Believe or not, more dithering and given it's £60 (HE money) between the 11/8/128 and 13/8/128 I think I may end dithering back towards the 13"!
My photo processing laptop is a 17" monster so both felt teeny tiny in the apple store.
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11 vs 13
- Thread starter Otumelty
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Believe or not, more dithering and given it's £60 (HE money) between the 11/8/128 and 13/8/128 I think I may end dithering back towards the 13"!
My photo processing laptop is a 17" monster so both felt teeny tiny in the apple store.
Oh, I KNOW I should go with the 13" Air. It totally makes sense. But in my heart I'll always long for its little brother.
I'm torn. I miss having a computer so I don't want to wait long and there is no wait time for 11" where I am. I love the idea of having a smaller computer - I've just killed a 2008 13" mbp and while I know the 13" would be thinner and lighter than my old beast... It wouldn't be such a huge difference.
After my old computer having an hour battery life for over a year, I keep thinking battery is a priority... But after a bad battery life i have picked up certain habits... I'm only online when I need something, iTunes rarely open, screen light turned down and backlit keyboard never in, except when I need to type my password in the dark. I read all of this and think the 11" sounds great and then I think maybe I am just thinking that because I can get one now
After my old computer having an hour battery life for over a year, I keep thinking battery is a priority... But after a bad battery life i have picked up certain habits... I'm only online when I need something, iTunes rarely open, screen light turned down and backlit keyboard never in, except when I need to type my password in the dark. I read all of this and think the 11" sounds great and then I think maybe I am just thinking that because I can get one now
While I've owned 13" MBs and MBAs in the past and own an 11" MBA now, I was torn between an 11 or 13" 2012 MBA.
When I went from a 13" MB to a 13" MBA even though the footprint was the same, the Air was about half the thickness and weight and that made a huge difference in mobility. The 13" Air was a great improvement and by far the best notebook I had ever owned to that point.
When the 11" came out, I was a bit worried about the screen size, but it's form factor was so compelling I had to try it. It's been a great travel machine. While its screen size and battery life hinder its all day useability, it's a great machine to travel with, use in bursts through the day, or use with an external monitor when in a fixed location. My eyes aren't great but the screen is so crisp and clear its never bothered me, even though I have to be pretty close to it.
So I went to the Apple store on the weekend to make up my mind. If I needed something to use all day long, without an external monitor the 13" would definitely be my choice. But as I have external monitors available where I would work for long periods and the smaller screen is just fine for shorter use, it's still in the running. Battery life is not an issue with my current 11", it's form factor is fantastic for travel, and it's small enough that I don't have to take it out of my luggage when flying, so an 11" won out in the end.
My local Apple store did not stock the configuration I was looking for (11"/2ghz/8gb/256gb) so I ordered online today.
When I went from a 13" MB to a 13" MBA even though the footprint was the same, the Air was about half the thickness and weight and that made a huge difference in mobility. The 13" Air was a great improvement and by far the best notebook I had ever owned to that point.
When the 11" came out, I was a bit worried about the screen size, but it's form factor was so compelling I had to try it. It's been a great travel machine. While its screen size and battery life hinder its all day useability, it's a great machine to travel with, use in bursts through the day, or use with an external monitor when in a fixed location. My eyes aren't great but the screen is so crisp and clear its never bothered me, even though I have to be pretty close to it.
So I went to the Apple store on the weekend to make up my mind. If I needed something to use all day long, without an external monitor the 13" would definitely be my choice. But as I have external monitors available where I would work for long periods and the smaller screen is just fine for shorter use, it's still in the running. Battery life is not an issue with my current 11", it's form factor is fantastic for travel, and it's small enough that I don't have to take it out of my luggage when flying, so an 11" won out in the end.
My local Apple store did not stock the configuration I was looking for (11"/2ghz/8gb/256gb) so I ordered online today.
The same content on an 11" and 13" will appear larger on the 13". The 13" is also a more traditional aspect ratio and the 13" has more pixels so will have room for more content with less scrolling.
