This SMC firmware update adds compatibility for the latest service replacement batteries.

Apple also refreshed the entire lineup of notebooks moving the 13-inch model into the MacBook Pro range and adding SD card slots to some models.

“Across the line, all of our new MacBook Pro models now include Apple’s innovative built-in battery for up to seven hours of battery life, while staying just as thin and light as before,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “Starting at just $1,199, the aluminum unibody MacBook Pro is more affordable than ever and sets a new standard for environmentally friendly notebook design.”

The new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro models include Apple’s innovative built-in notebook battery for up to seven hours of wireless productivity on a single charge without adding thickness, weight or cost, the built-in battery delivers up to 1,000 recharges before it reaches 80 percent of its original capacity.

The new 13-inch MacBook Pro includes a seven hour built-in battery, an SD card slot, a FireWire 800 port, an illuminated keyboard and an improved LED-backlit display with 60 percent greater color gamut. Featuring the powerful NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics processor, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is available in two models: one with a 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive priced at $1,199, and another with a 2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive priced at $1,499.

The 15-inch MacBook Pro now features a seven hour built-in battery, an SD card slot, an improved LED-backlit display with 60 percent greater color gamut and 4GB of RAM across the line at an entry price $300 less than before. The new 15-inch MacBook Pro is available in three models: a 2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo system with a 250GB hard drive and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics for a new entry price of $1,699; a 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo system with a 320GB hard drive, and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M and 9600M GT graphics for $1,999; and a 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo system with a 500GB hard drive, and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M and 9600M GT graphics for $2,299.

The 17-inch MacBook Pro, which includes an eight hour built-in battery, an ExpressCard slot, a brilliant LED-backlit display, 4GB of RAM and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M and 9600M GT graphics, has been updated to include a faster 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and a larger 500GB hard drive for $2,499, which is $300 less than before.

All MacBook Pro notebooks can now have up to 8GB of RAM, up to a 500GB hard drive or up to a 256GB solid state drive. The 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro models can also be upgraded to a 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor. All MacBook Pro systems include a next generation, industry-standard Mini DisplayPort to connect with the 24-inch Apple LED Cinema Display.

The MacBook Air is available in two models starting with the new entry price of $1,499 for a 1.86 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo system with a 120GB hard drive and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics, and a 2.13 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo system with a 128GB solid state drive and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics for $1,799.

The new 13-inch MacBook Pro, 15-inch MacBook Pro, 17-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air are now available through the Apple Store.

Sources also suggested to SiliconRumors that the new entry price point could be between $1300 to $1500 as well as the possibility of SSD (solid state disk) storage devices across the range as standard.

The addition of 3G modems has been rumoured in the past and would give the notebooks the ability to connect to celluar networks at high speeds.

Details no where exactly the cheaper Macs will appear are not known but AppleInsider notes that Apple could reduce the price of the MacBook in the near future as part of revisions across the line.

While exact pricing is unclear or still undetermined at this time, the Mac maker earlier this month quietly flaunted its capacity to deliver a premium system at near recession pricing when it began offering educational institutions a 2GHz, 20-inch aluminum iMac for $899. Even when priced at a $100 to $150 markup for the consumer markets — as Apple is more than likely eager to preserve its margins — such an offering would make a material dent in the entry-level cost of owner or switching to a Mac.

• Snow Leopard looks like to be ready sometime after September. Apple will tell us more in May but has much work to do on Open CL, QuickTime X and Grand Central.
• New Xserve models will arrive in June.
• New Mac Pro will be introduced packing a 3.2GHz Xeon and Quadro FX 5800.
• Notebooks will move to “Nahalem” platform in November.
• Updates to Final Cut Studio, DVD Studio Pro, Shake and Logic in the pipeline.

Monoprice is also offering two other adapters, a MiniDisplay Port to DVI and also VGA, these provide an alternative to Apple’s offering at a significantly decreased price.

