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The 13.3in widescreen laptop measures only 0.16in at its thinnest edge. But is this astounding feat of engineering enough to impress the critics?

"Say what you will about Steve Jobs, but when he pulled Apple's latest laptop out of a standard inter-office envelope I stood in awe - of both his showmanship and of the laptop's remarkably slim design," says CNet.com's Michelle Thatcher.

But it wasn't all good news when Thatcher finally got her hands on a model. "I don't care about the optical drive but bemoan the lack of Ethernet and cellular connections, while my video team is shocked that the laptop lacks FireWire and my business-minded friends can't believe there's no expansion slot."

The chaps over at Engadget were equally enamoured with the MacBook's styling, but drew attention to the fact that - like the iPod - the Air's battery isn't removable. "Every element is super sharp, the hidden ports are a thing of beauty, and the backlit keyboard is certainly a nice touch," says Engadget's Paul Miller. "It's

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almost silly how light it is, and multitouch is smooth as butter. With the dimensions and curves Apple is playing with, we can almost forgive the lack of removable battery - almost."

Has Apple turned the PC into a throwaway commodity? Absolutely, says The Inquirer. "Also missing is the ability to do anything about the spec once it's arrived. The Macbook allows you to upgrade the hard drive and memory very simply indeed - not so on the Air. The all-in-one aluminium shell precludes not just upgrades but battery replacements, too. This is starting to become a worrying trend for Apple - first the iPhone, now the Air."

iTunes driver

Piper Jaffray analyst, Gene Munster, says he expects the Air to boost Apple's sales - and not just in hardware. He claims the lack of an optical drive could increase users' dependence on iTunes.

"This is a bold step into the world of no optical drive, but there is still a little bit of a geek factor involved," he tells the Financial Times. "It's a small hurdle, but it's the one negative," he adds.

But we'll leave the final word to PC Pro editor, Tim Danton, who was comparing the MacBook Air favourably to the Sony VAIO G11 within minutes of the keynote closing. "If you're looking for an exceptionally light laptop that will last a decent segment of the day away from the mains - and you don't need an optical drive - then it seems the one to go for - we'll hold off full judgement until we've tested it in the PC Pro labs."