Help with configuring MBA

So I wanted to buy a brand new Macbook this year as my windows laptop is getting old.
Here is a list of what I do on the Macbook
-Browse the web and read the news
-Watch YouTube videos
-Play mine craft and other flash games on websites
-Stream HD movies from websites
-Facebook
-Twitter
-Store and listen music and photos (at most 16GB)

Most of the times I do most of these simultaneously.
I am planning to use it to replace my desktop and laptop at home. Should I get the 11" or the 13"? Should I bump the processor or RAM up? Do you think i should only have 128GB of flash storage? I do not download too many games or content. Can I view a full website on the 11 inch model? I do not own an iPad. I do not plan to carry the MBA out too often. When the processor gets bumped up to 2.0 GHz, how does it affect the battery? I am not an annual upgrader.

So after sorting out I have these choices:
MacBook Air 11 inch 2.0 GHz 8GB 128 GB flash
MacBook Air 13 inch 1.8 GHz 8GB 128 GB flash
MacBook Air 13 inch 2.0 GHz 8GB 256 GB flash
Macbook Pro 13 inch 2.9 GHz 8GB 128 GB flash
Which do you think is ideal for my needs? My main question is whether I should get 11" or 13"?
Deciding to get a which mac has lead to a daily headache. After I decide whether to get the 11" or 13" MBA. I look at the 13" MBA and 13" MBP. Then I thought of getting a MBP, then I thought it was not as portable and I didn't need that power, and then the whole cycle starts again.

phoenixsan said:

multitasking can need some screen real state and RAM. So I would lean toward the BTO with the 8 GB of RAM, 13 inch one

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Oh and btw I forgot to mention I'm new to macs. Can we switch windows in macs very fast just like how you alt+tab in windows? I don't mind doing something extra because I want to spend less and get the most performance.

jetlagged said:

i bought a macbook air 13", and i will use this for traveling around the world for a year or two. i thought about 11" since its most ideal for traveling around the world with a backpack, but when all is said and done i'm glad i went with 13" 256 gb/ 8 gb ram/ i5 2012 model.
get #2 because its the best bang for your buck. avoid the i7 because it will have 1 hour to 90 minutes less battery life, and will run hot under heavy load and will make a loud noise. but then again its a matter of personal preference. i would have gotten i7 if it werent for the fact that I will be traveling next year. that extra 1 hour of battery life might be worth it, and i dont really want a noisy machine when i'm in a hostel dormitory with oher people who are sleeping.

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Thanks for your reply! May I know how much load does the i7 handle before it emits heat and noise? How loud will the noise be if the i7 produces sound? Do you mean the i5 can handle the same load as the i7 without emitting heat or noise? I don't mind losing 90 minutes because I do not plan to bring it around that often and even if I bring it around I would only use it for at most 4 hours. Do you think the 13" inch feels too thin or fragile?

jetlagged said:

i read this before coming to a decision:

Part 1:
http://michael.olivero.com/post/201...i5-vs-i7-Heat-Fan-Battery-Speed-analysis.aspx

Part 2:
http://michael.olivero.com/post/201...Heat-Fan-Battery-Speed-Comparison-Part-2.aspx

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Dammit you have made me even more confused. So they said the fan only comes on if I do heavy tasks like encoding and stuff on the i7. Do you mind running minecraft for 10 minutes and see whether it heats up?

Steevie said:

go with the 13 inch 8gb 128ssd and apply for a student discount on top of that

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What about the processor?

Abazigal said:

Honestly, I think the baseline 11" MBA will serve you just as well. None of the activities you are suggesting are particularly resource-intensive (though flash may burn through your battery life in a jiffy).

If you check the online apple store, you will find refurbished macbook airs on sale, which I feel is no inferior to the stock version (and the discount is even sweeter if you do not currently enjoy educational discounts). The base 4ram/64gb flash is just $1178, and the 128gb version is $1258.

You will get almost 50gb out of the 64gb storage, more than enough to install a few games, and move your entire media library over.

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Does the processor affect the performance of minecraft?
And does the size affect the web browsing experience much? I have decided on the specs except the processor and the size, I will go to the store to try the two sizes when I have the time.

Dang it some says the i5 is quieter and some says the i7 is, because it is more efficient, my main concern now is the amount of noise and heat the i7 produces when playing games like diablo 3 and Starcraft as compared to the i5. Is the a noticeable difference (speed, heat and noise) between the i5 and i7 when I browse the web and watch 720p videos from YouTube

n2deep said:

I have a 2012 13" 256g I7 and have zero problems with fan noise. Only when I playing games and the fan is running full speed can you hear the machine. Sitting here typing this and surfing the web there is zero fan noise.

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How long do you surf the web without noise with the i7? And how long does it take for the fan to quiet down let's say after you finish playing games and resume browsing the web?

Deciding to get a which mac has lead to a daily headache. After I decided to get the 13" MBA. I thought to myself that I might need some power and the fans might be noisy. I compared the 13" MBA and 13" MBP. Then I thought of getting a MBP, then I thought it was not as portable and I didn't need that power, and then the whole cycle starts again.
I can afford all of these and I don't mind spending extra money on performance. I would also love to save money as I'm not those kind of people who have a pocket full of money but nothing to do with it.