Anyone regret getting the 11"?

[entatlrg]

Not at all happy with these new airs. Toasters!
Will try the I5 but am thinking of just getting a refurb 11 inch air and going back to what I had!

Other than a few helpful posters here I ultimately had to go through both the i7 and i5 to realize the difference.

It is huge. I'm now running an i5 11" and an i5 13" ... so much cooler not only underneath but the palm rests too, and the fans don't kick in near as often.

For example on the i7 when in Win7 via Fusion while working on a design file, installing Windows updates, a few drop box folders the fan would roar and it was definitely hot not warm on the bottom.... doing the same thing with the i5 it's not hot, warm but not even real warm. Less noise too with the i5 I had to put my ear near the vent to hear if the fans were on.

So yes, the difference is big. All the benchmarks, comparisons, reviews why anyone just doesn't get to the point and discuss real world use I don't know.

Good luck on your exchange, I think you'll be much happier.

* Please post back your results.

 

[richard371]

i have the same. Best computer I have ever bought. This thing smokes and not much bigger then the iPad. Sure the battery is 3-5 hours but its a powerful workstation as far as I am concerned. I can't put it down.

I pulled the trigger on a 11" i5, 4th RAM, 128ssd. Got it for $1138 from Amazon. I hope it meets my expectations.

 

[victoras]

I bought the 11" 4/128 model from the Apple Store b/c I was sure in my mind for the last 3 months that I wanted the small form factor of the 11" model, especially since it was a secondary computer to my 27" iMac. "A real computer the size of an iPad" was what was so appealing. . .

I really wanted to like and be able to use the 11" for my work while traveling, which requires often having 2 documents side by side on the screen (eg a Word doc and a PDF). But the pixel density of the 11" makes things tiny (and I have 20/20 vision). This was the first time I ever had a computer give me a headache from eye strain (it also didn't help that it's so light that if you type on your lap it jiggles the laptop screen). I tried hard to compensate by increasing the zoom size of the documents (something I've never done on another Mac before), but then the limitations of the 11" screen and relatively low absolute pixel count became a problem.

So to my great sadness, I returned it to the Apple Store for a 13" Air. I've only been using the 13" for a day but it already feels nice to not have to constantly worry about how I'm going to fit everything I need into the screen while also being able to see it. Yes, it's bigger physically than the 11" although not as much as I had really expected and not a huge deal given I'm stuck carrying it in a medium sized bag regardless. Anyhow, at least for me, the 13" turned out to be the better choice for what I needed it to do. In a way, though, I'm glad I tried the 11" first, as I'm sure I would have been wondering the whole time if I should have gone smaller had I just bought the 13" right away...

 

[HiFiGuy528]

I got the Air yesterday morning. Amazon shipping was crazy FAST. One day! Now that I've been using it, it actually feels better on the lap than my wife's 13" 1st gen Air. At times her Air was awkward to hold on lap while browsing the web. The 11" feels perfect and it doesn't get hot at all. Very happy.

 

[DeusInvictus7]

I've only had my 11" for a day so I can't say for sure just yet, but so far I am loving this machine. I wanted something smaller than my 2010 13" for couch surfing and in September taking it to school, so I sold it and bought this 11". The screen, at least for me, doesn't seem like it's that small vertically, but then again I haven't started doing "real work" on it yet.

Funnily enough, my overall setup is backwards compared to most people. My MBA is actually going to be my main computer since I know I will be using it the most, and my iMac is going to be my secondary, specialty computer for specific tasks like media serving and games.

The only down side I can think of is the battery, but I knew it wasn't going to be as good as the 13". There are so many pros for this 11" that the battery isn't too much of a concern, especially since the sleep mode saves tons of battery in between uses.

 

[HiFiGuy528]

The 11" is so light I keep moving it when using the trackpad while scrolling and swiping.

 

[jouster]

I don't have one yet, but having seen both will be picking up an 11 when my '06 MacBook finally croaks (let it be soon....)

