I have a early '14 11" MacBook Air that I use for College. It's great for portability, and has a smaller form factor than the 13". However, if I could go back and do it over again, I'd opt for the 13". I loved it at first, and I still do, but the screen is pretty small. I think it's just personal preference. A friend of mine also has an 11" MBA, but he doesn't use it as his main computer, whereas I currently do. My next MacBook, in a few years, will probably be a 13" screen.
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Another 11" vs. 13" Post...
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I would go with the 11" for a couple of reasons. First, you already have a rMBP 15" and this really is just a travel/portability machine. That, for me, eliminates a lot of the arguments against the 11"--and those are legitimate arguments. The argument for the 11 is portability and that's why you want a second laptop in the first place.
Second, the more portable you get, the more the size is going to change your relationship with the device. I have lots of 13" ultrabooks at work, but for me the 11 was just that little bit smaller and little bit lighter that suddenly, I'm slipping it into a sleeve and taking it places that I didn't take the 13s. The 11" isn't just about having your computer lighter for those places you have to drag it along, it's also about being so light you take it places you never would think of.
It's also cheaper and if you are looking purely for a "secondary" laptop, you probably want to be as cheap as possible about it.
The one thing I would caution though is what someone above said about never going back once you go retina. I haven't gone retina, but I now have an XPS13 1080 at work and even that bump in resolution has made me a little dissatisfied with my MBA11 screen. Not enough to cough up for a rMB yet, but probably the next iteration. That, in itself, is probably a good reason to head to the store and give them all a good look and test in person.
Second, the more portable you get, the more the size is going to change your relationship with the device. I have lots of 13" ultrabooks at work, but for me the 11 was just that little bit smaller and little bit lighter that suddenly, I'm slipping it into a sleeve and taking it places that I didn't take the 13s. The 11" isn't just about having your computer lighter for those places you have to drag it along, it's also about being so light you take it places you never would think of.
It's also cheaper and if you are looking purely for a "secondary" laptop, you probably want to be as cheap as possible about it.
The one thing I would caution though is what someone above said about never going back once you go retina. I haven't gone retina, but I now have an XPS13 1080 at work and even that bump in resolution has made me a little dissatisfied with my MBA11 screen. Not enough to cough up for a rMB yet, but probably the next iteration. That, in itself, is probably a good reason to head to the store and give them all a good look and test in person.
Lol? Anti virus is free and you don't need it with common sense. My parents 5 year old Windows laptop which I bought for them is still running fine as well.
Yeah, I've been using Windows PCs for practically my whole life and I have to say that a lot of their bad rep is greatly exaggerated by Apple marketing. I've never paid for antivirus protection, and especially since Windows 8, the free Windows Defender that comes installed offer sufficient protection so long as you're not visiting really sketchy parts of the web and downloading sketchy stuff. The best malware protection is common sense and keeping your OS up to date.
Windows has come with free anti virus pre installed since Windows 8 I believe and it does the job. I have Norton but thats because I bought it for my parents and since it comes with installs for like three computers I figured why not. At worse it will catch anything as a good backup to my common sense lol. My parent are old schooled as it comes with computers so they "require" anti virus and Windows. I bought this MacBook for school and suggested I'll give it to them after my schooling is over considering they are using a 5 year old laptop with an ivy bridge i3, poor HD TN panel, 5400 rpm 500gb HDD and 4gb of ram but they insisted on keeping Windows even though you can run boot camp or even VM.
A lot of the bad rap that Windows has received is due to Windows itself and Microsoft's handling of Windows. Of course the usual apologetics come into play with placing blame on OEM drivers, OEM software, and so on.
Windows is fine for people who install little to no software beyond what comes preloaded on their systems. But for people who regularly install software, Windows will slowly but steadily slow down to a crawl over time. Typically when a new app is needed for a function, one might install 2, 3, or more alternatives to test to see which one suits the needs best. Once selected, the others are removed.
Windows still does not offer a system-level software management tool. As a result, many developers rolls their own (or use 3rd party tools to create installers/updaters/uninstallers) and the uninstaller leaves behind junk that can slow a system down. orphaned system services, auto-update checkers, etc.