Apple already sells Mini DisplayPort to VGA ($29) or DVI adapters ($29) but does not offer an adapter for HDMI devices.

An EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface) update is available, which is said to address system stability issues.

In addition an SMC (System Management Controller) update is available which addresses the “sensing and accuracy of the MagSafe Power Adapter indicator light, and the battery charge indicator lights.” Installation help and more support can be found on Apple’s support site.

MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update 1.6 – 1.9 MB
MacBook Pro 15-inch SMC Firmware Update 1.2 – 559 KB

MacBook EFI Firmware Update 1.3 – 1.8 MB
MacBook SMC Firmware Update 1.2 – 556 KB

MacBook Air EFI Firmware Update 1.1 – 2.4 MB
MacBook Air SMC Firmware Update 1.1 – 556 KB

The availability of a license confirms that the port is propriety from Apple but should allow third-party developers to make adapters to allow notebooks with VGA and DVI connections to use the new 24-inch LED Cinema Display.

When we redesigned the new Macbook, our designers and engineers set a goal of making not only the greenest notebook Apple ever produced, but the greenest family of notebooks. So every new Macbook has been built using materials that are highly recyclable and free of many harmful substances present in other computers.

In the advert and on a new section of its website Apple touts that fact that its new MacBook Air, MacBook and MacBook Pro are free of harmful toxins, highly recyclable, very energy efficient and come in compact packaging.

According to the Mac Rumors forum member the listing for the MacBook Air cautioned buyers stating that the system had a malfunctioning hinge and minor blemishes on the outer shell. But the listing did not allude to its pre-production status.

The MacBook Air differs from models that shipped in early-2008 as it only features a 60GB hard drive with Mac OS X Tiger pre-installed and more prominently the lower enclosure is made from black plastic.

The serial number of the machine would indicate that it was manufactured in May 2007 a full seven months before Apple even announced the MacBook Air.

According to the blogs it comes down to science as to why Apple won’t use carbon fibre in the MacBook Air; “while it is strong, it can’t be fastened to aluminum or other metals effectively.”

MacBlogz adds:

“As an engineer who designs carbon fiber parts, I know it’s an amazing material, but it has its limitations. Ultra light and strong organically shaped structures: Yes! Small intricate parts: No. Laptops from Sony and VooDoo claim to be made from carbon fiber, but it’s not the woven type you see on a Formula 1 car. Its merely injection molded plastic with tiny little pieces of carbon fiber in it. One could call it a marketing ploy.”

9 to 5 Mac confidently closes its article with, “Bottom line… Don’t expect a carbon fiber laptop from Apple or trust anyone who says one is in the works.”

AppleInsider adds that Apple will likely keep the upper aluminium enclosure and only replace the lower enclosure with carbon fibre. Finally the rumour site believes the change could come as soon as next year.

In addition, every member of the new MacBook family includes state of the art NVIDIA graphics, brilliant instant-on LED-backlit displays and new large glass Multi-Touch trackpads that offer almost 40 percent more tracking area and support more Multi-Touch gestures. The entire new MacBook family meets stringent Energy Star 4.0, EPEAT Gold and RoHS environmental standards, and leads the industry in the elimination of toxic chemicals by containing no brominated flame retardants, using only PVC-free internal cables and components, and using energy efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass.

“Apple has invented a whole new way of building notebooks from a single block of aluminum. And, just as important, they are the industry’s greenest notebooks,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “The new MacBooks offer incredible features our users will love —like their stunning all-metal design, great 3D graphics and LED backlit displays—at prices up to $700 less than before.”
“Traditionally notebooks are made from multiple parts. With the new MacBook, we’ve replaced all of those parts with just one part—the unibody,” said Jonathan Ive, Apple’s senior vice president of Industrial Design. “The MacBook’s unibody enclosure is made from a single block of aluminum, making the new MacBook fundamentally thinner, stronger and more robust with a fit and finish that we’ve never even dreamed of before.”

