Mac · The Aluminum Age · 2008
MacBook Air (1st gen)
Steve Jobs slid it out of a manila envelope and the audience lost it. One USB port and a slow drive made it compromised, but its silhouette became the template for every "ultrabook."
MacBook Air (1st gen): key facts
When was the MacBook Air (1st gen) released?
The MacBook Air (1st gen) was released in January 2008. Apple discontinued it in October 2008.
How much did the MacBook Air (1st gen) cost?
The MacBook Air (1st gen) launched at $1,799 in 2008 — about $2,681 in today’s money (approximate, US CPI).
What are the MacBook Air (1st gen)’s specs?
The MacBook Air (1st gen) used a Intel Core 2 Duo running at 1.60 GHz, with 2 GB of memory and 78.1 GB of storage. It ran Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard.
Why does the MacBook Air (1st gen) matter?
The world’s thinnest notebook at launch, with the tapered wedge that defined laptops for a decade.
Full specifications
| CPU | Intel Core 2 Duo · 1.60 GHz |
|---|---|
| Cores | 2 |
| Memory (RAM) | 2 GB |
| Storage | 78.1 GB |
| Display | 13.3" LED LCD, 1280×800 |
| GPU | Intel GMA X3100 |
| Ports | Single USB, micro-DVI |
| Weight | 1.36 kg |
| Dimensions | Tapered 0.4–1.9 cm wedge |
| Operating system | Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard |
| Released | January 2008 |
| Discontinued | October 2008 |
| Launch price | $1,799 |
How the MacBook Air (1st gen) compares to today
A 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro has about 8.0× more memory than this device shipped with.
At 1.60 GHz, the clock is roughly 2.0× slower than a single performance core of a 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro — and that is before counting cores, width and IPC.
This held about 20,000 modern phone photos — a respectable library even today.
Launched at $1,799 in 2008 — about $2,681 in today’s money (approx., US CPI).
Cross-architecture speed figures are clock-only and approximate; inflation figures use US CPI.
Did you know?
The envelope reveal is one of the most replayed moments in keynote history.
Related Mac models
Open the MacBook Air (1st gen) in the interactive archive →
Last updated: 2026-06-25