I regularly perform system maintenance not only on my Windows systems, but on those of my non-techie friends and family. Usually when they're complaining about their system slowing down and thinking of buying a new one. After I'm done, they're amazed at how well it runs... often times better than when it was new because I remove/disable the bloatware. But not everybody is capable of doing that. THAT is in part, what contributes to the reputation that Windows has earned.
There are many who complain about their Windows systems that have never been exposed to Apple's marketing.
I have to say that you're giving Apple's marketing more credit than it deserves. I'm all-Apple for a reason; from my perspective Windows has done the damage to its reputation all on its own.
Not interested in starting a PC vs. Mac debate, but I'm wondering what cave you find people who have never been exposed to Apple marketing in.
I've been all over the world, and in two countries in particular - Sri Lanka and Nigeria - I met people who had never heard of Apple. When I was trying to find a power adapter replacement in Colombo, the locals thought I wanted fruit rather than hardware.
Incidentally, the Sri Lankan Windows machines were abysmal. No real surprise there!
I know the 12" rMB wasn't one of your listed choices, but I'm going to toss a vote in for it. I was in a similar situation to you and ended up going with the 12" rMB.
My first Mac was a 2010 11" MBA and I loved it. After endless problems with various Dell and HP computers, I decided to try the MBA out. The 2010 11" was my main computer for two years and I have been primarily a Mac user since (I have some cheap Windows/Linux machines just to mess around with).
In 2012 I stopped traveling a lot and wanted something with more power so I grabbed the 15" rMBP. With the retina screen and massive power upgrade I was very pleased. It is still my main machine and still working just as good as the day I got it.
Late last year I started traveling again more and needed a more portable computer for uses basically the same as yours. My first thought was the 11" MBA. It is a special computer for me as it was my first Mac, so I went to the Apple store to check it out along with the other models, including the 12" MBA. I took the base 11" MBA home because it was cheaper and I thought hey, I used it for two years so I knew what I was getting into.
I went on a 10 day trip right after and while the MBA worked fine, I really missed a retina screen. I also realized I preferred the aspect ratio of larger models.
When I got back I returned the 11" MBA and bought the 12" rMB and haven't looked back. I love this computer and, for me, it is the perfect portable secondary machine. It was all about the screen for me, and for my usage I don't find it lacking at all in performance.
TLDR: if it is within your budget I'd totally recommend taking a look at the 12" rMB given your use case and the 15" rMBP you have as your main machine.
My first Mac was a 2010 11" MBA and I loved it. After endless problems with various Dell and HP computers, I decided to try the MBA out. The 2010 11" was my main computer for two years and I have been primarily a Mac user since (I have some cheap Windows/Linux machines just to mess around with).
In 2012 I stopped traveling a lot and wanted something with more power so I grabbed the 15" rMBP. With the retina screen and massive power upgrade I was very pleased. It is still my main machine and still working just as good as the day I got it.
Late last year I started traveling again more and needed a more portable computer for uses basically the same as yours. My first thought was the 11" MBA. It is a special computer for me as it was my first Mac, so I went to the Apple store to check it out along with the other models, including the 12" MBA. I took the base 11" MBA home because it was cheaper and I thought hey, I used it for two years so I knew what I was getting into.
I went on a 10 day trip right after and while the MBA worked fine, I really missed a retina screen. I also realized I preferred the aspect ratio of larger models.
When I got back I returned the 11" MBA and bought the 12" rMB and haven't looked back. I love this computer and, for me, it is the perfect portable secondary machine. It was all about the screen for me, and for my usage I don't find it lacking at all in performance.
TLDR: if it is within your budget I'd totally recommend taking a look at the 12" rMB given your use case and the 15" rMBP you have as your main machine.
Hey Guys,
Thanks everyone for all your time and help, I really appreciate all the awesome responses. =)
Just to close the loop on this, my friend ended up buying a new 2015 rMB 12".....and so he sold me his 2013 MacBook Air 13" for cheap! Sooo, I am typing this post on my 'new to me' MacBook Air. W00t!
Thanks,
Asif
Thanks everyone for all your time and help, I really appreciate all the awesome responses. =)
Just to close the loop on this, my friend ended up buying a new 2015 rMB 12".....and so he sold me his 2013 MacBook Air 13" for cheap! Sooo, I am typing this post on my 'new to me' MacBook Air. W00t!
Thanks,
Asif