Apple unveils MacBook Air and OS X Lion updates

The new MacBook Air is 0.68in at its thickest point and 0.11in at its thinnest

Apple has laid out plans for the next version of Mac OS X, and showed off the latest MacBook Air ultraportable notebook.

The new operating system, dubbed Mac OS X Lion, is due next summer, and will incorporate lessons learned from the iOS platform.

Apple chief executive Steve Jobs explained that iOS, originally a derivation of OS X, had provided important lessons that the company now wants to transfer to the Mac operating system.

"We have been improving [OS X] with every major release, and we're really happy with Snow Leopard," said Jobs. "But we know how to take it even further."

OS X Lion will include multi-touch support, full-screen application and home screen interfaces, and auto-save features.

Also making its way to Mac OS will be Apple's App Store, offering users of Snow Leopard and later the ability to access a single marketplace to purchase and download Macintosh software.

Apple will offer developers the same pricing options and 70/30 revenue split used for the iOS App Store service.

The company is also introducing an updated iLife consumer platform, featuring revamped versions of iPhoto, iMovie and Garage Band. The iLife '11 suite will be a free bundle with new Mac systems, and a $25 (£15.85) update for older systems.

Closing out Apple's updates and serving as Jobs's trademark "one more thing" , was an update to the MacBook Air.

The ultra-portable notebook has a smaller case design and updated internal hardware components.

Weighing in at 2.9lbs for the 13.3in model and 2.3lbs for the 11in, the unibody case is 0.68in at its thickest point and 0.11in at its thinnest.

Inside, the MacBook Air eschews a hard drive in favour of Flash storage. Both models offer Core2 duo processors and high-resolution screens along with full keyboards and track pads.

The 13.3in model promises a seven-hour battery life and the option of 128GB or 256GB of storage at a cost of £1,099 and £1,349 respectively.

The 11in model promises five hours of battery life, and costs £849 for a 64GB model and £999 for 128GB.