Hardware has come a long way from the full-room computer systems. Our computers now take up less space, are more powerful, and have become whisper quiet. Even with the small size of today’s computers, advancements are continuing to decrease the size of hardware. In fact, Apple has continued to make advancements in processing power and size introducing two of the lightest and smallest computers thus far: the MacBook Air and the Mac mini.
MacBook Air
The MacBook Air weighs in at only 2.3 pounds, housing the (11-inch) computer and monitor in a 0.68 inch by 11.8 inch by 7.56 inch body of light, yet heavy duty, aluminum. Starting at 64 GB of flash storage, the Air offers 2 GB of built-in memory and a 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor. All this power and lightweight package is possible through advances in flash storage and non-spinning parts, of which Apple has borrowed from the iPad design. The space saved by the iPod-inspired design was used to increase battery power, making the 11-inch Air battery last 5 hours while the 13-inch Air can keep on trucking for 7 hours.
Mac mini
And in this corner, weighing in at 3 pounds, the Mac mini stands 1.4 inches tall, 7.7 inches wide and 7.7 inches deep. Though small, this fighter doesn’t slack on power. Offering a 2.4GHz or 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 2 GB standard internal memory with the capability to support up to 8 GB, the Mac mini doesn’t shy from full-graphics gaming. Additionally as green as computers come, the mini shows off the sleek and recyclable aluminum exterior with a tiny 10 watt consumption — that’s 25 percent less energy consumption than comparable computers.
Apple has certainly had its work cut out. From introducing the iPad to shrinking the laptop and desktop computer packages while increasing processing power and capabilities, Apple has introduced the smallest in hardware advancements — the biggest advancements in years.