The new MacBook line features the powerful new NVIDIA GeForce 9400M, a revolutionary new 3D integrated graphics processor that features 16 parallel processing cores and delivers up to five times the 3D graphics performance than the previous MacBook and MacBook Air.

The new MacBook, 15-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air include a next generation, industry-standard Mini DisplayPort to connect with the new Apple LED Cinema Display featuring a 24-inch LED-backlit widescreen display.

Today Apple also updated MacBook Air and the 17-inch MacBook Pro. MacBook Air, measuring only 0.16-inches at its thinnest point, 0.76-inches at its maximum height and weighing just three pounds, now includes new NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics and a faster architecture to provide robust support for 3D games and enhanced performance. Starting at $1,799, MacBook Air is available with a 120GB 4200 rpm hard drive, a 50 percent increase from the previous generation, or a new 128GB solid state drive. The updated 17-inch MacBook Pro keeps its original aluminum design, and now comes standard with a high resolution 1920 x 1200 LED-backlit display and a larger 320GB hard drive or an optional 128GB solid state drive.

The new MacBook, 15-inch MacBook Pro and 17-inch MacBook Pro are now shipping and the new MacBook Air will be available in early November.

An updated 13-inch white MacBook featuring 2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processors, a 120GB 5400 rpm hard drive and a slot-load 8X SuperDrive is now available for $999 (US).

The 2.0 GHz, 13-inch aluminum MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,299 (US), includes:

13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display;
2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
160GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme® 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
built-in iSight video camera;
two USB 2.0 ports;
one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
glass Multi-Touch trackpad; and
60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

The 2.4 GHz aluminum MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,599 (US), includes:

13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display;
2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
250GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
built-in iSight video camera;
two USB 2.0 ports;
one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
Build-to-order options for the MacBook include the ability to upgrade to 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, a 250GB 5400 rpm, 320GB 5400 rpm hard drive, a 128GB solid state drive, Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (for 30-inch DVI display), Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter, Apple USB Modem, Apple Remote, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare® Protection Plan.

The 2.4 GHz, 15-inch aluminum MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $1,999 (US), includes:

15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440 x 900 glossy display;
2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics with 256MB GDDR3 video memory;
250GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
built-in iSight video camera;
two USB 2.0 ports;
one FireWire® 800 port;
ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
85 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

The 2.53 GHz aluminum MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $2,499 (US), includes:

15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440 x 900 glossy display;
2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics with 512MB GDDR3 video memory;
320GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
built-in iSight video camera;
two USB 2.0 ports;
one FireWire 800 port;
ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
85 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
Build-to-order options for the MacBook Pro include a 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, the ability to upgrade to 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, 250GB 7200 rpm, 320GB 5400 rpm or a 320GB 7200 rpm hard drive, a 128GB solid state drive, Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (for 30-inch DVI display), Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter, Apple USB Modem, Apple Remote, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare Protection Plan.

The 1.6 GHz MacBook Air, for a suggested retail price of $1,799 (US), includes:

13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit high resolution 1280 x 800 glossy display;
1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
120GB serial ATA hard drive running at 4200 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
built-in iSight video camera;
one USB 2.0 port;
one headphone port;
Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
45 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

The 1.86 GHz MacBook Air, for a suggested retail price of $2,499 (US), includes:

13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display;
1.86 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
2GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
128GB solid state drive;
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
built-in iSight video camera;
one USB 2.0 port;
one headphone port;
Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
45 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

MacBook Pro

Engadget has published an image (pictured left) from the same source that leaked an authentic image of the fourth generation iPod nano prior to its release last month.

The image shows a 15-inch MacBook Pro with a aluminium enclosure with the display framed by a black bezel, similar to the current generation iMac.

