Old and new Macbook Air power adapters

The new MackBook Air’s 45W MagSafe power adapter is the same size as the power adapter on the 2008 MacBook Air.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Software Reinstall Drive - Top

A long-overdue feature, this USB drive lets you reinstall the versions of OS X and iLife that ship with the MacBook Air.

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MacBook Air and Alienware M11x

The 11-inch MacBook Air starts at $999, and I thought it would be interesting to compare it to another 11-inch notebook that costs $999–the Alienware M11x.

We reviewed the Alienware M11x back in April. As of this writing, an M11x with an Intel Core i5 520UM, NVIDIA NGT335M GeForce GPU, 4GB SDRAM, and 500GB HDD.

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MacBook Air and Alienware M11x - Top

From the top, both 11-inch notebooks are about the same size.

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MacBook Air and Alienware M11x - Side

When you look at the sides of each notebook, the MacBook Air’s thinner profile is immediately noticeable. The Alienware M11x may have more power than the Air, but Apple’s ultra-thin machine is definitely more portable.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

MacBook Air (2010 11-inch) and MacBook Air (2008 - 13-inch)

The 2010 MacBook Air (11-inch) on top of the 2008 MacBook Air (13-inch).

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

MacBook Air (2010 11-inch) and MacBook Air (2008 - 13-inch) - Side

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Model A1370

The 2010 11-inch MacBook Air has the model number A1370.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Battery screws

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Lifting the battery away from the case

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Battery Model A1375

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Removing the 64GB flash storage unit

The 2010 MacBook Air uses flash storage, exclusively. Our test unit came with 64GB. A single Torx T5 screw holds the unit in place. Once the screws is removed, you can disconnect the unit from the main logic board.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

64GB flash storage unit - Front

The MacBook Air’s flash storage unit contains four main components–the circuit board, a Toshiba Solid State Drive controller, a Micron DDR DRAM cache, and the actual Toshiba flash memory chips.

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64GB flash storage unit - Back

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Toshiba TH58NVG7D7FBASB 16GB flash memory chips

Our 64GB MacBook Air’s flash memory storage unit has four Toshiba TH58NVG7D7FBASB 16GB flash chips.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Left-side speaker cable

While you’re disconnecting the ribbon cable that runs across the fan, you might as well disconnect the left-side speaker cable underneath.

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Disconnect both end of the ribbon cable

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Display cable

Before lifting the main logic board away from the MacBook Air’s case, we need to disconnect the display cable.

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Intel Core 2 Duo 1.4 GHz processor

There are no visible marking on the core of our MacBook Air’s Intel Core 2 Duo 1.4 GHz CPU, but there are markings printed onto the chip’s green circuit board.?

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Silicon Storage Technology SST25VF032B

This small chip is a Silicon Storage Technology SST25VF032B 32 Mbit SPI Serial Flash memory.

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F2117LP 20H V AG03736 1029JPN

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VM05AC 545-E00

VM05AC 545-E00

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TPS 51116 TJ 071 AIRD

TPS 51116 TJ 071 AIRD

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Left-side circuit board

After working our way around the MacBook Air’s main logic board, we should turn our attention back to the case. A small circuit board is located on the case’s left side and contains the MagSafe power port, USB port, and headphone jack. Three cables connect it to components remaining in the case. You’ll need to disconnect all of them before lifting the small board away from the case.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Cirrus Logic 4206ACNZ Audio controller

On the bottom of the small circuit board is a Cirrus Logic 4206ACNZ audio controller chip.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Wireless antenna adhesive strips

Several thin adhesive strips hold the MacBook Air’s antenna wire to the case. The strips run through think slots in the case and are folder over the cable. You’ll need to pull the strips through the slots and pull the wire free from the case before removing the lid.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Metal spacers

These two small metal spacers are located between the hinges and the case.

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Multi-Touch Trackpad - Internal

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Keyboard and case - External

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Caption by: Bill Detwiler