Apple turns green with thin ‘Air’

JANUARY 16, 2008—At MacWorld, Steve Jobs unveiled MacBook Air, an ultra-thin, uber-green laptop computer.

Measuring just 0.76 of an inch and weighing in at 3 pounds, MacBook Air is the world’s trimmest laptop computer. It’s also the world’s greenest, featuring a recyclable all-aluminium case, mercury-free display, arsenic-free glass and bromide and PVC-free circuitboards.

Care2′s Green Living expert Annie B. Bond applauds Apple’s eco-innovations. “I am glad that Apple is tackling reducing heavy metals in the electronics industry,” she said. “The fact that their MacBook Air has a mercury-free display and arsenic-free glass is a great step forward.”

What this computer isn’t thin on is battery life. This skinny mini boasts five hours of battery life, fully three times more than its bulkier counterparts, because the new display is more energy efficient. In fact, the whole computer is more energy efficient earning Energy Star 4.0 standards and a Silver EPEAT rating.

Intel produced tiny chips for this computer, which contributes to its energy efficiency. It’s engineered for a wireless world with a RemoteDisc feature that allows the MacBook Air to use any external disc drive to upload software.

The price tag is also green, lots of green. It’s $1,799 compared to the $1,099 sticker price for the standard MacBook.