So I bought an 11" MacBook Air... now I'm selling my 15" MacBook Pro

[Kilamite]

I bought an 11" MacBook Air to allow me to have an ultraportable that was still quite capable. I got the ultimate configuration, and was blown away by how responsive this thing is. Largely due to the fact that there's an SSD in there of course, but I did a few HandBrake encodes, and they weren't a huge deal longer than what I was used to from my MacBook Pro (increase of maybe 50%, so a 20min encode on the MBP, takes 40mins).

Also, the screen quality is fantastic. Having been switching between the 11" Air and my 15" Pro (which has standard res), the smaller fonts seemed so much more natural, as they were crisp. Almost like looking from the iPhone 3G to the iPhone 4. Also, the fact that there is no glass makes a hell of a difference. I took back the high-res 15" MBP last year because of the small fonts, but maybe I was too quick to judge and adjust. Also, the lack of glare is a relief to my eyes. Granted it is still a glossy display, but glossy on it's own isn't that reflective compared to a sheet of glass in front of it.

So, I've decided that given my surprise to the power of the 11" Air, I'm selling my 15" Pro, and exchanging the 11" Air for a 13" Air in the ultimate config. The 13" Air will be suitable for when I need to use it to encode videos, and I'm guessing the likes of 3Ds Max and Maya will perform relatively well too.

Guess now I've had the Air for 3 days, I can no longer tolerate traditional hard drives, glass over glossy displays, and PPI lower than 125!

It'll be interesting to see what the new MacBook Pro's are like, but for now, I'm sold on the 13" MacBook Air.

Thought I'd share my 2 pence with you guys.

[Alvesang]

Have you considered swapping your MBP's HDD for an SSD? If you do lots of rendering and converting maybe the slower processor won't satisfy your needs in the long run. That's why my MBA is a secondary machine only. PPI wise I couldn't agree with you more, though.

[yuanmoons]

Hmm.. im thinking of doing this. I have MBP 15 and i really want to move to 11". I feeling is that the 13" isnt a big enough difference. Having an 11" as a main computer is very appealing to my minimalist desires. Cant decide between 1.4 or 1.6. Im guessing for general usage (i dont do anything but surf and type) it isnt going to make alot of difference....

Also, the 13" has 2 more hours of battery.. decisions decisions..... if only 11" had 7 hours battery

[jmoore5196]

Precisely why I don't buy an 11" MBA ... I might end up selling my 15" i5 MBP!

Every time I sell something larger to downsize, I regret it. Were I you, I'd probably hang onto the MBP a while longer. I think you'll be very happy with the 13" MBA, especially in the Ultimate configuration. It's a stunning machine.

[Kilamite]

Thought I'd add, I actually prefer the 16:9 aspect of the 11". Obviously switching back to the 13" will be 16:10, but I don't find 16:9 an issue, and the laptop actually feels nicer, where as my old 15" MBP looks really tall and square. It doesn't feel like I've lost height but gained width. Obviously I've lost height and not gained width, but it doesn't feel that way.

Originally Posted by Alvesang

Have you considered swapping your MBP's HDD for an SSD? If you do lots of rendering and converting maybe the slower processor won't satisfy your needs in the long run. That's why my MBA is a secondary machine only. PPI wise I couldn't agree with you more, though.

Yeah, but the weight of the 13" Air is more appealing for what I need at the moment. I'm confident that the ultimate 13" Air will be able to render things relatively well - obviously not as fast as what I'm used to, but I generally render over night anyway.

Originally Posted by yuanmoons

Hmm.. im thinking of doing this. I have MBP 15 and i really want to move to 11". I feeling is that the 13" isnt a big enough difference. Having an 11" as a main computer is very appealing to my minimalist desires. Cant decide between 1.4 or 1.6. Im guessing for general usage (i dont do anything but surf and type) it isnt going to make alot of difference....

Also, the 13" has 2 more hours of battery.. decisions decisions..... if only 11" had 7 hours battery

I couldn't comment on performance difference, never tried the 1.4GHz model. But the 1.6GHz with 4GB of RAM is pretty much the same price as the based 13" Air with 4GB of RAM.

Originally Posted by jmoore5196

Precisely why I don't buy an 11" MBA ... I might end up selling my 15" i5 MBP!

Every time I sell something larger to downsize, I regret it. Were I you, I'd probably hang onto the MBP a while longer. I think you'll be very happy with the 13" MBA, especially in the Ultimate configuration. It's a stunning machine.