John Gruber over at Daring Fireball who originally pinpointed October 14 as the date the notebooks would arrive has also chimed in with some last minute information. Gruber notes that the new 15-inch MacBook Pro has no latch and also confirms the black border around the display.

Gruber goes onto talk about the trackpad which as noted in the image posted by Engadget appears to have no trackpad button.

The new trackpad is similar to the Air’s, in that it is bigger and supports additional multi-touch gestures. But unlike the Air’s, the MacBook Pro’s new trackpad is made of glass, and is a button itself. You just press and it clicks. This is not like the current software option where you can enable “Tap to Click” in the trackpad preferences, but instead a glass trackpad that acts as a physical button, with a click you can feel. Sounds odd, but I hear it’s very cool in practice.

Gruber also writes that due to the glass bezel around the display, there will be no matte display version available. Interestingly Gruber speculates that the 17-inch MacBook Pro may be in the process of being phased out, claiming that we’ll only see an announcement related to the 15-inch MacBook Pro today. He does note that the 17-inch MacBook Pro will remain on sale for the time being and will also receive a minor increase in specs today featuring a larger 320GB hard drive and bumping the RAM from 2GB to 4GB. AppleInsider disagrees to an extent reporting that although the 17-inch MacBook Pro is unlikely to surface today, one does “exist in the labs”.

AppleInsider is also offering added information about the new MacBook Pro, the rumour site writes that the new notebook will feature two NVIDIA graphics cards; an integrated GPU for normal use and a dedicated GPU (a NVIDIA 9400M GT) when more power is required.

The two chips will reportedly feature Hybrid SLI, a NVIDIA technology where by the integrated graphics chip would assist the dedicated chip when plugged into a power source while the dedicated chip would shut down when on battery power. For this reason AppleInsider’s source claims that Apple is “touting some ’sick’ battery claims”.

Finally the CPUs in the MacBook Pro is expected to stay the same at 2.4GHz and 2.53GHz.

MacBook

Much less information has appeared regarding the MacBook except that lower end Apple notebook will feature a NVIDIA 9400M, NVIDIAs alternative to Intel’s integrated graphics chips. This chip is reportedly considerably faster than the current offerings from Intel and is capable of driving a 3-inch display.

MacBook Air

Reports are emerging that the MacBook Air will also receive a minor increase in specifications, the new configurations which will be shipping by the end of the week will feature 120GB HDD and 128GB SSD, the Air will also receive the new NVIDIA 9400M integrated GPU.

New 24-inch Display

Several tipsters have noted to mulitple sites that Apple is also expected to unveil a new 24-inch display featuring DisplayPort and MagSafe power connectors. The display which is said to resemble the current generation iMac without the “chin”. It is expected that this new display will roll in at $899.

Mac Rumors adds that the display is expected to have LED backlighting.

DisplayPort

It is still very likely that the new MacBook and MacBook Pro will feature a mini-DVI connector, AppleInsider has noted on its blog section that Apple is manufacturing a DisplayPort to mini-DVI cable.

Pricing

• New 24-inch LED backlit display – $899.

MacBook Air

• MB543LL/A $1,799.00 (M96) – MacBook Air / 13-inch / 1.6GHz / 2GB RAM / NVIDIA 9400M / 120GB HDD
• MB940LL/A $2,499.00 (M96) – MacBook Air / 13-inch / 1.8GHz / 2GB RAM / NVIDIA 9400M / 128GB SSD

MacBook

• Current white MacBook 2.1GHz will remain in lineup at $999
• MB466LL/A $1,299.00 (M97) – MacBook / 13-inch / 2.0GHz / 2GB RAM / NIVIDA 9400M / 160GB HDD
• MB467LL/A $1,499.00 (M97) – MacBook / 13-inch / 2.4GHz / 2GB RAM / NIVIDA 9400M / 250GB HDD

MacBook Pro

• MB470LL/A $1,999.00 (M98) – MacBook Pro / 15-inch / 2.4GHz / 2GB RAM / NIVIDA 9400M GT (Dedicated)
• MB471LL/A $2,499.00 (M98) – MacBook Pro / 15-inch / 2.53GHz / 2GB RAM / NIVIDA 9400M GT (Dedicated)

This update is recommended for all MacBook Air computers, and addresses issues with video playback and processor core idling. Third-party software that modifies processor operating characteristics such as frequency and voltage is not supported and should be removed before installing this update.

