teerexx52
macrumors 68020
It depends on what you use it for. I used Aperture, iphoto, imovie and had no problem with 2gb
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11 or 13-inch MacBook Air
- Thread starter shootingrubber
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It depends on what you use it for. I used Aperture, iphoto, imovie and had no problem with 2gb
So here's the rundown on the DPIs for the various screens:
MBA 11.6" (1366) = 135.09 PPI, 0.188mm dot pitch, 18250 PPI²
MBA 13.3" (1440) = 127.68 PPI, 0.1989mm dot pitch, 16302 PPI²
MBP 13.3" (1280) = 113.49 PPI, 0.2238mm dot pitch, 12880 PPI²
So there is a difference in PPI in the 11" and the 13" (with the 11" pixels being smaller). I've thrown the old 13.3" 1280 resolution in there for comparison to what we've been used to in the past.
You can run additional numbers here:
http://members.ping.de/~sven/dpi.html
teerexx52
macrumors 68020
Soooo, essentially this would mean that the 11.6 would be no harder to read than the 13"?
The dot pitch on the 11" is about 6% smaller than the new 13".
By comparison, the dot pitch on the new 13" MBA is about 11% smaller then the original 13".
Whether something is harder to read when it is 6% smaller is probably going to be an individual question.
Granted 6% does not sound like much. But 11% doesn't sound like much either, and I bet everyone notices a difference between a 13" 1440 screen and a 13" 1280 screen.
teerexx52
macrumors 68020
Very hard to tell. I have a 13" and 11.6 still here and the only real thing I'm concerned about before I return one is my vision. My wife says the 13" screen is bigger but things are about the same size to read so what you say supports this
Have you decided on yours yet? Everytime I go to the Apple store I can never be certain about the 13-inch. Maybe I should just go for the 11-inch. Do you have the ultimate 11?
teerexx52
macrumors 68020
I am sitting here right now with both the 11" ultimate and the 13" base side by side pondering🙂 Can I answer any questions. I have till Friday to take one back🙂
Basically I am either going base 13-inch or base 11-inch with 4GB of RAM. I have to be able to use one for a couple days to be able to make a clear choice lol. Which one are you leaning towards right now?
teerexx52
macrumors 68020
Leaning right then leaning left if you know what I mean. Each offers advantages and disadvantages. As you know on the boards here some folks have very strong opinions about things like ram and such. What I did is spend 5 days on and off with both. My first concern was the 2GBs ram in the base 13" vs the 4GB ram in the 11.6" ultimate. I tried everything I could to make the 13" choke with 2GB of ram and I mean everything. I even used Aperture and processed video. The 13" didn't give an inch. So I cannot see any advantage the 11.6 has because it has 4GBs of ram. Now this idea of future proofing I discount as that has never worked for me. So the two are equal as far as performance to me. The 13" has better speakers, SD card slot, faster processor. Maybe some or none of those are important to you. Because we go to Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks and such portability is important to me. I have taken both models. Obviously the 11.6 has much smaller foot print and is easy to take around but the 13" is not a lug either. However, advantage 11.6. I like typing on the 11.6 better because the wrist rest area is smaller. The last and most important thing is my old tired eyes. Can I see the 11.6 clearly without eye strain. The answer seems to be yes.
So, after all that it is pretty much an even horse race with me leaning just a bit to the 11.6". Why? Because it is a totally different machine from what Apple has done before and just has a certain "cool" factor. Does any of this help you??
Helps me a bit. It's good to know that 2 GB seems to be enough for the machine though. It's funny I actually prefer the larger wrist rest area for typing. I also like that the 13-inch has better battery life and has an SD card reader. Although I do like all of these things about the 13-inch I like the portability of the 11". I mean, logically, the 13" seems like a no-brainer. I guess I like the $999 price point of the 11" lol.
I am in the same situation. I love the footprint of the 11, but the 13 is easier on my eyes. I don't know exactly what it is about the 11, but I do suffer from eye strain.
