MacRumors forum member Brett33 bought an "as is" MacBook Air on eBay for a selling price of $730. As it turns out, it appears the machine is actually a prototype model of Apple's MacBook Air.
After receiving the unit, Brett33 noticed that the bottom of the laptop was made of black aluminum and that the screen bezel did not have "MacBook Air" written on it. The laptop runs an interim build of Mac OS X 10.5 (8R4016).
No "MacBook Air" wording on Bezel
Black bottom (removed)
The serial number on the machine indicates that it was built in May 2007, over six months before the MacBook Air was introduced. Another poster was able to specify that this model represented "M82 PROTO2 ENC 4", based on the serial number.
Though rare, prototype Apple machines have been known to circulate.
Apple today updated its U.S. trade-in estimates, raising maximum values across the iPad lineup and for most Macs following today's announcement of the new iPad mini.
Every iPad category has gained value, although the increases are relatively modest. The iPad mini and standard iPad both rise by $20, while the iPad Air gains $15 and the iPad Pro increases by $10. The revised maximum estimates...
Apple is testing OLED displays for future MacBook Air and iMac models, though both upgrades remain some way off, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in his latest "Power On" newsletter.
The next refreshes of the devices are expected to retain LCD displays. Gurman anticipates a new iMac to arrive this week and a MacBook Air refresh in early 2027, but offered no time frame for either model's...
Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:11 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today announced a new high-end MacBook Pro, which is available in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes. The new device has a PROLED XDR display that supports touch gestures, and a glowing rear Apple logo.
Pricing on the MacBook Pro starts at $2,899 for the 14-inch model and $3,399 for the 16-inch model.
Apple says the MacBook Pro has the "world's best display in a pro laptop." The PROLED...