Proceed accordingly.

(via Electronista)

The site reports that the external appearance will stay the same but the new MacBook Air will feature a Penryn processor at speeds of 2.0GHz and above. The new MacBook Air is also said to include a higher capacity battery.

the CPU will be able to dramatically increase, from 2.0 GHz and potentially beyond. As such however, power drain will increase. Apple will curb that constraint with a higher-capacity battery. However, we can confirm that the new MacBook Air will require a 60W power adapter to fully charge, much like the current MacBook family.

The site also notes that he MacBook Air hard drive will “likely” be upgraded to 120GB as standard and add an optional 160GB.

The lower-end model featuring a 1.6GHz processor and 80GB hard drive remains the same at $1799.

Apple has emailed those who currently have the top-end model on order:

To Our Valued Apple Customer:

Sincerely,
Apple Online Store Support

Last year Apple asked Intel to supply a small, thin processor for use in a very thin notebook.

“That was the first time they actually worked together on a custom project,” says Tim Bajarin, president of the Creative Strategies consulting firm. “Before that, everything was pretty much off the shelf. As a result, the relationship grew even further.”

Initially Intel said they couldn’t help but remembered that they had shelved a project a few years before.

Years earlier, researchers had dreamed up a similar chip in a tiny package, but the idea had been put on the back burner after PC makers gave it a ho-hum reception. The concept just had to be dusted off. “We had that small chip package pretty much sitting on the shelf,” Rattner recalls. Within a year, Intel had updated it to meet Apple’s needs and delivered it in volume.

Apple used the processor in the MacBook Air announced at Macworld 2008, Intel’s chief technology officer Justin Rattner says that Intel is working with Apple on more projects that are “equally aggressive”.

According to the Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) Apple plans to use back light unit maker (BLU) Kenmos Technology to help complete a promise Apple made last year to transition all notebooks to LED-lit displays.

Since Steve Jobs’ open letter declaring Apple’s aim to become “greener” the company made LED-lit display standard on the 15-inch MacBook Pro, and an option on the 17-inch MacBook Pro, but in a storming move for the industry introduced the MacBook Air with the brighter and more power efficient LED backlit technology.

The MacBook Air was long rumoured prior to its release to be an “ultra-portable”, but when Jobs finally showed off the Air at Macworld it became clear that Apple avoided the niche market of ultra-portables and instead headed for the ultra-thin notebook market. The Air lacks the power of the MacBook, has no optical drive and doesn’t contain a removable battery but instead is incredibly thin, features long battery life and has a full-size keyboard.

Read more…

Size comparison shots against the MacBook Pro and iPhone are also included in the gallery.

The MacBook Air review will follow in the near future.

No details provided

Pro Applications Update 2008-01 – 63.7MB

This update improves reliability for Apple’s professional applications and is recommended for all users of Final Cut Studio, Final Cut Server, Logic Studio, and Shake.

Detailed release notes available here.

This update fixes several issues to improve the stability of MacBook Air computers.

MacBook EFI Firmware Update 1.2 – 1.8MB

This update fixes several issues to improve the stability of MacBook computers.

After the firmware is successfully applied to your Mac, your Boot ROM Version will be:

MB31.008E.B02

MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update 1.5 – 3.1MB

This update fixes several issues to improve the stability of MacBook Pro computers.

After the firmware is successfully applied to your Mac, your Boot ROM Version will be:

MBP21.00A5.B08 or MBP31.0070.B07

iMac EFI Firmware Update 1.3 – 1.6MB

This update fixes several issues to improve the stability of iMac computers.

