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11 vs 13 macbook air

11 vs 13 mba

  • 11

    Votes: 370 48.6%

  • 13

    Votes: 391 51.4%
  • Total voters
    761
I've been watching this and similar threads on and off for a couple of weeks. Finally broke down early this morning, aiming for the 11" Ultimate. Major crunch- when I hit the Apple site, the refurbs in that config were gone.

FYI: http://updatescanner.mozdev.org/en/index.html
This Firefox add-on will check whatever page you give it, and alert you when the page changes... just about immediately. (Other change detectors I investigated were more like daily). Alarm with a popup. Just leave FF running in the background so the addon can kick in.

I had checked the site again mere minutes before installing the addon. About 20 minutes later, the addon did its thing. Order placed!!!

(Have a fairly new 27" iMac, and iPad. Had a 10" WinWoes netbook, so I *know* I prefer the smaller form for secondary usage purposes. No heavyweight apps planned. SD USB adapter takes the edge off the absent built-in SD slot.)
 
TreoRenegade said:
I've been watching this and similar threads on and off for a couple of weeks. Finally broke down early this morning, aiming for the 11" Ultimate. Major crunch- when I hit the Apple site, the refurbs in that config were gone.
Click to expand...

It's a popular configuration, but has usually been in stock as of late. I'm a bit surprised they are sold out for the moment. Anyway, it looks like you snared one a little bit later. My "Ultimate 11" arrived over the weekend and is working out well for the most part. The battery had only been through 13 cycles, but oddly enough Coconut Battery on OS X and BatteryBar Pro on Windows noted battery health was only about 97%. I'm not sure what the previous owner did in those 13 cycles (or whether that's why it was returned), but in any case, I'll see how it holds up.
 
The Catalyst said:
@TreoR - Keep watching the site, it seems like those refurbs keep popping up every two weeks or so.
Click to expand...
Thx much Catalyst, but re-read my post. I grabbed a FF addon to watch for me, then pounced immediately when one became available, so it's on its way. Good thing-- just checked and they are out, again.
 
teerexx52 said:
I have been working with using an external hard drive for my itunes library on the 11" and it has worked very well. I have 50GB free on the 11" base model.
Click to expand...

I have a question about this...So when you hook up your external, iTunes will populate with the music stored on your drive? How would you sync with your iOS devices. Do you import all the songs and delete them when your done syncing? Thanks!
 
Last edited:
There are lots of different ways to deal with music on an external drive. You can have separate libraries that you load depending on whether the external drive is plugged in, or you can just have all your media on the external drive, or you can have some of your media on the external drive, and just have it unabailable when you're not connected to it.
 
I was trying to buy the 11.6" MBA that someone pounced on this morning. By the time i tried to check out, it was gone. :/
 
Ordered 13" MBA Ultimate from IT, IT delivered 11" MBA (maxed out).

2 weeks later, IT emails and says they gave me the wrong 'puter.

Now I've got a 13" MBA maxed 'cept for the processor.

I'm just happy to have either in place of the standard Dell.
;)
 
xxplosive1984 said:
I have a question about this...So when you hook up your external, iTunes will populate with the music stored on your drive? How would you sync with your iOS devices. Do you import all the songs and delete them when your done syncing? Thanks!
Click to expand...

I connect the external drive to the air. Then I hold the option key(this being the first time you do it) and direct itunes to my external itunes library. Then yes, it populates the library with everything including apps. Then I just sync my phone or ipad as normal. Works exactly as if I were using the internal drive
 
jamesryanbell said:
I was trying to buy the 11.6" MBA that someone pounced on this morning. By the time i tried to check out, it was gone. :/
Click to expand...
Guilty. Sorry bout that. Suggestion: add this to FireFox, copy the URL of the 11" MBA page, insert into the add-on, set the # of minutes, alert, and keep FF in the background. Then turn up your speakers, and walk away. It will inform you, within minutes, of any changes to that page. That's how I caught the reappearance of "our" 11 inch.
http://updatescanner.mozdev.org/en/index.html
 
cooldaddybeck said:
Ordered 13" MBA Ultimate from IT, IT delivered 11" MBA (maxed out).

