Compared to most computers, the Air is really light. At just 3 pounds, its less than a third of the weight of my old Inspiron 7000. Could I customize it and make it lighter?

Carbon Fiber is a space-age material that has an amazing strength-to-weight ratio. It’s used in all sorts of things, from Formula 1 cars to fighter jets. Boeing and Airbus are using it extensively in their new plans to reduce weight and increase fuel efficiency.  I worked at a satellite company a while back and watched them use it, but I never got a chance to use it myself... until now!

First, examining the case, I found the easiest part to replace.  The Air is made up of three metal clamshell parts. The lid (LCD cover) looks simple to form, but its well bonded to that delicate glass screen and is not easy to disassemble cleanly.  The thick center framework is the soul of the machine -- it forms the bulk of the Air’s strength, houses the keyboard, and all the components mount to it. It’s a very complicated piece and would be hard to replace. Luckily, the bottom lid is simple to replace.

The bottom lid is a flat (evenly smooth) piece of metal with 9 screw holes, 2 connector holes, and some vent holes.  Nothing mounts to it. Perfect!

I have put together a slide show detailing the process: