I have the 27" iMac, I'm fine with using the 11" Only disappointment is the 13" has more battery life, everything else the 11" can be on par with. However if you have a habit to use your machines on your lap, you would notice the 13" would be a much better choice.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Anyone regret getting the 11"?
- Thread starter HiFiGuy528
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I have the 27" iMac, I'm fine with using the 11" Only disappointment is the 13" has more battery life, everything else the 11" can be on par with. However if you have a habit to use your machines on your lap, you would notice the 13" would be a much better choice.
It will not be my sole computer, but will be my primary computer. I plan to have an external USB powered HD for storage to use alongside with the Air. All my media will be in the external drive. The Air will be tethered to my iPhone while on the road for internet. I wish the Air had a 3G slot.
This was how I came with my first decision of getting the 11", only to swap for a 13" after a day.
My thinking was that since I have a MacPro with a 24", the smaller 11" will compliment it nicely. That turned out to be flawed logic in my case, and here is the reason:
I do use my MBA as a portable computer, ie. not hooked up to an external display, a lot. It doesn't matter how big my desktop screen is, it should have little to do with my decision on my portable screen. If any, the opposite may be true: having getting used to a large desktop screen, it would be hard to get used to a smaller portable screen, therefore I may prefer a 13" over a 11".
I have spent the whole day working on the 11" (i5, 4gb 128go), I couldn't be happier...even during intensive computing it behaved much better than the 2.53 ghz mbp and with lower temperatures !
what would you rather have if you already use an iPad 2 as your main computer? The MBA would become my main computer but I would keep my iPad. What size is best?
I knew the battery would be less and I thought I would be ok with this but the 5 hours quoted may be in ideal conditions. I was more like 3 and this was not enough to keep me satisfied.
I also found that with certain tasks I had to zoom - such as make cells bigger when using excel\numbers, and certain websites.
I also felt the 13 was more comfortable to type on for extended use with the larger palm rest.
Don't get me wrong the 11 is amazing and a powerhouse but I felt like I was using a netbook at times compared to the 13 even though the specs are the same in some configurations.
I felt that I could do everything on the 13' for extended periods with no compromises. It made me feel better about spending this kind of cash.
I have the iMac 27 SSD Ultimate and an external extra ACD 27" LED and I'm so in doubt what to get - because I love so many things about the MBA 2011 11"
But my work offered me the MBA 13 2011 Ultimate and no chance of getting the 11" through them, so got the MBA 13 Ultimate.
Then because I do love the 11" I considered dumping my iPad 2 for the MBA 11" - but then came to my senses and have now bought this:
iMac 27 SSD Ultimate + ACD 27" LED for power use at home (aperture, photoshop, illustrator, indesign, dreamweaver, spreadsheet etc. )
MBA 13 Ultimate for notetaking, pages, numbers and light Aperture work ( will use at university )
iPad 2 3G for webreading, small notes, film, email and PDF reader
iPhone 4 for music, email, ToDo, notes and SMS/mms/talk
I got old the 11" and regretted it - the vertical resolution was just too small. It might have worked if it was a 16 x10 screen, but not at 768px high. It worked out well, because my wife really loved it for work, so she took it off my hands and I waited until now to get the 13" since I knew the core i5s were due soon.
I have the 2009 MBP 13" and originally bought the 13" MBA to replace the MBP as my sole Mac computer. However I'm now having second thoughts as to whether I should return the 13" and get the 11".
I realised that I have more than 85GB of photos and a lot of music as well on my MBP. I don't want to use up most of the space on the MBA with photos. I'm now thinking of keeping the MBP as a home computer connected to the external monitor, and using the MBA as a light ultraportable computer I can take with me anywhere.
I realised that I have more than 85GB of photos and a lot of music as well on my MBP. I don't want to use up most of the space on the MBA with photos. I'm now thinking of keeping the MBP as a home computer connected to the external monitor, and using the MBA as a light ultraportable computer I can take with me anywhere.
I don't regret it. I love how small it is and the screen size doesn't bother me. Only thing that bothers me is the battery
Well in terms of text size, it shouldn't be any more difficult on the 11" MBA than it is on a 13" MBA, 15" MBP with high-res screen, or 17" MBP. The pixel density is approximately the same on all of them.
You may have to do a bit more scrolling to read an article, but that's it.
I considered the 11", but ultimately went with the 13" instead.
The higher resolution of the 13" made more sense. I do have external monitors at home, but I don't feel like plugging the Air into them a lot, so every extra pixel does help. It's not like I have to sit down at a desk every single time I want to test out some codes I just wrote.
Then there is the thing with heat and battery life. Both of them are more important to me as I often travel to places with high ambient temperature and I need a computer that can stay off the wall for as long as possible.
But the most important factor, I think, is the size. I'm not exactly a large guy, but anything with less than a 13" screen, I have a hard time propping up on my laps. The 13" MBA is perfect, and I can have it up against my legs at a comfortable angle to work while I'm lying down. My aging back has been screaming these days, so every little bit helps.
