2011 Macbook Air - Any regrets on size choices?

[Stingray454]

Can 11" drive the big 27" thunderbolt display? If so, I think that'd be a great mix of amazing screen size at my wife's desk and great travel size for meetings on the road as well.

Yes it can. I don't have one for myself, but I will get an Air + TB-Display combo when the next update comes. As you said, perfect for both desktop work and travelling Also, it looks great with the air in a Bookarc stand on the desk.

 

[ntrigue]

I have no regrets having chosen the 13" screen. I had my eye on the 11" for a month but couldn't justify an ACD, keyboard and mouse just to be more portable. My favorite feature is BATTERY life. I always get home just above 20% and the 11" would have been long dead.

 

[NutsNGum]

Thank you for the info! So it wasn't just my eyes then...lol. I'm looking forward to seeing what the 2012 batch of MBAs brings, as I've decided I don't need one right away. Agree that it'd be nice for the screen to be comfortable without needing to make adjustments. When the 2012s come out, I'll try one out and see if f.lux helps.

Just to test my theory, I bought a refurb 11" yesterday. I was looking to get one as a secondary machine anyway, but this conversation pushed me over the edge. It arrived this morning and I quickly changed the screen settings to the Macrumors colour profile that was doing the rounds for the LG screen. The screen looked 100 times better, but fundamentally, it made no difference, my eyes were still aching within about 10 minutes of using it, I then added f.lux to the mix to see if it would make a difference, and it didn't.

Just to clarify, I had an 11" previously with a Samsung screen, and this eye ache did not occur with that panel, at all. My eyes felt perfectly fine using it for any length of time. For reference, I have a 17" which has pretty much the same pixel density as the 11" and I do not suffer any vision problems when using it.

Needless to say, it's going back. I'm pretty convinced that there's something specifically about the LG screen that make some people's eyes wonky. It's definitely not everyone that suffers this, but for me it's a complete show-stopper.

Hopefully the 2012 models address this.

 

[wineandcarbs]

Just to test my theory, I bought a refurb 11" yesterday. I was looking to get one as a secondary machine anyway, but this conversation pushed me over the edge. It arrived this morning and I quickly changed the screen settings to the Macrumors colour profile that was doing the rounds for the LG screen. The screen looked 100 times better, but fundamentally, it made no difference, my eyes were still aching within about 10 minutes of using it, I then added f.lux to the mix to see if it would make a difference, and it didn't.

Just to clarify, I had an 11" previously with a Samsung screen, and this eye ache did not occur with that panel, at all. My eyes felt perfectly fine using it for any length of time. For reference, I have a 17" which has pretty much the same pixel density as the 11" and I do not suffer any vision problems when using it.

Needless to say, it's going back. I'm pretty convinced that there's something specifically about the LG screen that make some people's eyes wonky. It's definitely not everyone that suffers this, but for me it's a complete show-stopper.

Hopefully the 2012 models address this.

Ah, thanks so much for doing this and for the detailed report! I wonder what it is about the screen that makes it so hard on the eyes? I used an 8.9" (!!!) Acer netbook at one point without any eyestrain, yet noticed it on the MBA 11" within 5 minutes of playing around with it in store.

 

[NutsNGum]

Ah, thanks so much for doing this and for the detailed report! I wonder what it is about the screen that makes it so hard on the eyes? I used an 8.9" (!!!) Acer netbook at one point without any eyestrain, yet noticed it on the MBA 11" within 5 minutes of playing around with it in store.

That's alright, man. Like I said, I was looking to get one anyway, but I'm glad I wasn't the only one that noticed this issue. It really is odd, particularly as it only seemed to be an issue on one of the panel types, in my experience at least.

One thing I did notice is that on the LG panel I was instantly aware of the pixel grid and my eyes almost immediately began to sting. With the Samsung panel, my eyes felt relaxed, there was no obvious pixel grid, and it was far easier to read from.

 

[wineandcarbs]

That's alright, man. Like I said, I was looking to get one anyway, but I'm glad I wasn't the only one that noticed this issue. It really is odd, particularly as it only seemed to be an issue on one of the panel types, in my experience at least.

One thing I did notice is that on the LG panel I was instantly aware of the pixel grid and my eyes almost immediately began to sting. With the Samsung panel, my eyes felt relaxed, there was no obvious pixel grid, and it was far easier to read from.

No, you definitely weren't the only one to notice! Let's see what 2012 brings

 

[Risasi]

I stopped in at the store and toyed around with the 11" for about half an hour. I didn't notice any eye strain issues. For me it comes down to 11" MBA or 13" MBP.

I'm going to wait for both 2012 models to be released and then upgrade one more time. We will see what feature spec looks like.

- HD 4000 graphics
- 6 hour battery life
- 6-8 GB memory
- USB 3.0
Those four specs will probably sell me on the 11" MBA, and I will keep large monitors in a few strategically located offices.

- cellular aircard
- 12" screen @ 1600x900 res

These are icing on the cake.

 

[redhead001]

I'm sorry what?

definitely no regrets here. I wanted the larger real estate, the higher res. Screen, better battery life and better base specs that the 13 offered. Just overall the 11" is too small for me and i don't even have large hands.

o.o