But the pixel density is higher on the 11" so while smaller, content is increadably crisp and clear. When I recently tried out the 11" and 13" at an Apple store comparing several web pages on both, the text was larger on the 13" but I found the 11" just as readable. More vertical scrolling was required on the 11" but the sites I tried fully fit on the 11" and there wasn't a difference in horizontal scrolling.
When I first got my 11" the aspect ratio took some getting used but I found moving my dock from bottom to side made a huge difference in the experience.
Went back in to look more closely at 11". It really didn't feel that small. Things people have said in here made me look more closely. I played for a while, moved the bar to the side and looked at it for ages. Turns out the 11" fits perfectly on the lecture tables, and the 13" is a bit big. That's pretty decisive in itself.
Long story short, it is mine tomorrow. They wont accept credit cards over the phone and bpay takes a few hours to register so I get to pick it up from 11am.
I figured that I don't do much browsing on my computer. I use my iPad. I plan to get iMac to work with my photos and graphic design stuff and, while my iPad is portable, it isn't practical for Uni.
I like that I could slip it into a bag if need be. Ideally it'd Hve a longer battery life but I can work with it.
Long story short, it is mine tomorrow. They wont accept credit cards over the phone and bpay takes a few hours to register so I get to pick it up from 11am.
I figured that I don't do much browsing on my computer. I use my iPad. I plan to get iMac to work with my photos and graphic design stuff and, while my iPad is portable, it isn't practical for Uni.
I like that I could slip it into a bag if need be. Ideally it'd Hve a longer battery life but I can work with it.
Here is my perspective.....
I own a 13" MBA 2011....my wife owns the 11" MBA 2011....
Whenever I use my wife's MBA i envy it, I think it's the perfect MBA for me....then...I start using mine with all my excel sheets from work...and thank god I have the 13. I think this is a matter of what you do vs what you like....having a 13" is more practical, the 11" is a bit more cramped, but on an airplane never hits the back seat and it is easily transportable. The extra screen real estate is awesome if your a businessman/woman and work with spreadsheets.....the portability of the 11 is unparalleled.
Not sure if I made this more confusing but I will say this....the combo of a 13" MBA and an iPad is perfect...if your a comp only person, then the 11 is the perfect all in one machine.....
B the way, I just sold my 13" 2011 and just bought a 13" 2012 MBA instead of a rMBp
I own a 13" MBA 2011....my wife owns the 11" MBA 2011....
Whenever I use my wife's MBA i envy it, I think it's the perfect MBA for me....then...I start using mine with all my excel sheets from work...and thank god I have the 13. I think this is a matter of what you do vs what you like....having a 13" is more practical, the 11" is a bit more cramped, but on an airplane never hits the back seat and it is easily transportable. The extra screen real estate is awesome if your a businessman/woman and work with spreadsheets.....the portability of the 11 is unparalleled.
Not sure if I made this more confusing but I will say this....the combo of a 13" MBA and an iPad is perfect...if your a comp only person, then the 11 is the perfect all in one machine.....
B the way, I just sold my 13" 2011 and just bought a 13" 2012 MBA instead of a rMBp
I've been thinking about this. I'm wondering if an 11" might be able to take the place of the iPad. What's better: a 13" MBA plus an iPad? Or just an 11" MBA?
11" + iPad
They both fit in my man bag, and give me a combined total of about 15 hours of work life. Pages and other things sync between them. It is all cool, and it is kind of like having two monitors. I read PDFs on the iPad and take notes on the Air.
The 11" could definitely take the place of an iPad. It does everything (except handwriting). But, it isn't much fun to read on a computer, the iPad is a lot easier to use in bed, on the train, in line, at the gym, etc. It all depends on your budget and workflow.
In my case Evernote keeps pretty much all of my stuff (webclippings for reading, notes for work, PDFs for work, etc.) synced behind the scenes, so switching between the two is seamless.
That REALLY depends on what you work with, and how you work! No one can answer that question for you..