I'm curious regarding the rumored 15 inch version: would people get it? I would, if it had discrete graphics.

 

[KPOM]

I don't have one yet, but having seen both will be picking up an 11 when my '06 MacBook finally croaks (let it be soon....)

I'm curious regarding the rumored 15 inch version: would people get it? I would, if it had discrete graphics.

Those '06 MacBooks are tough. My mother had one that's been passed down to my sister. The screen is washed out (always was), it is heavy by today's standards, and has an ancient trackpad, but it is still plugging away.

That said, with the inflated Best Buy trade-in values, you might get about $250 for it. Alternatively, since it won't run Lion, maybe keep it as a backup since it still runs any PowerPC apps you might have.

 

[VMMan]

My 2011 MBA 11" is so awesome that my only regret is that I didn't last year buy the 2010 MBA 11" thinking it was too underpowered.

I missed out on an entire year of not being able to enjoy the mobility offered by the MBA line.

 

[NewbieNerd]

For the people that do like the 11", which I am planning on getting as soon as I sell my 17", do you use it extensively on your lap, without your knees up? How about on your lap sitting straight up in a chair, as you would have to on a bus or train? Do you feel like you have to hunch over at all, or does the screen tilt back sufficiently?

 

[LeakedDave]

Here is a 1:1 screen resolution mockup I made when deciding between getting the 11" or 13". Maybe it will help you too.

My train of thought went like this: "Hmm both resolutions aren't very good and I'm not going to be able to do any real work on either one without plugging it into an external monitor. 5 hours battery is good enough. Screw SD cards. And the 13" is noticeably heavier".

But we all have different priorities, so YMMV.

Huh? I used to get tons of work done on 1024x600 netbooks.

 

[VMMan]

For the people that do like the 11", which I am planning on getting as soon as I sell my 17", do you use it extensively on your lap, without your knees up? How about on your lap sitting straight up in a chair, as you would have to on a bus or train? Do you feel like you have to hunch over at all, or does the screen tilt back sufficiently?

I find that if the screen is tilted back completely, it's a perfect angle for when it sits on my lap while I sit on the couch.

It's also a good angle for when I am lying on my bed (with 1 pillow) and reading with the MBA, as I used to do with an iPad. (I have the keyboard part of the iPad resting on my chest, creating a kind of stand for the LCD screen which hovers near my head!)

 

[msregister]

battery and eyestrain

I got the mab 11' i7 ultimate as a replacement for my mbp 13'. At the office I have a acd 24' hooked up to my mbp 13' but felt that the 13' was too heavy to take home daily or for travel. I bought a ipad 2 hoping it would be my "take home and travel" computer, while it was great for consumption, i could not get work done on it productively.

So i got the mba 11' last week thinking it would be the perfect "take home overnight and travel" computer but after a few days of use i have following issues with it:

- battery life is very disappointing. with relative light mixed use i get barley 3 hours out of it. i wonder what i get once i load it up with more stuff. the percentage indicator melts away like snow in the summer. besides getting work done while traveling without having to constantly search for a power outlet, i also would like to be able to watch 1 - 2 movies when i am on a plane.

- eyestrain. i am in my 30s but after spending a hours on the 11' screen i feel the eye fatigue. i wonder if this is something that will get better after some time. (at the office its no issue since it is hooked up to the acd 24'.)

so i am contemplating now whether the 13' is the more sensible choice.

what would you recommend?

 

[teerexx52]

I got the mab 11' i7 ultimate as a replacement for my mbp 13'. At the office I have a acd 24' hooked up to my mbp 13' but felt that the 13' was too heavy to take home daily or for travel. I bought a ipad 2 hoping it would be my "take home and travel" computer, while it was great for consumption, i could not get work done on it productively.

So i got the mba 11' last week thinking it would be the perfect "take home overnight and travel" computer but after a few days of use i have following issues with it:

- battery life is very disappointing. with relative light mixed use i get barley 3 hours out of it. i wonder what i get once i load it up with more stuff. the percentage indicator melts away like snow in the summer. besides getting work done while traveling without having to constantly search for a power outlet, i also would like to be able to watch 1 - 2 movies when i am on a plane.

