Appearance wise, the new MacBook Air 1.86GHz is identical to the first generation of Apple’s lightweight laptops. Inside, however, is quite another tale to tell, as it contains a new and faster processor, upgraded video circuitry, a faster front-side bus, faster RAM, and a new display connector.

The weight and size of the MacBook Air is identical to the original as is the bright 13-inch display and single USB port. The three-pound MacBook Air with its full size keyboard and greatly improved graphics power is far superior to the original. The upgrades have a down side as well, as they narrow MacBook Air’s already limited appeal even further. On the negative side, the MacBook Air 1.86GHz is much slower than other more affordable laptops. It also comes without video adapters.

There were complaints that the original version of the MacBook Air suffered regularly from serious overheating problems. Whatever the problem was, Apple seems to have corrected it substantially with the newer version. Still, the most major upgrade to be found is to the video subsystem. The previous model was slow as it contained Intel’s GMA X3100 graphics circuitry

This MacBook Air can be yours via Apple for a mere $2,499.

Is the new MacBook you?

Was the other one?

[MacWorld]