Apple MacBook Air (Original) vs Apple MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2008)

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MacBook Air (Original) compared with MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2008)

	AppleMacBook Air (Original)	AppleMacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2008)
Overview
Released
Released	January 2008	February 2008
Display
Screen size
Screen size	13.3″	15.4″
Resolution
Resolution	1280 × 800	1440 × 900 (better)
Panel
Panel	TN LCD	–
Touchscreen
Touchscreen	No	No
Display type
Display type	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 TN panel identified in Notebookcheck’s exact-model review; refresh rate and brightness unpublished by Apple.	LED-backlit widescreen TFT display, matte with optional glossy finish with millions of colours. Exact panel technology and refresh rate unpublished in the maker sources read.
Performance
Processor
Processor	Intel Core 2 Duo 1.6 GHz (MacBook Air, Original, 2008) or Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8 GHz (MacBook Air, Original, 2008)	Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz (MacBook Pro Early 2008), Intel Core 2 Duo 2.5 GHz (MacBook Pro Early 2008) or Intel Core 2 Duo 2.6 GHz (MacBook Pro Early 2008)
CPU cores
CPU cores	2	2
Graphics
Graphics	Intel GMA X3100	NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT (256 MB GDDR3) or NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT (512 MB GDDR3)
Memory
Memory	2 GB	2 GB or 4 GB (better)
Storage
Storage	64 GB to 80 GB	200 GB to 300 GB (better)
CPU
CPU	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.	Dual-core Intel Core 2 Duo at 2.4 GHz with 3 MB shared L2 cache, or 2.5 GHz with 6 MB; 2.6 GHz with 6 MB is configurable from the 2.5 GHz base, as confirmed by Macworld. All use an 800 MHz frontside bus. Maker-described clock records avoid unverified Intel SKU assumptions.
GPU
GPU	Intel GMA X3100 with 144 MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared with main memory	NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT (256 MB GDDR3); NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT (512 MB GDDR3). GPU memory varies with processor configuration.
Memory type
Memory type	2 GB of 667 MHz DDR2 onboard memory, not upgradeable	667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM in two SO-DIMM slots; 2 GB standard, configurable to 4 GB.
Storage type
Storage type	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.	200 GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA drive at 2.4 GHz or 250 GB 5400-rpm at 2.5 GHz. Maker build-to-order options are 200 GB at 7200 rpm, 250 GB at 5400 rpm or 300 GB at 4200 rpm; 200 GB rows on higher CPUs represent the optional faster drive. 8× SuperDrive with double-layer DVD writing.
Battery and size
Battery capacity
Battery capacity	37 Wh	–
Weight
Weight	1.36 kg	–
Thickness
Thickness	19.4 mm (better)	26 mm
Width × depth
Width × depth	325 × 227 mm	357 × 243 mm
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Built-in 37 Wh lithium-polymer battery. Reference weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process; no runtime figure on the current maker technical sheet.	Removable lithium-polymer battery; capacity and battery-life hours omitted because the surviving maker sources read do not publish them. Macworld lists 5.4 lb; metric weight omitted. Dimensions 357 × 243 × 26 mm are published by Notebookcheck’s exact-model review.
Charger
Charger	45 W MagSafe Power Adapter with cable management	85 W MagSafe Power Adapter
Materials
Materials	Aluminium enclosure; tapered thickness from 4 to 19.4 mm	Aluminium enclosure
Colours
Colours	Silver	Silver
Connections
Ports
Ports	USB-A, MagSafe, headphone jack	2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack, MagSafe
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	802.11n draft; compatible with 802.11a/b/g	AirPort Extreme 802.11n; compatible with 802.11a/b/g
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	2.1 + EDR	2.1 + EDR
Webcam
Webcam	Built-in iSight camera	Built-in iSight camera
Operating system
Operating system	macOS	macOS
Port detail
Port detail	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.	2 USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400 and FireWire 800, Gigabit Ethernet, MagSafe, dual-link DVI, ExpressCard/34, separate combined optical digital audio input/line input and combined optical digital audio output/headphone output, and Kensington lock slot. VGA adapter included; composite/S-video adapter optional.
External displays
External displays	Built-in screen plus one external display up to 1920 × 1200, both with millions of colours; dual display and video mirroring	One external display up to 2560 × 1600 alongside the built-in screen through dual-link DVI; included VGA adapter, optional composite/S-video adapter.
Keyboard
Keyboard	Full-size backlit keyboard with ambient light sensor	Full-size backlit keyboard with ambient light sensors, 78 US or 79 ISO keys, 12 function keys and four arrow keys
Trackpad
Trackpad	Multi-Touch trackpad with scroll, pinch, rotate, swipe, tap, double-tap and drag gestures	Multi-Touch trackpad with separate button; scrolling, pinch, rotate and three-finger swipe.
Speakers
Speakers	Mono speaker	Built-in stereo speakers
Microphones
Microphones	Omnidirectional microphone	Built-in omnidirectional microphone under the left speaker grille
In the box
In the box	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	MacBook Pro, removable battery, 85 W MagSafe Power Adapter with AC wall plug and power cord, install/restore DVDs and documentation. Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard and iLife ’08. Apple Remote sold separately. The former SP4 specification URL is no longer available; surviving maker launch notice and exact user guide provide core specifications.