“Steve Jobs, the departed Apple cofounder and CEO, introduced another industry game-changer 10 years ago,” Erik Pineda reports for Tech Times. “He called it the MacBook Air, “‘the world’s thinnest notebook.'”
“When it was first unveiled, the MacBook Air was pulled out from a brown envelope, Jobs’ deliberate ploy to highlight how slim and lightweight the laptop was,” Pineda reports. “Unsurprisingly, the crowd erupted in applause as a reward to Job’s showmanship. 
“Again, Jobs instigated a disruption in the same way when the first iPhone was revealed three years earlier,” Pineda reports. “If the iPhone managed to convince the world that it was the new definition of smartphone, the MacBook Air took the same path. Eventually, and despite its asking price that starts at $1,800 and up to more than $3,000, the MacBook Air reinvented the notebook.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: The 11-inch MacBook Air is still one of our most favorite Macs ever made!
SEE ALSO:
CNET reviews Apple MacBook Air (2017): An old friend shows its age, but… – August 17, 2017
Apple updates iMac, MacBook Air, MacBook, and MacBook Pro – June 5, 2017
Analyst: MacBook Air 2017 could be the last in series as Apple plans to kill off ‘Air’ line– July 15, 2016
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AirMail manilla folder notebook sleeve for Apple MacBook Air now available for pre-order – January 18, 2008
PC Magazine reviews Apple’s MacBook Air: ‘Will captivate millions’ – January 16, 2008
Apple’s new MacBook Air tempts Windows user to make the switch – January 16, 2008
Mossberg’s early impression of Apple’s new MacBook Air: ‘Very attractive product’ – January 16, 2008
Apple posts Steve Jobs’ Macworld Expo 2008 keynote address QuickTime video – January 15, 2008
Apple’s new MacBook Air TV commercial and guided tour (with video) – January 15, 2008
Jupiter Research analyst: Apple’s MacBook Air a new star, Apple TV no longer a hobby – January 15, 2008
Apple CEO Steve Jobs talks stock price, iPhone in China, MacBook Air, iPhone sales – January 15, 2008
Apple introduces MacBook Air; world’s thinnest notebook features multi-touch gesture support – January 15, 2008
Manilla? Brown? Screw up much?
???
The typical inter-office envelope (which Steve used ten years ago to bring MBA on stage) is often called manilla envelope. Technically, though, it isn’t a standard manilla envelope, as it is somewhat brown in colour. Calling it both doesn’t really materially confuse the story about 10th anniversary of the Macbook Air.
“Manila” used to be the correct spelling, but our modern “everybody wins” education system has determined that enforcing correct spelling, grammar and punctuation is unfair to those who are too lazy, too busy, and trying to live their lives communicating in 140-character text messages.
Manila – its a city in the Philippines, the capital city, of a country America has repeatedly invaded, and from which a large number of its low-paid domestic workers are sourced.
Brown? Completely redundant as manila “paper” is always a light-brown or buff colour due to the material it was originally made from – manila “hemp”. Similar to Kraft paper, but stronger and with a smoother finish, it is still used for envelopes and file folders.
Apparently, the “manilla” mis-spelling is so common, some dictionaries now list it as an “alternate” spelling.
After all, we wouldn’t want to dampen little Johnny’s (or yes, little Donny’s) creativity with our Nazi spelling, grammar and puntuation police!
Mr Pedantic
Dang, I should have known there weren’t two ‘L’s in it…!
I’m fully behind you on the spelling/grammar/punctuation enforcement! Thanks for setting me straight!
I was being slightly sarcastic, and of course, even more pedantic.
English is a very elastic language – stretching to accomodate many outlier words, borrowing from other languages when needed and spelling be damned.
This seems to be yet another instance of a misspelling becoming accepted through repetition.
My friend, Mr Curmudgeon, is entirely opposed to such aberrations. I, on the other hand, will adapt – with protest – but fully realizing that usage will beat history every time.
Mr Pedantic
When MBA came out, vast majority of posters on this site were colossally pissed off at the price/performance ratio. It was almost $2,000, and it was the most anemic of all the Macs on offer, with the smallest standard hard drive.
Practically everyone said “No, thanks, I’d much prefer MacBook (policarbonate white) for half the money and twice the performance (and I get the superdrive for free).
Apparently, even the biggest and most knowledgeable of Apple fans had no clue…
In all fairness, I was also disappointed about its high price, as I definitely wanted it very much (for its impossible thinness and lightness), but could only afford the faster, bigger white MacBook.
I have bought two recently from Best Buy for $750 as gifts, one for the Mother the other to the fiancé.
I believe bang per buck they are now the best deal from Apple.
I thought it was overpriced and never bought one- my current is a MacBook Pro 13″ Retina without the Gizmo Bar. To be honest, I use my MBP the least of all my Apple stuff.
Desktops 1st
iPad Pro 2nd
iPhone 7 3rd
MBP 4th.
Don’t count the iPod Touch that streams Bluetooth iTunes or the ATV as I really watch little TV and tend to use the Roku more.
Martha Stewart loved hers. So I changed my mind.
as people know I always watch Martha for tech news.
(seriously , I still have a running White Macbook — down to 15 minutes per charge for the battery though but it’s still beautiful).
How do you figure that knowledgeable people have no clue?
When the MBA was launched, it was point designed for the executive with lots of money and no need for high performance. Anybody with a brain back then knew to get a better machine at lower cost with the MacBook, and a vastly better machine at a premium price with the MBP.
Since then, Apple mixed up the MB and the Air, and Pro is a meaningless term. Kids cannot buy an affordable entry level MacBook. The MBA is thicker than higher performance PCs with a full compliment of ports and superior battery life. MBPs are similarly outclassed in power, battery life, and cost by far. Apple is 1 to 4 generations behind in components. MacOS might be some preferred to most of us but Apple stagnation is obvious and the bottom line is that there are hundreds of cutting edge PC software options for every stale Mac ported program that is missing features. Apple needs to wake up fast. A stopgap all-in-one desktop is not even close enough to turn the tide.
Back then a thinner Notebook was a BFD, but Apple has gone overboard with the skinny thing.
including its skinny-ness. My iPad, or MBA as “go-to?” No question.
“10 years ago, Steve Jobs pulled the MacBook Air from a manila envelope”
“Today, Pipeline Timmy pulled Beats outta his ass with a $3B check.”
10 yrs ago Steve Jobs pulled something desirable, useful and profitable from an ordinary envelope. 10 yrs later, his suck-sessor puffs out excitedly contrived product announcements that he hopes are desirable, useful and profitable, but they often have a mirage-like reality.
“but…but…he’s gay!”
I was there, 10 rows back from center stage, it was a great reveal. Sadly, those days are long gone. #ImissSteve
I was there, the posters read “something is in the Air”
is marketing that causes anticipation. Steve had a way of creating anticipation. Tim? Thud. The stock price is the thing that occupies the top slot in re: to anticipation. Related to products, now I more wonder “if”, not “it will”. Anticipation exists only in the later.