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13" worth the extra 100$?

L

lightning inc.

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 24, 2011
100
1
few months ago sold my MBP 13" (low end) and now planning on buying 11" 128GB SSD + 8GB DDR3.
But the difference between 11" to 13" is 100$.
when i'm at home the MBA will be connected to an external display. (19")
few things to consider:
1. I want to sell my new MBA after 9-10 months. so if the 13" is more popular maybe the 11" will be less easy to sell.
2. when I'm outside I mainly serf the web, read PDF's and watch movies. (and running windows for some c/c++ projects). not much of a multitasking but still...

so maybe I should add the extra 100$?
thanks
 
lightning inc. said:
few months ago sold my MBP 13" (low end) and now planning on buying 11" 128GB SSD + 8GB DDR3.
But the difference between 11" to 13" is 100$.
when i'm at home the MBA will be connected to an external display. (19")
few things to consider:
1. I want to sell my new MBA after 9-10 months. so if the 13" is more popular maybe the 11" will be less easy to sell.
2. when I'm outside I mainly serf the web, read PDF's and watch movies. (and running windows for some c/c++ projects). not much of a multitasking but still...

so maybe I should add the extra 100$?
thanks
Click to expand...

Befor I bought my 2011 13" I took a good look at the 11" maxed out. It's just not enough real-estate IMO..The 13" screen makes a big difference. As to re-sale, I think the 13" would probably be a better bet there to.. FWIW, I went for the 256GB ultimate (at the time) and it's a great machine...I find myself grabbing it in favour of my iPad more and more.
 
There is a difference other than screen size, which is the obvious one.

The 13" packs a 7-hour battery, opposed to the mere 5 hours in the 11"

Also - the 13" consequently scores better on benchmarks, even with similar configurations.

Personally, I find the 11" is great because it's so small. But the screen is a little too small, and the touchpad/some keys seem a little cramped.

I'd go for the 13" - in fact I'm buying one later today ;)
 
You won't have any trouble selling the 11", that's not even an issue. The screen is fine for the internet, perfect for movies, a bit small for PDFs or Windows. It does seems substantially smaller when you pick it up - get the 11" if you need portability, the 13" if you need a bigger screen.
 
I was surprised that the 11" screen didn't bother me at all. I got the 11" model, maxed out, for portability, and thought the screen size would bother me, that I'd constantly be scrolling etc.

I'd strongly suggest going into a store and taking a look in person if you can.
 
For me it is, Considering it's my primary computer so I need a moderate screen size. That and the increased battery life.
 
Which pizza should I order for lunch? 11" or 13"? Should I spend the extra $5?

What's the answer? It's kind of obvious. It's up to me, depending on how hungry I am.

If you are planning to sell so quickly, then a 13" might make more sense. The only way to be able to tell which one is right for YOU is to play with them both. You can even order the one, try it for a couple of days and return it within 14 days for a refund and then try the other one.
 
totally depends on if you can use the 11" screen on not. I would not worry about resell value b.c both will be easy to sell on craigslist. If you can work with the 11" screen it feels way more portable even though the dimensions do not appear that different. I have an 11" and 13", and I am going to return the 13" b.c I always go for the 11". Like others suggested, go in store before buying
 
I had the 11 for a week and went for the 13. I don't lose any portability and the larger screen is significant. I'm really surprised at how long the battery last on the 13''. I use it all day and don't have to plug in. Huge difference because with the 11 if you used it a couple of hours at home, you are limited to a few hours away.

The 11 is still a great little machine. I would use it before a PC. You are just scrolling around a bit more and not as productive for me.
 
Thanks a lot you guys.
decided to abandon the 11" in favor of the 13".
if I buy the 13", I will not buy the external display...
My configuration:
13"
128 SSD
8 GB DDR3 (+100$)
student discount (-50$)
BTS gift (100$ gift card that I will probably sell)
$1,239.00 (without the gift card)

you guys said that this is a dumb post but it really changed my decision.
 
mattopotamus said:
I would not worry about resell value b.c both will be easy to sell on craigslist.
Click to expand...
I've been trying to sell my 11" and resale seems really bad, not like other Apple laptops, even worse than my 2009 Macbook Pro. The 13" isn't much better so I don't know if the size is really the issue.

The price difference is sometimes as little as $50. Its really the same computer in a different size case, battery bigger and bigger display.

The 11" feels much more portable. The difference in screen real estate isn't that much. The 11" has 1366x768 vs 1280x800 for a 13" Macbook Pro. The 13" is 1440x900. If you're watching movies, you end up with only 74 more horizontal pixels that makes is non-optimal for 720p movies.

But as others have said, it just depends on what your needs are. I love the 11 form factor, but I also have an iPad3 that I notice myself using more for casual surfing etc. so not obvious that I need the portability of the 11.
 
dmelgar said:
I've been trying to sell my 11" and resale seems really bad, not like other Apple laptops, even worse than my 2009 Macbook Pro. The 13" isn't much better so I don't know if the size is really the issue.

The price difference is sometimes as little as $50. Its really the same computer in a different size case, battery bigger and bigger display.

The 11" feels much more portable. The difference in screen real estate isn't that much. The 11" has 1366x768 vs 1280x800 for a 13" Macbook Pro. The 13" is 1440x900. If you're watching movies, you end up with only 74 more horizontal pixels that makes is non-optimal for 720p movies.

But as others have said, it just depends on what your needs are. I love the 11 form factor, but I also have an iPad3 that I notice myself using more for casual surfing etc. so not obvious that I need the portability of the 11.
Click to expand...

What year is your 11" and what are the prices you are being offered? Also, my eyes like 16:9 better than 16:10 that the 13" sports
 
lightning inc. said:
Thanks a lot you guys.
decided to abandon the 11" in favor of the 13".
if I buy the 13", I will not buy the external display...
My configuration:
13"
128 SSD
8 GB DDR3 (+100$)
student discount (-50$)
BTS gift (100$ gift card that I will probably sell)
$1,239.00 (without the gift card)

you guys said that this is a dumb post but it really changed my decision.
Click to expand...
Your final number is correct, but it's worth noting the ram is only $90 for students.
 
The screen size is personal preference.

13" has an SD card slot

13" has 2 more hours of battery life.
 
11" or 13"

I went to my local store and a Mac person said it all depended on whether I was happy with the screen size. I opted for the 11" because I found it just fine FOR ME.

The extra battery life of the 13" is important. The SD slot is not as for less than a pound I can get an SD to USB device from Amazon.
 
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