11 vs 13 Inch MBA question

[DaveWil]

I currently have a 2010 MBP and I was looking for a light weight options when I do a lot of traveling. I need to use the computer for the normal browsing and light iOS and OSX development. Most of the location I visit will have an external monitor for me to use. I am thinking about getting the 11 inch MBA just for the size. I will pay to get the upgraded CPU, Memory, and the 256 HD.

It appears that the only differences between the two computers are the size, screen size, and SD port am I missing anything else important?

 

[Abazigal]

The 13" also boasts longer battery life as well, for whatever it is worth to you. Though I just find the 11" much More aesthetically pleasing for some reason.

 

[ChristianVirtual]

I switched once from MBP17" to MBA 11" and don't regret. Also because of my iMac in addition. Really nice to travel with and enough for what you described. just make sure to max it out as its nearly impossible later.

 

[boy-better-know]

Though I just find the 11" much More aesthetically pleasing for some reason.

Got to agree. I just bought the retina mbp, but I will also get an 11 mba at some point just because they look amazing. It seems like magic to run osx on duch a small machine. It is beautiful. Buy one and max it out. If you can

 

[oneMadRssn]

Go to an Apple store or a Best Buy where you can find the 11" and the 13" side by side. Open Safari on both of them, load up the same website (such as cnn.com or ebay.com) and maximize (or full-screen) both windows. Notice how much less horizontal resolution the 11" has, and how much you'd have to scroll up and down to see the same thing that the 13" shows without scrolling.

If you're comfortable with that, go for it. I agree with others that the 11" looks really good, it's cute and portable.

There is no way a text forum can do either screen sizes any justice when it comes to comparisons. Go to the store and do a real apples to apples comparison as I described above.

 

[PBG4 Dude]

The trackpad gestures and multiple spaces feature makes the 11" MBA's screen seem larger than it truly is, IMHO.

 

[soulston]

Most of the other posts in this forum cover the main differences - higher pixel density on the 11" but a smaller vertical space due to the smaller screen and 16:9 aspect ratio.

My friend has the 11" and loves it. For me, spending any time in the web inspector in Chrome with that amount of vertical space was too annoying, even in full screen mode, so it's most likely going to be a 13" for me. I know it's only a difference of 132 pixels but it feels like more.

The trackpad on the 11" MBA is quite a bit shorter in depth than the 13" and I felt that it made my hand ache a little due to it being more scrunched up.

I'll be upgrading from a c2d 15" MBP so the 13" matches my current 1440 x 900 resolution.