I have the maxed 11 and would only do the maxed 13. In this situation, the 13 slaughters the 11 except for the footprint. (The most addicting part)
Also, I did some battery life testing with video on the 11. It was only able to run 2:34 minutes of video from full charge. This is with content purchased through the itunes store. Perhaps the battery life on the 13 would be more beneficial after all.
Argh!
teerexx52
macrumors 68020
Yes, I forgot battery life but I never seem to get close to running it down so I kind of forgot about it. My wife says you can't get a 13" with an 11.6 footprint. She's right
teerexx52
macrumors 68020
Agreed. I'm not suffering any eye strain at least i don't think so. Trying to make sure I am not subconsciously hunching over. I don't want to spend the difference between a maxed 11.6 $1399 and the maxed 13.3 $1799 + tax if I can avoid it🙂 So for me I would use a base 13" which is $100 cheaper than the maxed 11.6. I'm confused🙂
lol, she is right. The only reason why I am still considering the 11" is the size. I mean the 13" is better in every single way and it's still a rediculously portable machine.
teerexx52
macrumors 68020
So, there are like a dozen reasons to take the 13" over the 11" and only one to take the 11" over the 13" and can't make up my mind? Right? Hmmmmm😀 So the obvious answer is take the 11"🙂
teerexx52
macrumors 68020
I agree. I just can't pull the trigger. Anyways, I would do the base. Don't want to pay the extra for the Ultimate 13". I could order a 13" with 4gb of ram but I really prefer to buy in the store and they don't stock that configuration.Oh well
Yeah, I am going to do the base I think. I don't need 4GB of RAM. I have an iMac at home that I will use for heavy duty stuff.
I'll let you know if I purchase lol.
teerexx52
macrumors 68020
This will be my only one which is why I lean to the 13" even though 2gb ram. With 2 computers i'd take the 11🙂
Yeah, but a lot of the time I sleep at my girlfriends house, am at school for long periods of time, and I need a fully capable machine for my needs while I am on the go. While the 11" might be enough for some, I think the base 13" is perfect for my needs. The 13" resolution is what I was used to before I sold my MacBook Pro, so I think the smaller footprint, lighter weight will be perfect (in comparison to the MBP).
I bought the base 11, because primarily of the footprint. The way I see it, if I am going to buy a 13 inch Macbook, it might as well be a full fledged Macbook Pro. 2 pounds are not going to make a difference, for me at least.
I also tried to choke up my base 11 and have not been successful. Opened every program I have, Safari with multiple tabs, Youtube running HD, and the little sucker was still snappy. Therefore, for me, I do not require 4gb of ram. Perhaps if you try something heavy tasks then 4gb will be needed.
The smaller foot print of the 11 is its biggest advantage. I go through my class nights while riding a crowded NYC subway train in the morning. It is easy to hold in one hand, similar to an iPad.
My only complaint is that everyone wants to hold it and wave it around.😡
I also tried to choke up my base 11 and have not been successful. Opened every program I have, Safari with multiple tabs, Youtube running HD, and the little sucker was still snappy. Therefore, for me, I do not require 4gb of ram. Perhaps if you try something heavy tasks then 4gb will be needed.
The smaller foot print of the 11 is its biggest advantage. I go through my class nights while riding a crowded NYC subway train in the morning. It is easy to hold in one hand, similar to an iPad.
My only complaint is that everyone wants to hold it and wave it around.😡
I bought the maxed 13" and I have no issues with it. Yet I'm still lusting for the 11" due to it's size.
Not sure what to do yet. 😕
The 11 sits in the lap so much better. I truly feel its addictive because of the size. Either way, Apple is going to clean up on these!
Although, I have a suspicion that Apple is finally going to put a dedicated GPU in the new 13" MBP, making this whole problem a mute point. I will flock to the store to pick that up next. LOL!