Just upgraded to a 2013 model, so the 2010 version I was using is now making my girlfriend smile :D
Was planning on sticking this straight on eBay, but thought I'd see if anyone was interested here first (although won't be providing free technical support for any Windows converts, and it's sold as described so if it dies next week, tough!)
This one sold on eBay for £245 (which surprised me) and it only has a 32GB SSD so happy to let it go for £220 + delivery. I can also provide a copy of Snow Leopard on a memory stick, as you'd really want to upgrade to this (iTunes doesn't work on Leopard anymore!). Can e-mail photos once I've taken some, so drop me a PM if interested...
Original 2008 Apple MacBook Air (MBA) Laptop - Intel Core 2 Duo 1.6GHz – 2GB RAM – 128GB SSD
This is an auction for an Original 2008 Apple MacBook Air (MBA) laptop. Yes, it’s almost 6 years old but it’s still going strong and thanks to the Solid State Drive (SSD) is still more than capable of dealing with internet, e-mail, and general office tasks.
I’m a self-employed consultant, and tend to replace my laptop on a 3-year cycle. I used the machine as a business tool between 2008 and 2010 so spent almost 3 years travelling on a daily basis from client to client. One of the common problems with the original MBA was the hinge between the keyboard and the monitor, which tended to work loose and eventually broke which this one did just before the end of the extended Applecare warranty in March 2010. Apple replaced the whole screen and hinge (receipt included), so it was as good as new. I replaced it in October 2010 with another MBA and the old one became my girlfriend’s laptop, so still used fairly regularly but hardly ever outside the house. After another 3 years use, the screen is a little wobbly again when you move it around, but it will stay in whatever position you put it in and the hinge looks solid. After the Applecare expired, I replaced the 80GB Hard Disk Drive it was originally supplied with a Runcore 128GB Solid State Drive (SSD). The performance improvement with the SSD is incredible, and the machine was probably faster than it was when new. Once you’ve used a machine with a Solid State Drive you won’t go back!!!
Another 3 years on and I’ve just treated myself to another MBA so my girlfriend’s also had an upgrade to the 2010 machine, meaning the original 2007 MBA needs a new home. The SSD has been wiped and the original operating system it was supplied with installed (OSX Leopard 10.5). I’ve run the system updates and it is now running OSX 10.5.8. The machine can be updated to OSX Snow Leopard 10.6.8 or OSX Lion 10.7.5 (this is what it was running) but will not run OSX Mountain Lion 10.8.n and I therefore doubt it will run OSX Mavericks 10.9. I would certainly look to update to Snow Leopard, but whether Lion offers anything is for you to decide (I preferred Snow Leopard). OSX Leopard 10.5.8 includes:
• Mail 3.6
• Safari 5.0.6
• iCal 3.0.8
• iTunes (this needs an upgrade to at least Snow Leopard)
• iLife 08 (including iPhoto, iMovie, Garage Band, and iWeb)
• See technical specification below for all other applications and utilities
This is a 6-year-old laptop, and whilst it has been well loved, please don’t bid if you’re expecting a shop-like laptop to arrive in the post. The front edge of the keyboard is well worn (more on the right-hand side than the left) and as mentioned above, the screen is quite wobbly when moving around with the screen open. Otherwise, the case is in pretty good condition with just a few very small marks and light scratches (on the underside) that you’d have to be looking for. The screen is also pretty good, with no noticeable marks when the screen is on and only very small ones if you’re looking with the power off. I’ve tried to show the main marks in the pictures as best as possible. The keyboard is still very good, and is backlit for typing in the dark! The battery hasn’t been changed, so is nowhere near the 5+ hours claimed when it was released, but it’s still generally good for 2-3 hours depending on what your doing. The fans aren’t what they were either, so when doing anything processor intensive the machine does get fairly warm, especially if you’re sat with it on your lap. I’m not trying to put you off, but wanted to be as honest as possible in the advert. I still think you’ll find this as good as many 2-3 year old laptops running Windows, and would be a great low-cost introduction into the world of Mac OSX in what is still a fantastic looking, very slim and light laptop. From off to a useable desktop takes less than 30 seconds, and if you just close the lid to suspend, it’s useable again within a second or two of opening the screen (one of the best features of a Mac). Many companies have tried to copy the MBA, but I still haven’t found anything better.
It will be supplied in the original box (yes, I’ve kept this in the garage) including:
• Power adapter (this was replaced over the last 3 years, but is a genuine Apple one)
• Original manuals (this is basically just the Apple EULA)
• Original OSX Leopard 10.5 Install CDs (2)
• Receipt from monitor replacement in 2010
I can’t find the USB-VGA/DVI adapters, so if you were planning on hooking up to a external monitor you will need to try and find these somewhere.
Will be shipped using a next day signed-for parcel service, and is listed with a starting price of £0.99 so happy bidding….