11" + iPad
They both fit in my man bag, and give me a combined total of about 15 hours of work life. Pages and other things sync between them. It is all cool, and it is kind of like having two monitors. I read PDFs on the iPad and take notes on the Air.
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I do the same and the beauty of this is that I have a dual screen system when I'm on the road using the "Air Display" app on the iPad 3 and the MBA 11. The resolution on the 2nd display (iPad 3) is higher than the system screen.
Plus I use the personal hotspot feature of the iPad 3 to connect my MBA to the internet and saving battery of my iPhone.
As everyone else has said, it depends a lot on your use pattern and personal preferences. I have a 13" and an iPad. For my purposes, they complement each other really well. I went for the 13" rather than the 11" because I wanted the extra screen space. Programs like Curio Core and Scrivener provide much better value on larger screens, IMO. The 13" is still very portable because it's so light and thin. The iPad serves as my main portable device, though. A 11" and an iPad would be too much overlap, from my perspective.
...
This is a tough decision. I've had the base 4/64 11'' for a few days and it has been impressive. Text is sharp and double clicking to zoom works well enough. Also works well with 24'' external. So no real deal breaker. But, I'm exchanging it for the 13'' 8/128. I'm reluctant to spend the extra $300, but concerned the 4 gigs of RAM might not be enough a few years down the line and 64 gb is a bit limiting even with an external USB 3 Lacie and SD Card reader. So now that I'm over the $1200 to upgrade the 11, the 13'' screen size, battery life, and SD card slot are too much to pass up for $100. I also couldn't find a messenger bag for the 11. They are all for the 13 so don't see the advantage if it's the same bag that's .5 pounds heavier? Still, $300 could have gone a long way towards the next one in a few years.
I have a desktop PC for video editing and wasn't planning on using the Air for video apps but at least that's more of an option with 13''.
This is a tough decision. I've had the base 4/64 11'' for a few days and it has been impressive. Text is sharp and double clicking to zoom works well enough. Also works well with 24'' external. So no real deal breaker. But, I'm exchanging it for the 13'' 8/128. I'm reluctant to spend the extra $300, but concerned the 4 gigs of RAM might not be enough a few years down the line and 64 gb is a bit limiting even with an external USB 3 Lacie and SD Card reader. So now that I'm over the $1200 to upgrade the 11, the 13'' screen size, battery life, and SD card slot are too much to pass up for $100. I also couldn't find a messenger bag for the 11. They are all for the 13 so don't see the advantage if it's the same bag that's .5 pounds heavier? Still, $300 could have gone a long way towards the next one in a few years.
I have a desktop PC for video editing and wasn't planning on using the Air for video apps but at least that's more of an option with 13''.
Go with 13 inch. 11 inch model is too small for you to get your college work done.
11" ftw
Classic debate never gets old.
I bought the 11" in 2010 and love the form factor. Display packs the pixels so you can put lots there. Easy to zoom around. Lion adds full screen apps which helps. At home I plug into a 28" monitor which also helps. Why carry around a big computer if you can have a tiny featherweight that is just as powerful.
Classic debate never gets old.
I bought the 11" in 2010 and love the form factor. Display packs the pixels so you can put lots there. Easy to zoom around. Lion adds full screen apps which helps. At home I plug into a 28" monitor which also helps. Why carry around a big computer if you can have a tiny featherweight that is just as powerful.
day 4
After 4 days with the 11 the screen feels more constrained. Glad I ordered the 13. Was hesitant to spend the extra $200 because I don't want to buy more than I need but now convinced extra screen will be worth it for my needs and still be very portable. The 11 is still a good option and if I used it in very tight areas like flying, meetings, school, etc it would be a good choice.
After 4 days with the 11 the screen feels more constrained. Glad I ordered the 13. Was hesitant to spend the extra $200 because I don't want to buy more than I need but now convinced extra screen will be worth it for my needs and still be very portable. The 11 is still a good option and if I used it in very tight areas like flying, meetings, school, etc it would be a good choice.