Here's hoping I don't! I'm thinking of investing in a monitor for my desk anyhow, but we'll see how I get on with just 13". I may notice the loss of 2 inches more than I think I will!

[PeterKG]

I sold my 15" MBP before buying an 11" MBA Ultimate. I plug into an Apple 24" ACD when I need more screen. But i couldn't justify owning two laptops. So by selling my 15", it almost paid for the 11.6".

[DarwinOSX]

Originally Posted by Kilamite

Guess now I've had the Air for 3 days, I can no longer tolerate traditional hard drives, glass over glossy displays, and PPI lower than 125!

I'm in the same boat.

[robeddie]

Originally Posted by jmoore5196

Precisely why I don't buy an 11" MBA ... I might end up selling my 15" i5 MBP!

Every time I sell something larger to downsize, I regret it. Were I you, I'd probably hang onto the MBP a while longer. I think you'll be very happy with the 13" MBA, especially in the Ultimate configuration. It's a stunning machine.

But you could always do what I did, I had the 15" macbook pro, and bought an 11" air as well. I use the MBP when I want the screen size and drive capacity and DVD burning abilities, and the 11" when I'm on a trip (airplane tray can fit the 11" air AND a couple cans of Amstel light) or just want to sit by the lake and go online.

[mcvaughan]

Originally Posted by Kilamite

So, I've decided that given my surprise to the power of the 11" Air, I'm selling my 15" Pro, and exchanging the 11" Air for a 13" Air in the ultimate config. The 13" Air will be suitable for when I need to use it to encode videos, and I'm guessing the likes of 3Ds Max and Maya will perform relatively well too.

Did exactly that. I had (have) a 15" i7 MBP and bought the 11" Air. Love the Air so much that I decided to buy a 13" Air and sell the 15 and 11. Love the direction of the new MacBooks...

[grawk]

I replaced a 15" mbp with my 11" as well. It was a late 2007 model, so I'm not seeing a performance hit at all, and the screen resolution is almost the same. I couldn't be happier.

[jamesryanbell]

Originally Posted by jmoore5196

Precisely why I don't buy an 11" MBA ... I might end up selling my 15" i5 MBP!

Every time I sell something larger to downsize, I regret it. Were I you, I'd probably hang onto the MBP a while longer. I think you'll be very happy with the 13" MBA, especially in the Ultimate configuration. It's a stunning machine.

That's why you get a 27" ACD to go with it (for use when it's at home). I rarely ever open my 15" MBP now that I got the 27" ACD. It's incredible and looks *WAY, WAAAAAAY* better than comparable 24" monitors that I've had before it. It's very well worth it IMHO.

[jmoore5196]

Guys, I have the 24" ACD and use it heavily. I paid the price for being an early adopter (I bought it the week it came out) in that I've had to replace the logic board. Hindsight being what it is, I should have sold it for parts and bought the 27" ACD. I'm totally on board with an external monitor, but there's a logical limit to how many laptops I can have.

[tekmoe]

Glad you are happy with your purchase.

[mcvaughan]

Originally Posted by jamesryanbell

That's why you get a 27" ACD to go with it (for use when it's at home). I rarely ever open my 15" MBP now that I got the 27" ACD. It's incredible and looks *WAY, WAAAAAAY* better than comparable 24" monitors that I've had before it. It's very well worth it IMHO.

I've paired the 27" ACD with my Air and LOVE it. A beautiful monitor... A big upgrade from my old 23" ACD.

[Ronnoco]

I too recently purchased an Apple 27" ACD but I pair it with my 15" i5 MBP and use my 11" MBA for my portable...perfect combo IMO...

[coollai]

I have a 15" i5 high res MBP and a 11" MBA too. My MBP has 8GB ram and OCZ Vertex 2 SSD which makes it pretty fast. I was thinking to sell my MBP but I decided not too since it serve different needs from my MBA.

Now I am considering which 27" monitor to buy

[Kilamite]

So, I just exchanged the 11" for the 13" MacBook Air.

I can really notice the difference in the PPI, and I find the slightly lower PPI a lot easier on the eyes. I'm actually baffled, because I purchased a 15" MacBook Pro High-Res Antiglare back in April last year when they were updated. But had to take it back, because I found the fonts too small. The 13" Air has the same PPI as the 15" High-Res MBP. I don't find them an issue at all now! Strange..

I love this thing.