The specifications below are taken from the Apple website - MacBook Air - Technical Specifications
Size and weight
Height: 0.16-0.76 inch (0.4-1.94 cm)
Width: 12.8 inches (32.5 cm)
Depth: 8.94 inches (22.7 cm)
Weight: 3.0 pounds (1.36 kg)1
Processor and memory
Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 4MB on-chip shared L2 cache running at full processor speed:
▪ Standard 1.6 GHz
▪ Optional 1.8 GHz
▪ 800MHz frontside bus
▪ 2GB of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM onboard
Storage
▪ 80GB 4200-rpm Parallel ATA hard disk drive2 – UPGRADED TO 128GB SSD
▪ Optional 64GB solid-state drive2
▪ Optional external USB MacBook Air SuperDrive
Environmental status report
MacBook Air embodies Apple’s continuing environmental progress. It consumes the least amount of power of any Mac and is also designed with the following features to reduce environmental impact:
▪ Highly recyclable aluminum enclosure
▪ Mercury-free LCD display with arsenic-free glass
▪ PVC-free internal cables
▪ Largely recyclable, low-volume packaging
▪ Meets ENERGY STAR requirements
▪ MacBook Air received a Silver rating from EPEAT
Display
▪ 13.3-inch (diagonal) glossy widescreen TFT LED backlit display with support for millions of colors
Supported resolutions: 1280 by 800 (native), 1152 by 720, 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, 800 by 500, 720 by 480, and 640 by 480 pixels at 16:10 aspect ratio; 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, and 640 by 480 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio; 720 by 480 pixels at 3:2 aspect ratio
Graphics and video support
Pure digital video output:
▪ DVI output using micro-DVI to DVI adapter (NOT included)
▪ VGA output using micro-DVI to VGA adapter (NOT included)
▪ Composite output using micro-DVI to video adapter (optional)
▪ S-video output using micro-DVI to video adapter (optional)
▪ Intel GMA X3100 graphics processor with 144MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared with main memory
▪ Extended desktop and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 1920 by 1200 pixels on an external display, both at millions of colors
▪ Built-in iSight camera
Input
▪ Built-in full-size keyboard with 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys, including 12 function keys, 4 arrow keys (inverted “T” arrangement)
▪ Backlit keyboard with ambient light sensor for automatic adjustment of keyboard illumination and screen brightness
▪ Solid-state trackpad with multi-touch gesture support for precise cursor control; supports two-finger scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, tap, double-tap, and drag capabilities
Wireless
▪ Built-in AirPort Extreme Wi-Fi wireless networking (based on IEEE 802.11n draft specification); IEEE 802.11a/b/g compatible
▪ Built-in Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)
Peripheral connections
▪ Audio out
▪ USB 2.0 port (up to 480 Mbps)
▪ Micro-DVI
Audio
▪ Analog audio output/headphone out (minijack)
▪ Built-in mono speaker
▪ Built-in omnidirectional microphone
Battery and power3
▪ Integrated 37-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
▪ 45W MagSafe power adapter with cable management system
▪ MagSafe power adapter port
Electrical and operating requirements
▪ Line voltage: 100V to 240V AC
▪ Frequency: 50Hz to 60Hz
▪ Operating temperature: 50° to 95°F (10° to 35°C)
▪ Storage temperature: -13° to 113°F (-24° to 45°C)
▪ Relative humidity: 0% to 90% noncondensing
▪ Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet
▪ Maximum storage altitude: 15,000 feet
▪ Maximum shipping altitude: 35,000 feet
Installed software
▪ Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard (includes Time Machine, Quick Look, Spaces, Spotlight, Dashboard, Mail, iChat, Safari, Address Book, QuickTime, iCal, DVD Player, Photo Booth, Front Row, Xcode Developer Tools)
▪ iLife ’08 (includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, GarageBand)
What’s in the box
▪ MacBook Air
▪ Micro-DVI to DVI adapter (NOT INCLUDED)
▪ Micro-DVI to VGA adapter (NOT INCLUDED)
▪ Cleaning/polishing cloth (NOT INCLUDED)
▪ MagSafe power adapter
▪ Install/restore DVDs
▪ Printed documentation
Accessories
MacBook Air SuperDrive (MB397G/A)
Play or burn discs directly with the external USB-based MacBook Air SuperDrive. Thin, light, and easy to take with you, this drive is designed specifically for MacBook Air.
▪ Slot-loading 8x SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
▪ Size: 139 x 139 x 17 mm / 5.47 x 5.47 x 0.67 inches (L x W x H)
▪ Weight: 320 g (0.71 pounds)
▪ Requires MacBook Air with available USB 2.0 port
USB Ethernet Adapter (MB442Z/A)
No Wi-Fi? Connect to wired networks with this simple, one-piece external adapter.
MagSafe Airline Adapter (MB441Z/A)
Plug into your airline seat power port and keep MacBook Air powered up for the entire flight.
Micro-DVI to Video Adapter (MB202G/A)
Get composite and S-video output from the MacBook Air micro-DVI port.
▪ Time Capsule (MB276LL/A)
▪ AirPort Extreme Base Station (MA073LL/A)
▪ AirPort Express Base Station featuring AirTunes (M9470LL/A)
▪ Apple Wireless Keyboard (M9270LL/A)
▪ Apple Wireless Mighty Mouse (MB111LL/A)
▪ Apple USB Modem (MA034Z/A)
▪ .Mac Subscription (MA361Z/A)
▪ AppleCare Protection Plan (MA516LL/A)
1. Actual weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process.
2. 1GB=1 billion bytes. Actual formatted capacity less.
3. Battery life depends on configuration and use. See Apple - Batteries for more information.