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11 vs 13, 2011 vs 2010- please help, can't decide!

R

rjdoc74

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 30, 2009
74
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I consider myself a very light user- web browsing, microsoft office, skype, occasional netfilx, that's about it. I have a 2008 15 inch MBP which I am planning to sell as soon as I figure out what I getting next. I went to local BB and looked at 11 vs 13 inch MBA. I think 11 inch would work fine but I don't really need portability of 11 inch since I carry my laptop in my bag. My only requirement is to get as much battery life as possible. My understanding is that 13 inch is better in this regard. True? Given all that, would a 2010 refurb 13 inch MBA be perfect for me? They have them in refurb store for $949 now?


Any advice is appreciated.
 
I debated this for a few days and eventually went with the 13". I am so glad I did as I don't personally think the 11" screen would be big enough. Go for that if your not bothered about portability, although with the 13" being so thin and light, I don't see that as being a massive advantage for the 11" anyway to be honest.
 
Thank you so much for you advice. Did you end up going with 2010 or 2011 model?

buzzcfc said:
I debated this for a few days and eventually went with the 13". I am so glad I did as I don't personally think the 11" screen would be big enough. Go for that if your not bothered about portability, although with the 13" being so thin and light, I don't see that as being a massive advantage for the 11" anyway to be honest.
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I cast a vote for the 2010 if you're a light user-- longer battery life, runs cooler, better GPU, and SAVE lot's of money. Read some of the comparison threads, you won't notice a performance difference unless you're de/encoding video or running numerical calcs.
 
If going with a 2010, evaluate your needs carefully in selecting the 2GB vs 4GB memory models. That is NOT upgradable as it's soldered to the logic board.
 
deeddawg said:
If going with a 2010, evaluate your needs carefully in selecting the 2GB vs 4GB memory models. That is NOT upgradable as it's soldered to the logic board.
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Thank you for that info. My current MBP has 2GB of ram, and I have not noted any issues for my needs. I read that 2GB MBA does OK with Lion except maybe a few extra seconds when waking up from sleep.
 
I have an 11" and a 13", 2010 models that I picked up used at a huge discount. Love both of them. For longer sessions the 13" is great, but for toting around that 11" is hot!!
 
:)
macjonny1 said:
I have an 11" and a 13", 2010 models that I picked up used at a huge discount. Love both of them. For longer sessions the 13" is great, but for toting around that 11" is hot!!
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If I may ask, where did this hude discount come from? Referb apple store, Amazon deal, or...?

Thanks
 
just get an education discount and get the 13" for cheaper. Thats what I did and i'm not a student :D
 
buzzcfc said:
just get an education discount and get the 13" for cheaper. Thats what I did and i'm not a student :D
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Yes, but 2010 model is like $250 cheaper in the refurb store AND you get $100 printer credit. Sweeter deal then $50 edu discount if you ask me.
 
rjdoc74 said:
:)

If I may ask, where did this hude discount come from? Referb apple store, Amazon deal, or...?

Thanks
Click to expand...

I got actually 3 computers (I have a big family so needed them) used this year, a 17" MBP and the 13"/11" airs. The 13" and MBP I got off of amazon used. I looked for deals that included applecare and they come and go frequently. Often you can message folks and talk them down as well.

The 11" I got off of ebay. Applecare with that one as well.

As long as you are in the warranty period I see little risk in buying off of either. I found deals that were several hundred cheaper than the refurb store at the time.
 
I think it is not worth it to get the 2010 refurbished 13 for $950, when you are going to sell it in the future, you will get at least $200 more for resale 2011 compared to 2010 model, so the saving isn't really there. If you get a used 2010 13 for cheaper, that is another story.
 
Screen and battery

I am at the other end of the spectrum to you in terms of use but to be honest I think that any of the 2011 models would have enough power/grunt to do most of what I do. 2010 models I can't speak about but as I had a similar CPU in my Sony Viao I'd say you'd be perfectly fine there too.

So screen first! 11" and 13" screens are awesome but as I have a second display and iMac I personally love my 11" much more than the 13" I used for a while. Get used to fullscreen apps and switching desktops and you'll love either of them.

Battery. Well the truth is the 13" has a larger battery so if you need >5hrs of constant light use then go the 13". I get a full day use out of my 11" but I let it sleep easy :) 4..5 hours of constant use isn't a problem either for me unless I'm running a VM or two etc then it is more like 3..4 hours. Be careful though as my experience has been that if either the 13" or 11" screens are at high brightness then they use up the battery nice and fast.

So if portability isn't an issue but battery life is then MBP is your best bet I feel.
 
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