- eyestrain. i am in my 30s but after spending a hours on the 11' screen i feel the eye fatigue. i wonder if this is something that will get better after some time. (at the office its no issue since it is hooked up to the acd 24'.)

so i am contemplating now whether the 13' is the more sensible choice.

what would you recommend?

When the first 11" Air came out I had a 13" MacBook Pro. I sold it and tried to make the Air my only computer. I am almost 60 and wear glasses. To be honest with you I thought it was just fine but the limited size of the flash storage turned me off. After a bit I took it back and tried a 13" Ultimate. That computer worked fine. I had a larger higher res screen and enough storage for me. The problem I had with it was screaming fans and high temps. The Genius could never help me with it so it finally went back. I now have the computer listed in my sig and it is by far the best Mac I have ever had but not so portable. So I was using it in conjunction with an iPhone and iPad. So far so good. The new Airs came out and I decided to go with the 11" Air instead of the iPad. That has worked very well for me and I still have no problem with my eyes and viewing. However, I would still say as an "only" computer the 13" is a better choice. Battery seems to last 4-5 hours for me which meets my needs. Good luck with your decision

 

[alecgold]

I initially posted that the i7 11" was running hot. I have since done a clean install and it's now running about as cool as the 1.6GHZ core duo I had previously.

I pretty happy about this as this thing is a Monster.

Just a heads up.

thanks but your about the only person who has said that.

not sure why a clean install versus a factory install would make any difference what so ever.

Its the processor clearly.

The processor is generating heath, sure, but i've seen really odd problems and behavior getting solved with a clean install.
I have migrated my stuff in seven years through 7 apple's and when i get my MBA 11" I intend to clean install every program and password, just to get lost of all the debris and junk I collected over the years.
So a clean install can solve a lot!

 

[cityathrt]

I find that if the screen is tilted back completely, it's a perfect angle for when it sits on my lap while I sit on the couch.

It's also a good angle for when I am lying on my bed (with 1 pillow) and reading with the MBA, as I used to do with an iPad. (I have the keyboard part of the iPad resting on my chest, creating a kind of stand for the LCD screen which hovers near my head!)

VM Man -- That's almost *precisely* how I use my 11 inch in my lap too! When I'm sitting curled up, I have the keyboard on my chest and the screen on my legs, letting me naturally look down.

I have to say for a position like leaning against a hard surface, legs straight out, the 11 inch gets slightly painful because I hunch over more. It's much easier to do this position with the 13 inch. As for using both strictly in the lap, the 13 inch is a little more comfortable than the 11 inch (the bigger screen definitely comes into play here), but it's both uncomfortable after a while. I would highly recommend putting the laptop on the plane table or putting something underneath both laptops to create some height.

With regards to eyestrain -- I've found that brightness of the screen makes a bigger difference than I thought. When I first brought my 11 inch home, I got a headache within two hours of staring at the screen. Alarmed, I began researching whether text was larger on the 13 inch. After some moments, I realized that the brightness on my 11 was turned down to 50% by default. After turning it up to 80%, the headache quickly went away (I also brought home a 13 inch yesterday to compare and it seems that text on both laptops are... equally tiny )

 

[rower]

I have had both the 11 and 13" for the last year...

I find that I use the 11" 90% of the time.

I too worried about the screen height and constant scrolling but once I set the app bar to hidden so that it only appears when I cursor over it and on some apps minimize the lines of the tool bar at top, it is perfect and no issue.

I find the 11" far more portable - the 13" feels quite big in comparison. It wouldn't be an issue packing in a bag but carrying around it definitely is. And I am a big guy.

I find the 11" much more comfortable using in bed.

I think the 13" is better when used at a desk.

The battery life of the 13" is much better but frankly I charge pretty often. I also think that unless we have 20 hour batteries we will always wish for more!

Both are great.