The higher resolution of the 13" made more sense. I do have external monitors at home, but I don't feel like plugging the Air into them a lot, so every extra pixel does help. It's not like I have to sit down at a desk every single time I want to test out some codes I just wrote.
Then there is the thing with heat and battery life. Both of them are more important to me as I often travel to places with high ambient temperature and I need a computer that can stay off the wall for as long as possible.
But the most important factor, I think, is the size. I'm not exactly a large guy, but anything with less than a 13" screen, I have a hard time propping up on my laps. The 13" MBA is perfect, and I can have it up against my legs at a comfortable angle to work while I'm lying down. My aging back has been screaming these days, so every little bit helps.
There's no one right answer for everyone. The 13 is obviously the practical choice. It's light enough to carry around easily, it's got a higher resolution, and longer battery life. However, the 11 is considerably lighter and smaller, at the price of resolution. Is it too small? Many of us worked fine in the days of 1024x768 monitors, and the 11 is wider than that.
I was set on getting the 13 until I played with the 11 in person. While the 13 is plenty light (I had a prior 13), I'm much more likely to pick up the 11 and take it wherever I go. I think ultimately you have to go to the Apple Store and play with them in person. If you see the 11 and think "I've got to have it", then go for it. If not, the 13 has a lot of practical advantages.
I was set on getting the 13 until I played with the 11 in person. While the 13 is plenty light (I had a prior 13), I'm much more likely to pick up the 11 and take it wherever I go. I think ultimately you have to go to the Apple Store and play with them in person. If you see the 11 and think "I've got to have it", then go for it. If not, the 13 has a lot of practical advantages.
For me, as a few others here, the turnoff to the 11" is mainly the resolution. My 15" Toshiba at work has 1366x768, and I NEED to plug into to an external monitor or it drives me crazy.
I can live with 1440x900, at least for when I am mobile, or not remoting into a computer with a 1920x1080 res . I'll still probably hook into a large display at home/work for such things, but with activities like reading mail, and browsing the extra display the 13 gives over the 11 really does make a noticeable impact for me.
If it weren't for that, I'd get the 11'. (I still have good eyesight.. for now)
I can live with 1440x900, at least for when I am mobile, or not remoting into a computer with a 1920x1080 res
. I'll still probably hook into a large display at home/work for such things, but with activities like reading mail, and browsing the extra display the 13 gives over the 11 really does make a noticeable impact for me.If it weren't for that, I'd get the 11'. (I still have good eyesight.. for now)
I went through a similar process, but it did not help me at all.
On my first trip to the store, I spent most of the time with the 13" because I knew from experience working with another laptop with x768 resolution that the height was too short for me. But when I came home I thought about my current MacPro and 24" set up that a 11" may compliment my situation better. I went back and played with the 11" and convinced myself that it would work for me. It was such a neat form factor.
I brought the 11" home and used it extensively for a day, mostly coding and web surfing. No matter how hard I try to convince myself that screen size is just relative, that I would be able to get used to the 11". It's just a bit more scrolling. At the end of the day however I still wished I had a bit more vertical space. So I went back for the 13". What a difference that made. The increase vertical resolution made it a lot for functional for me. The one think I didn't expect was that I didn't find the 13" size increase to be a negative. I actually prefer it on my lap. So, I almost compromised for no reason.
So for me it's impossible to test the MBA in Apple Store. I need to use it the way I would: with my software, on my lap. After all, it's a laptop.
Of course your choice is quite personal: if the 13" is best for everyone then they wouldn't make the 11", and vice versa.
Question: I have a really powerful desktop already, so I should get a 11" right?
Answer: Only if that powerful desktop some how turn the 11" into a 13" or 17" when it sits on your lap.
I think it's really up to the usage. For me, I have a desktop at home already. The 11" macbook air is mainly used when I am on the road or I need to do something simple on my bed. If you are looking for a "main" machine, I would recommend to get the 13" instead.
I think the 11" macbook air is never meant to be a "main" machine. If you want to get something serious done, get the 13". However, if you want an extra machine which is light enough to carry around with you, 11" air is the choice.
I think the 11" macbook air is never meant to be a "main" machine. If you want to get something serious done, get the 13". However, if you want an extra machine which is light enough to carry around with you, 11" air is the choice.
I have a 2009 13" MacBook Pro with 8gb RAM and SSD installed. It boots faster than the new 13" Air, 17.8 sec. It's a nice machine, but way too heavy to carry around. I have a 1st gen iPad 3g that I currently lug around. It's nice to browse the web, but very limited and slow. Typing is awful without a keyboard dock.
I am seeking a more portable machine to REPLACE my MacBook Pro.
I am seeking a more portable machine to REPLACE my MacBook Pro.
In your case, get the 13" since this will be your primary machine. If you want to get an extra machine to carry around and NOT replacing your primary Macbook pro, then get the 11". The real estate on the 11" is just too small to use it as a primary machine if you want to get anything serious done.