13" M2 MBA + Sidecar or 15" MBA?

[cyberm0925]

Hello. This fall I am starting college, and am looking for a laptop/setup that will work best for me.
Currently, I value having something very portable but also having a enough screen real estate to multitask so I can have notes and and an assignment pulled up at once for example.
Currently, I am debating getting the new 15” MBA or getting the 13” MBA and using sidecar+my iPad Air as a second monitor when needed.
I will look at the 15” in store, but I feel like the 15” may be too cumbersome to carry around, but on the other hand the screen real estate it offers is very nice.
Option 2 is purchasing the 13” MBA and using that to take notes etc. and, when needed, use sidecar and my iPad air as a second monitor to pull up notes etc.
With the 13” option, I think I would get more screen real estate over all when I need it, but at the cost of having to bringing out and setting 2 devices every time I need 2 screens (not sure how often that will be, if anyone has any idea let me know as well).
On the other hand, with the 15” option, I would carry around 1 larger laptop, and I believe I would have less screen real estate over all (compared to the MacBook Air + iPad), but still 1 larger device vs 2 individually deployable devices when needed.

What do y’all think?

 

[ucfgrad93]

I wouldn’t want to have to set up 2 screens, so I’d go with the 15” Air.

 

[Eric8199]

I agree. What about getting the 13 and a monitor to dock it to when you’re int the dorm? Or are you looking for the extra real estate when you are out and about? If that’s the case, the 15 is what you want. I think it will be light enough to not be that cumbersome.

 

[cyberm0925]

I agree. What about getting the 13 and a monitor to dock it to when you’re int the dorm? Or are you looking for the extra real estate when you are out and about? If that’s the case, the 15 is what you want. I think it will be light enough to not be that cumbersome.

In my dorm room desk, I hope to have some sort of dual-monitor setup for my Windows computer, so at this point I am mostly trying to figure out a good setup for when I am outside of my dorm, such as at lectures or the library.
I would like to multitask when I am out and about. My dillema is I would like something that is very easy to handle and portable, yet still have lots of screen realestate. I think the 15" just looks bigger in pictures than it will in person. My second option is getting the 13" and using my iPad mini if/when I need a little bit more realestate.
Hopefully I can run by the Apple store Tuesday to check out the 15" and see what I think.

 

[ctjack]

I saw girls hauling 16 inch MBP to the university all day. Back in the day we finished universities with 7 lbs laptops which usually came in a 15.6 inch screen size.
In terms of the real question, some of my classes were old school(curved auditorium) and 15 incher would not fit physically. Our new buildings had regular tables so it could fit anything.

 

[Dave245]

I would go with the 15” Air, it’s lighter than most other 15” laptops plus the battery life will get you though the day. I have the 12.9” iPad Pro and I’ve ordered a new 15” Air to replace my current 13” MBP 2019.

Also on the new 15” Air you get better speakers and even the base model has the 10 Core GPU which on the 13” you have to pay to upgrade too.

 

[cyberm0925]

I would go with the 15” Air, it’s lighter than most other 15” laptops plus the battery life will get you though the day. I have the 12.9” iPad Pro and I’ve ordered a new 15” Air to replace my current 13” MBP 2019.

Also on the new 15” Air you get better speakers and even the base model has the 10 Core GPU which on the 13” you have to pay to upgrade too.

True, I think I will be very surprised by how light it feels.

 

[Dave245]

True, I think I will be very surprised by how light it feels.

I think portability is key to you and your needs by the sound of it. The MacBook Air is a great device for that and the 15" will still be portable. The MBP would be overkill and heavier.

 

[Saturn007]

Thinking back on my college days, I’d go for the 13” MBA. Lighter, more comfortable, more manageable, and more suitable to classrooms, labs, and dorm rooms.

Be realistic. You're not going to haul around a MacBook Air *and* an iPad and set both up when you're out and about around campus. Not only will that be awkward, but you'd be quickly labeled the “computer dork”!

Given you hope to have a dual monitor setup for your Windows computer in your dorm, go for the 13” MBA. It will fit on those classroom chairs much more readily, as well as on cafeteria tables or library carrels or campus lounge areas or kiosks. You can plug it into one of those monitors, too, as needed.

For sure, get Apple Care+ with your laptop. In a campus setting, it will be easily dropped or knocked off a desk, chair, or table. You also want to have coverage in case something goes wrong with it. Many universities have Apple certified techs who can repair your laptop quickly or there will be somewhere nearby. Apple's mail-in turnaround is fast, too. You don’t want the large expense of a repair when on a college student budget.