When the first version of the Macbook Air was launched in 2008 it was met with mixed reviews. The travel ready notebook was sleek, shiny, and ultra thin, but had it’s fair share of shortcomings. With a starting price of nearly $1800 and only 80GB of storage the Macbook Air left a lot to be desired. The original did not come equipped with either a disc drive or USB ports, and was notoriously slow in comparison to the standard Macbook. With an overhauled storage system more akin to that of the Ipad, the new Macbook Air runs on a flash based storage system which tends to be more responsive and reliable. By removing the normal housing found around flash chips Apple was able to reduce the size of the chips by up to 90%, allowing for a significantly larger battery. The larger batteries allow the 11in model to run continuously for up to 5 hours and the 13in model for up to 7 hours. Apple has also added two USB ports which slightly increase the size of the unit but make it much more versatile. The new model also comes equipped with a “standby mode” which allows the unit to go into “hibernation” for upwards of a month using almost no battery at all and still allowing for instant start up. With a starting price of $1000 the Macbook Air is expected to completely replace the original Macbook by next year.