The MacBook Air

Apple’s updated MacBook Air offers Intel Core i5 or i7 processors, a Thunderbolt port, an HD slot, and an ultra-thin form factor.

According to iFixit, the MacBook Air “uses the same pentalobe screws as the previous generation on the lower case.” The updated laptop’s shell, apparently, bears precious few differences from its predecessor.

The interior of the updated MacBook Air bears a heavy resemblance to the old version, as well.

Everything about the MacBook Air seems designed with an eye toward an overall “slim and light” aesthetic, itself heavily influenced by Apple’s push into mobility. “We asked ourselves, what would happen if a MacBook and an iPad hooked up?” is how Apple CEO Steve Jobs once described the MacBook Air’s design philosophy.??í

According to iFixit, the SSD (solid-state drive) isn’t soldered to the MacBook Air’s logic board, which “means you can upgrade the SSD for more storage, but you’re still out of luck if you need extra RAM.”

The battery offers some seven hours worth of wireless Web use for the Air’s 13-inch edition and five hours for the 11-inch system.

Here is a look at the MacBook Air’s WiFi/Bluetooth board.

This is the mini-PCIe wireless card.

Here is a look at the MacBook Air’s fan.

In its teardown, iFixit suggested the current MacBook Air’s heat sink “looks nearly identical to the one used on the Core Duo Airs of last year.”