The first generation MacBook Air was a 13.3' model, initially promoted as the world's thinnest notebook at 1.9 cm (a previous record holder, 2005's Toshiba Portege R200, was 1.98 cm high). Steve Jobs introduced the MacBook Air during Apple’s keynote address at the 2008 Macworld conference on January 15, 2008. Apple announced a new design of the MacBook Air with an M2 processor in June 2022. In November 2020, Apple released the first MacBook Air with Apple silicon based on the Apple M1 processor. An updated model was released in February 2020 with the Magic Keyboard and an option for an Intel Core i7 processor. The third generation was released in October 2018, with reduced dimensions, a Retina display, and combination USB-C/ Thunderbolt 3 ports for data and power. Later revisions added Intel Core i5 or i7 processors and Thunderbolt. Apple released a second-generation MacBook Air in October 2010, with a redesigned tapered chassis, standard solid-state storage, and added a smaller 11.6-inch version. The Intel-based MacBook Air was introduced in January 2008 with a 13.3-inch screen, and was promoted as the world's thinnest notebook, opening a laptop category known as the ultrabook family. In the current product line, the MacBook Air is situated below the performance range MacBook Pro. Since then, the original MacBook's discontinuation in 2011, and lowered prices on subsequent iterations, have made the Air Apple's entry-level notebook.

The Air was originally positioned above the previous MacBook line as a premium ultraportable. It consists of a full-size keyboard, a machined aluminum case, and, in the more modern versions, a thin light structure. The MacBook Air is a line of notebook computers developed and manufactured by Apple Inc.

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