the impossible thinness of the Air, and how tiny the Core 2 Duo inside it is. He's giving a CPU to Steve as a souvenir.

Steve: "This is awesome technology...thank you Paul, thank you Intel."

The Air has an iSight camera, Magsafe adapter, USB, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, headphone jack, etc. But no Ethernet, apparently. You can buy an optional external optical drive for $99. But Steve doesn't think most people will miss it. "The MacBook Air was built to be a wireless machine.

People need optical to watch movies, install software, make backups, and burn CDs. But Steve is explaining why iTunes movie rentals, Time Machine, etc. make that obsolete.

A new feature on the Air called Remote Disk will let you use another computer's optical drive wirelessly.

2GB of RAM is standard. The whole package "is just $1799." Applause. It's shipping in two weeks. "We're starting to take orders today."

Here's an ad for it. And Steve is explaining multiple ways in which the Air is environmentally friendly--aluminum case, lack of arsenic in the display, minimal packaging, etc.

"That is the fourth thing I wanted to talk to you about today." He's recounting everything Apple's announced during the first two weeks of 2008. "And we've got 50 more weeks to go."

"We have a special treat today." A few songs from Randy Newman. Randy's won one Oscar and been nominated for 17. Five Grammys and thirteen nominations. Steve met him at Pixar. "He's simply extraordinary."

A curtain raises, and here he is. Singing "A Few Words in Defense of Our Country." Which is...in a stunning surprise...sardonic.

Randy is talking about watching CNBC. He's bashing corporate America but saying Apple is different. Sardonic? I can't quite tell. Now he's playing "You've Got a Friend in Me" from Toy Story.

Steve Jobs is back. There's clearly no "One more thing" today. We're done. More thoughts later...

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