The iPhone and iPad might have grabbed all the headlines recently, but Apple showed it hasn’t forgotten its roots, unveiling two new ultra-light PCs yesterday.
Chief Steve Jobs presented the new additions to Apple’s MacBook Air range, adding an 11.6-inch screen option alongside a new 13.3-inch machine, and announcing an updated operating system for the pair.
Mac OS Lion draws inspiration from iOS, featuring an iTunes-style store selling applications and the FaceTime video calling feature first unveiled on the iPhone 4, WSJ.com reported.
The new laptops run flash storage, and carry price tags closer to tablets with an 11.6-inch unit costing $999 (€716), and the 13.3-inch $1,599, the Journal noted.
Apple also launched new media editing software that links to user’s Facebook accounts.
Mac shipments accounted for around 12.4% of Apple’s total device shipments in calendar 3Q.
Jobs said the new laptops draw heavily on its iPad, pointing to features including solid state storage and instant on. “With its amazing responsiveness and mobility, it will change the way we think about notebooks,” he pledged.