From Macworld: The Macbook Air

Steve Jobs introduces a new laptop at the Macworld 2008 keynote speech at the Moscone Center West in San Francisco. Portfolio.com's Sam Gustin is on hand (all times local). The earlier posts, on movie rentals and Leopard and iPhone can be found here and here:

10:07 "There's something in the air. What is it?"

10:08 Jobs announces the latest Apple laptop. "As you know, Apple makes the best laptops on the planet."

10:08 This it it: The Macbook Air "It's the world's thinnest notebook."

10:11 Jobs busts out an envelope. "It's so thin it fits inside a manila envelope"

Until now, the thinnest notebooks were 3 lbs, .8-1.2 inches thick, 11-12 inch display and 1.2 GHz Core Duo

The Air Specs: .76 inches at the hinges, tapers down to .16 inches
13.3 inch widescreen display

10:13 Includes a camera built into the screen, full-size backlit keyboard, a trackpad with multi touch gesture support, pan and rotate photos using multitouch, toggle though photos by sliding across trackpad, zoom by pinching in and out (a la the iPhone)

10:15 "Multi-touch gestures. pretty amazing."

10: 15 "How did we fit a Mac in here?"
1.8 inch hard drives, 80 gig HD, option for 64 gig solid state hard drive, electronics are "really tiny"

10:16 Intel Core 2 Duo: "this is a really speedy processor"
1.6 gigahertz standard, option to go to 1.8

10:17 Jobs introduces Intel CEO Paul Otellini, who calls the air "impossibly thin."
"When we started we didn't think it was possible." The chip is the width of a dime, thick as a nickel.

10:19 : Jobs: "This is awesome technology. Thank you Paul. Thank you Intel."

10:20 Continues wit specs: smaller 45 watt power adapter, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, no optical drive.

10:21 "We don't think users will miss the optical drive." Because, Jobs reminds us, we can rent movies wirelessly, install software wirelessly. He's basically trying to make the optical drive obsolete. "We don't think users are going to miss" discs

10:24 PRICE: $1799!

Huge Applause. Ships in two weeks, preorders starting today.

10:25 Showing the ad. Touting its environment credentials: recyclable aluminum case, mercury free display with aresenic free glass, 56 percent less packaging than the previous smallest package

10:29 Wrapping up. Introduces a "Special treat"

10:30 Introduces Randy Newman, here to perform a few songs.

10:31 Newman and piano emerge on a moving stage. "It's an honor to be here."

10:35 Newman sings a song he wrote called "In Defense of This Country." He says he likes to watch CNBC while writing songs--he likes the numbers because it reminds him of when his uncle, who was a compulsive gambler, used to take him to the track. "It's the same shit really." Huge laughs. "I'll always root against corporations cuz that's how I am, but not this one."

10:38 Sings song from "Toy Story" written for Pixar

10:41 That's it.