The MacBook Air stands as a strange new thing and questions are being asked as to what changes went into Intel's Core 2 Duo processor and what sacrifices had to be made in the process.

An article over at AnandTech discusses how the processor is actually based on Intel's 65 nanometer Merom architecture, which was released in May of 2007. The processor incorporates an 800 MHz system bus and is found, in one variant or another, in the current iMac, MacBook and MacBook Pro models (which include the chip, albeit at a higher clock speed).

The MacBook Air's processor, appears to have been shrunken down to the size of an extra-small chip package known as the Montevina, which isn't scheduled to arrive until mid-2008.

"The MacBook Air uses the Intel Core 2 Duo Processor and Intel 965GMS chipset with integrated [graphics] using a new miniaturized package technology. This new CPU and chipset allows for approximately 60% reduction in total footprint," Intel explains in a response to the technology site.

The chip incorporates a blend of characteristics, among them a low voltage operating temperature that starts at 1.6 GHz with 20 watts of thermal design power versus 1.4 GHz and 17 watts -- a more efficient design than a standard mobile processor which typically consumes 35 watts of peak power at a minimum speed of 1.8 GHz. Tis may come as a tradeoff made to get the MacBook Air finished and to the market in a timely manner.

So, it's a cooler, 2 GHz chip fit into the smallest space yet. Not a bad thing and it should be fun to see how this works out.

As always, feel free to bend our ear over in the comments or forums.C