After the firmware is successfully applied to your Mac, your Boot ROM Version will be:

IM71.007A.B03

Firmware Restoration CD 1.6 – 30MB

The Firmware Restoration CD can restore the firmware of an Intel-based Macintosh computer.

The SMC Update fine tunes the speed and operation of the internal fan.

iPod shuffle Firmware 1.0.4

The iPod shuffle firmware 1.0.4 delivers enhanced support for the new 2GB shuffle as well as fixing unspecified bugs.

The new drives are expected to be 2.5-inch drives as well as 1.8-inch, the latter being compatible with the MacBook Air.

Intel’s NAND chief Troy Winslow also told News.com that the new Intel drives will boast transfer rates far superior to any existing offers.

With new competition, drive speeds will jump. Currently, the fastest SSDs from companies like Samsung approach 100MB/second for reading data. “What I can tell you is ours is much better than that,” Winslow said. Hard drives typically read data at about half this speed

The chief also added that the entire product line will include SATAII interfaces, delivering up to 3Gbps.

Finally the price of SSDs is expected to drop considerably over the next few years. It costs upwards of $1000 to use an SSD in a notebook these days but by 2010 this price could be reduced to just $200.

“Price declines are historically 40 percent per year,” said Winslow. “And in 2009, a 50 percent reduction, then again in 2010.

Finally Winslow highlighted the increasing role SSDs are playing in the server market due to the ability to accelerate performance more than sixfold when compared to even the highest performing traditional hard drives.

Winslow said that Intel recently did a video-on-demand demonstration where it streamed 4,000 videos simultaneously. Just to do the streaming (not to store the video), it took 62 15,000 RPM (very high-performance) hard drives, he said. “We were able to replace those 62 hard drives with 10 SATA (SSD) technology drives,” he said.

When the MacBook Air was released in January this year it was widely considered to be a very niche product and likely to head down the same road as the Cube. But Ars’ investigations show that initial sales of the Air are very promising.

The site first quotes that the online Apple store in some markets is predicting 5-7 business days for MacBook Air deliveries; Amazon is also reporting to be shipping orders on or after March 16th.

One Best Buy source told the site that stock has been pretty thin.

Moving onto brick and mortar stores, the site found out that Apple stores around Boston garnered a motto over the weekend: “no Air for you.”

Apple Stores in Cambridgeside, North Shore, Burlington and Natick were completely out of stock with employees from some stores stating that demand has been “extremely high” with some customers paying extra for the SSD model which remains in stock at most locations.

Reports from flagship stores in San Francisco, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles state that the Air is out of stock but is coming in on a daily basis.

Even at the flagship store on Regents Street, London stock is said to be selling out the moment it is in.

Apple is currently offering a MacBook Air stock checker for Apple Stores across America for those not willing to take a chance of just turning up at their local store.

Mtron’s new SSD with Single Level Cell (SLC) Flash memory supports PATA (ZIF-type) interface and has a maximum reading speed of 120MB/s and writing speed of 100MB/s, which is more than 6 times faster than the current 1.8 inch HDD. Therefore when it’s used in laptop PC and UMPC, it delivers much faster performance than desktop. Mtron also released 1.8 Inch SSD with Multi Level Cell (MLC) Flash memory, which provides maximum memory capacity of up to 128 GB along with a maximum reading speed of 110 MB/s and writing speed of 40MB/s.

It is unknown at this time whether Apple will add this drive to the MacBook Air build-to-order system but the drive will certainly be capable of adding to a MacBook Air.

Pricing for the drive is not currently available.

Michigan Avenue Apple Store, Chicago sets up the MacBook Air displays

All Apple Stores across the U.S. are expected to have MacBook Air units on display starting today (Friday 1st) but many do not have stock to begin selling.

