<<<... For the MacBook Air, it appears Apple started with a full sized keyboard and selected a matching display. The inch of margin around the keyboard makes the Air the same width as the MacBook, and similarly gives it room for the same sized display. However, the Air uses that margin to quickly taper down into a whisper thin edge, giving the Air a much slimmer profile. Physics simply limits the degree to which the Air could be reduced in size using the same design proportions. Were it to attempt to cram the same full sized keyboard into a smaller outline, it would have to use a smaller 11" display but would also quickly lose internal volume unless it reduced the thin taper on the edges. Less internal room would mean it would either need to have a much smaller battery and compromise its logic board and disk allocation further, or revert to the boxier shape of conventional laptops. That's exactly what the 12" PowerBook did; it used a slightly smaller keyboard and display, but ended up considerably thicker than the 15" and 17" models it was sold next to. In terms of mobility, Apple balanced a full sized keyboard and display and an exceptionally thin case to deliver the Air as a light, slim alternative to other MacBooks rather than simply a scaled down mini version. The Air isn't supposed to be a curiosity of miniaturization, but a full sized, practical laptop that is easier to carry around and sexier to show off.

Roadworthy Mobility Factors
The latest MacBook weighs five pounds, and the new 15" MacBook Pro is 5.4 pounds. The Air is just 3 pounds. It's not only much lighter than its siblings, but its tapering frame makes it feel even lighter and more compact than it is. Closed, the unit looks and feels tiny, but once opened it feels luxuriously large. Its tapering aluminum edges also give the unit a rugged, solid feel. Gripping the unit on both sides of the keyboard, there is simply no flex at all. It feels like a solid cast chunk of aluminum, without the expected weight. The lid is so thin that it can be flexed, but feels far more durable and substantial than the thicker display of the MacBook Pro. The Air's new hinge design also feels solid and smooth, with no play or bounce. When shut, the unit feels like an armored tank, with no fragile exposed ports, switches, or latches. The flip down port cover that hides the USB, video, and headphone jacks also feels durable and solid. The tapered edges that make it feel so thin also contribute toward this rigidly substantial feel. Of course, you're not going to want to use the Air as a frisbee or stand on it, but as a mobile laptop it appears to have the durability to well withstand the common hazards of traveling. The slimmer power adapter with an angled MagSafe connector is also a mobility feature, particularly when compared to the huge, heavy and clumsy brick required by the MacBook Pro. The right angled MagSafe cable should also relieve the cable stress that wears at the junction of the wire and the power connector of Apple's existing MagSafe plugs. more>>>