Apple MacBook (13-inch, Late 2006) vs Apple MacBook Air (Original)

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

MacBook (13-inch, Late 2006) compared with MacBook Air (Original)
AppleMacBook (13-inch, Late 2006)AppleMacBook Air (Original)
Overview
ReleasedNovember 2006January 2008
Display
Screen size13.3″13.3″
Resolution1280 × 8001280 × 800
Panel–TN LCD
Brightness250 nits–
TouchscreenNoNo
Display typeGlossy TFT widescreen display with millions of colours; exact panel technology and refresh rate unpublished by Apple.Glossy LED-backlit widescreen TFT LCD, millions of colours. TN panel identified in Notebookcheck’s exact-model review; refresh rate and brightness unpublished by Apple.
Performance
ProcessorIntel Core 2 Duo 1.83 GHz (MacBook Late 2006) or Intel Core 2 Duo T7200Intel Core 2 Duo 1.6 GHz (MacBook Air, Original, 2008) or Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8 GHz (MacBook Air, Original, 2008)
CPU cores22
GraphicsIntel GMA 950 (64 MB shared DDR2)Intel GMA X3100
Memory512 MB, 1 GB or 2 GB2 GB
Storage60 GB to 200 GB (better)64 GB to 80 GB
CPU1.83 GHz or 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo; 2 MB L2 cache for 1.83 GHz and 4 MB for 2.0 GHz, with a 667 MHz front-side bus. Notebookcheck identifies the 2.0 GHz processor as T7200; the lower-clocked processor is kept as a maker-described record without an unverified Intel SKU.Custom dual-core Intel Core 2 Duo at 1.6 GHz or optional 1.8 GHz, 4 MB shared L2 cache and 800 MHz frontside bus. Chip records retain the maker’s clock and model description because exact Intel part numbers are not maker-confirmed.
GPUIntel GMA 950 (64 MB shared DDR2)Intel GMA X3100 with 144 MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared with main memory
Memory typeTwo SO-DIMM slots for 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300); 512 MB standard at 1.83 GHz, 1 GB at 2.0 GHz, and up to 2 GB maker-supported.2 GB of 667 MHz DDR2 onboard memory, not upgradeable
Storage typeWhite 1.83 GHz starts at 60 GB with a DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo drive; white 2.0 GHz starts at 80 GB and black 2.0 GHz at 120 GB, with a 6x DVD-writing SuperDrive. Build-to-order hard drives are 80 GB, 120 GB or 160 GB at 5400 rpm, or 200 GB at 4200 rpm.80 GB 4200-rpm Parallel ATA hard drive or optional 64 GB solid-state drive, available with either processor. No built-in optical drive; optional external USB MacBook Air SuperDrive.
Battery and size
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 6 hours–
Battery capacity55 Wh (better)37 Wh
Weight2.36 kg1.36 kg (better)
Thickness27.5 mm19.4 mm (better)
Width × depth325 × 227 mm325 × 227 mm
Battery life detailRemovable 55 Wh lithium-polymer battery. Maker reference weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process. Up to 6 hours under Apple’s test conditions.Built-in 37 Wh lithium-polymer battery. Reference weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process; no runtime figure on the current maker technical sheet.
Charger60 W MagSafe Power Adapter45 W MagSafe Power Adapter with cable management
MaterialsPolycarbonate enclosureAluminium enclosure; tapered thickness from 4 to 19.4 mm
ColoursWhite and black; base storage and optical drive vary by colour as described above. The configurations table combines colour variants with matching processor, memory and storage.Silver
Connections
Ports2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack, MagSafeUSB-A, MagSafe, headphone jack
Wi-FiAirPort Extreme 802.11g; draft 802.11n requires the optional software enabler802.11n draft; compatible with 802.11a/b/g
Bluetooth2.0 + EDR2.1 + EDR
WebcamiSight cameraBuilt-in iSight camera
Operating systemmacOSmacOS
Port detailTwo USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 400 port, Gigabit Ethernet, MagSafe, Mini-DVI, separate combined optical digital audio input/line input and combined optical digital audio output/headphone output. Display adapters sold separately.One USB 2.0 port up to 480 Mb/s, Micro-DVI video output, headphone jack and MagSafe. Micro-DVI to DVI and VGA adapters supplied; Ethernet requires an optional USB adapter.
External displaysOne external display up to 1920 × 1200 alongside the built-in screen; Mini-DVI adapters support DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video.Built-in screen plus one external display up to 1920 × 1200, both with millions of colours; dual display and video mirroring
KeyboardFull-size keyboard with 78 US or 79 ISO keys, 12 function keys, four arrow keys and an embedded numeric keypadFull-size backlit keyboard with ambient light sensor
TrackpadScrolling trackpad with a separate button; supports two-finger scrolling, tap, double-tap and drag.Multi-Touch trackpad with scroll, pinch, rotate, swipe, tap, double-tap and drag gestures
SpeakersBuilt-in stereo speakersMono speaker
MicrophonesBuilt-in omnidirectional microphoneOmnidirectional microphone
In the boxMacBook, removable battery, 60 W MagSafe Power Adapter with AC wall plug and power cord, install/restore DVDs and documentation. Mac OS X 10.4.8 Tiger and iLife ’06.MacBook Air, MagSafe power adapter, Micro-DVI to DVI and VGA adapters, cleaning cloth, install/restore DVDs and printed documentation; Mac OS X Leopard and iLife ’08

More comparisons