Mac Rumors posts photos of some Apple Stores setting up displays and MacBook Air units .

Finally, iFixit has posted a very detailed disassembly of the MacBook Air, during the process iFixit noted the following:

• Hard drive swap is possible
• iFixit expects 3rd party batteries will be available soon

UneasySilence.com offers a nice selection of unboxing photos of the MacBook Air.

Ars Technica has also received a MacBook Air, and compliments Apple on the slim packaging.

Over at Mac Rumors discussions are picking up as some Apple Store begin to put MacBook Air units on sale, one user has managed to get some hands on experience with a SSD model; something even the media have been unable to so far.

The support reveals the methods users will need to use when troubleshooting their brand new MacBook Airs.

Due to the battery being sealed in Apple has had to come up with a solution to reset the SMC; simply by holding the power button.

The support site all reinforces disappointments about the capabilities of the Remote Disc function, the feature cannot be used to play DVDs or CDs; a support document confirms that a USB CD or DVD drive is absolutely essential for Boot Camp: though the Air can boot or install Mac OS X over a network, neither Windows XP nor Vista can recognize anything but a USB drive.

Apple also cautions those wishing to install Mac OS X over a wireless connection that the process won’t work with WEP encryption. Owners must either use WPA or switch off security altogether to install the software.

Other discoveries made in support articles are:

• Some audio devices may not fit the headphone jack due to the small space of the swivel out hatch.
• Using the ethernet adapter is recommended when using the Migration Assistant.
• In hot conditions the MacBook Air throttles or stops one CPU core to reduce heat, possibly causing 3D performance issues.
• Apple has published a user guide (PDF) noting that the systems mono speaker is under the keyboard and the display should not be opened past 125-degrees.

In the press release Apple also wrote that the Apple TV update which was announced two weeks ago at Macworld has been delayed another two weeks.

Apple also announced that the new Apple TV® software update, which allows users to rent high definition movies directly from their widescreen TVs, is not quite finished. Apple now plans to make the free software download available to existing Apple TV customers in another week or two.

The units are the standard 80GB, 1.6GHz model, Gizmodo, Engadget and Macworld have so far received theirs.

The innards of a MacBook Air

Some early notes from across those sites:

• Gizmodo offers many size comparison images of the MacBook Air
• Remote Disk limitations; can’t play DVD media, can’t burn a CD, can’t listen to a music CD
• Engadget offers benchmarks against MacBook, MacBook Pro, and iMac.
• Gizmodo offers further “real world” benchmarks
• Common USB 3G modem fails to fit in MacBook Air

Gizmodo is the first site to open up the MacBook Air, offering a video and a selection of images.

Wall Street Journal (Walt Mossberg):

• beautiful, amazingly thin computer, but one whose unusual trade-offs may turn off some frequent travelers.
• It’s impossible to convey in words just how pleasing and surprising this computer feels in the hand. It’s so svelte when closed that it’s a real shock to discover the big screen and keyboard inside.
• while the MacBook Air will be a perfect choice for some travelers, I can’t recommend it for all.
• In my standard battery test, where I disable all power-saving features, set the screen brightness at maximum, turn on the Wi-Fi and play an endless loop of music, the MacBook Air’s battery lasted 3 hours, 24 minutes. That means you could likely get 4.5 hours in a normal work pattern, almost the five hours Apple claims.
• But the MacBook Air has another downside: its screen height. Because of the larger screen, the lid stands higher when opened than on most other subnotebooks. So it isn’t as usable as some competitors when the seat in front of you in coach on a plane is reclined.
• If you value thinness, and a large screen and keyboard in a subnotebook, and don’t watch DVDs on planes or require spare batteries, the MacBook Air might be just the ticket.