2 weeks later, IT emails and says they gave me the wrong 'puter.

Now I've got a 13" MBA maxed 'cept for the processor.

I'm just happy to have either in place of the standard Dell.
;)
Click to expand...

which did you like better.
 
I bought an 11"

Here's a fun fact: I use it more than my desktop which has a 40" screen (plus a 20" side monitor)!

It is just the most portable thing in the world. I code on it, matlab on it, CL on it, and of course do the more standard things on it as well. The only thing I *don't* do on it is any graphics work, but that's because I don't have the software set up.

Honestly, spaces makes the world go round. 11" * 8 = 88" <-- more than I ever need at once.
 
I have owned both the 2010 11" and 13" MBA for several months, along with a 2009 13" MBP. After using all of them for a few months to see which machine works best for me, I ended up selling the other machines and keeping only the 13" MBA, which I now use as my primary and only machine. No regrets whatsoever!

cooldaddybeck said:
They both have their points, but I'm enjoying the bigger screen on the 13"
Click to expand...
 
impulse462 said:
For me, it seems as if the 13" is in some sort of limbo. As others have said, if I decided to get the 13" MBA, I woulda just bought the 13" MBP, and as of now with the intel HD graphics...well.
Click to expand...

I see this argument over and over......but people seem to forget that the resolution of the 13" MBP is only 1280x800 compared to the 1440x900 of the 13" MBA.
For me resolution is everything so the MBP is NOT an option!
 
MrMacNasty said:
I have owned both the 2010 11" and 13" MBA for several months, along with a 2009 13" MBP. After using all of them for a few months to see which machine works best for me, I ended up selling the other machines and keeping only the 13" MBA, which I now use as my primary and only machine. No regrets whatsoever!
Click to expand...

what made you pick 13 mba over 11 mba and 13 mbp?
 
Have an 11" MBA. I don't mind the screen resolution since I just use it for taking notes & surfing the web. I wanted the smaller form factor since I already have a MBP 15" & windows XP desktop
 
I'd get a 11" Reasons -
  • when I'm away I need something really portable
  • It's featherweight
  • Lless expensive than the 13"
  • I've got a 21.5 iMac @home for serious work so that the air will not be my main computer
  • It's so small that it can be with me wherever I go. In fact, I can put it, a fully-blown computer, in my handbag
 
I opted for 13" MBA for its power. but now that I have it, I think it can well be a primary laptop easily for 80% of you. unless you are doing a lot of video editing or larger scale music production, 13" MBA feels very snappy and powerful enough. but for someone who bought it as a secondary laptop, it seems like a overkill.

I wish I got a 11" ultimate instead for the portability.
 
Picked the 13". It's replacing a 13" MacBook. Agonized over the 2 sizes for days but once I saw that 13" 1.86/4/128 appear on the apple web site, I said hot damn. Gimme.....

Now if I had a desktop, the 11" would suit me fine, but I don't.
 
I ordered an 11" because it was on sale. I really thought I wanted a 13", however, I think the 11" is perfect. It is just right in size. Side by side, the 13" looks like it would be a lot more useful, but when you are holding them, the 11" is just right. You don't really miss the extra screen space. Setup spaces and you are set. I love it. I will probably get the 11" ultimate on the next revision and sell this one. These computers are awesome!

BTW, my last mac was a late 2009 MBP 13", and I really like the 11" more. Reminds me of my old school 12" MBP which was one of my favorite macs.
 
13"

For the reasons many have said.

I'm moving away from needing a computer as powerful as an iMac at home, (sure could use it at work though) so I'm hoping the Air will become my de facto machine.
 
kazmac said:
For the reasons many have said.

I'm moving away from needing a computer as powerful as an iMac at home, (sure could use it at work though) so I'm hoping the Air will become my de facto machine.
Click to expand...

+1
My MBA 13" ultimate is awesome - and much faster than my 2010 MBP which had 8GB RAM and Intel SSD G2!!! Bootup times, app launch times, processing times are very fast on my MBA. I don't regret whatsoever having this awesome machine!
 
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