Newsweek (Steven Levy):

• The Air is a lithe sheath of aluminum so slim that it can slide under my office door.
• Did I mention that it’s really skinny? When I slip it in the sleeve of my backpack where my six-pound MacBook Pro usually travels, the pocket still looks empty.
• The Air shines most, of course, when it’s out in the open–on an airplane seatback tray, on a conference table, beside your latte in a Starbucks and on your lap when you’re sprawled on the sofa.
• Bonus: the Air doesn’t run as hot as Apple’s other laptops–it’s actually possible to work for an hour with the device on your lap without the feeling that your fertility is at stake.
• These omissions are troubling–especially to someone in a down-turning economy deciding whether to spend a premium sum for a computer with subpremium storage. Still, simply using the MacBook Air, as I’m doing right now in writing this review, is rather copasetic.
• The things that Apple left on were the ingredients for a quality computer. And did I mention how thin it is?

USA Today (Ed Baig):

• The skinny — the word can’t be emphasized enough —
• But with too few ports, a sealed battery that you can’t replace on your own and no built-in CD/DVD drive, Air is not the ideal laptop for everyone.
• And while battery power is impressive, it pooped out in my tests well short of the best-case, five-hour scenario Apple has been touting.
• As with all new Macs, Air has the latest virus-resistant OS X Leopard operating system. (It puts Windows Vista to shame.)
• Air does not come with the built-in ability to connect to a speedy wireless data network run by various cellular carriers. Jobs told me last week that Apple considered it but that adding the capability would take up room and restrict consumers to a particular carrier.
• Air’s battery life is decent. I got about three hours and 40 minutes as I surfed the Web, used Remote Disc and wrote. The battery died an hour sooner when I watched The Cooler, but I made it through the movie. On a long flight, it would be nice to carry a spare, but unfortunately you can’t replace a battery yourself.

The first unboxing photos of the MacBook Air have appeared on a photo sharing website, the images appear to have been take at some Macworld 2008 related event in Japan.

The models they have on display seem to have arrived in the retail packaging.

The selection of images also show the Mini-DVI connector, comparison to slim Sony VAIO and some Time Capsule photos.

During Apple’s demonstration of the MacBook Air at Macworld 2008 they dubbed a new feature called “Remote Disc”, this allows for discs to be accessed in another optical drive over the network from the MacBook Air. Included with this functionality is the ability for the MacBook Air to wirelessly boot off of a Remote Disc shared drive.

MacRumors adds that Mac OS X 10.5.2 is likely to add wireless booting to all Macs according to their sources.

Using a size-0 philips screwdriver the process of replacing the battery is described as follows:

Once flipped upside down, the MacBook Air’s bottom cover is easily unscrewed and removed, providing immediate access to the battery cavity. From there, the battery can be unscrewed from the chassis with the same screwdriver and unplugged from the circuit board with a simple tug — it’s not soldered to the board.

Apple is charging $129 for battery replacements and the entire process should take 5 working days.

But this latest development is likely to aspire many companies to begin selling batteries separately.

Well finally the latter two questions appear to have been answered, DigiTimes notes that Quanta is manufacturing the MacBook Air units.

Apple, which has just introduced its new MacBook Air, will outsource corresponding assembly orders to Quanta, according to industry sources. Total sales contribution from Apple is expected to surpass 20% this year on an estimated volume of 6-8 million units. Quanta is expected to be the key notebook OEM for Apple in 2008 as the spin-off at Asustek Computer has prompted Apple to shift its orders to Quanta.

AnandTech has given the processor used in the MacBook Air an in-depth study, at first they emailed Intel and Apple PR but as usual received the usual PR response.

With further investigation, the MacBook Air’s processor is actually based on Intel’s 65 nanometer (65nm) Merom architecture with an 800MHz bus, first released in May of last year

“The MacBook Air uses the Intel Core 2 Duo Processor and Intel 965GMS chipset with integrated [graphics] using a new miniaturized package technology. This new CPU and chipset allows for approximately 60% reduction in total footprint,” Intel explained to the the tech site.