So I just started college, and realized that my 4 year old 13" Aluminum Macbook is running slow now. As much as I love it, it is time to upgrade. I'm not sure why, but I am drawn more to the 11" air over the 13", although the 13" provides more options. Has anybody had issues using an 11" air coming from a 13" screen? Also, what do you think about using the air as a main machine? Anyways, thanks!
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Coming from a 13" Macbook
- Thread starter WK05
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I use a 14" Windows notebook at the office and the 11.6" MacBook Air at home. There is definitely a difference, but since the 11.6" notebook has the same 1366x768 resolution common on today's notebooks (the 13" MacBook and my Windows notebook are 1200x800), it isn't as much as you might think. The main difference is that the top of the screen is a bit lower because of the 16x9 ratio and the lower stature of the MacBook Air's case. However, in a crowded classroom the smaller Air might be more convenient.
I've owned several plastic MacBook's, an Alu MacBook like yours and a 13" MacBook Pro and my 13" Air is by far the most portable and fastest machine of all of them. I didn't know how I would feel about the Air but after having it for the day it's really the best machine of all of them. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one again.
So I went to the store today and handled both the 11" and 13" models. I absolutely loved the size and portability of the 11" Machine. However, I honestly did not find the 13" portability to be that much better than a MBP (just my opinion). I forgot to mention that I am also using a new iPad 32GB wifi. Would you recommend selling the iPad for the Air?
At the end of the day, you'll have to choose the size that fits you best.
I prize portability. The 11" MBA is now the machine I take everywhere; I contemplated switching to an "ultimate" 13" MBA and could not handle the increase in size.
There are, however, various advantages to the 13" MBA - the screen resolution is coequal to a 15" MacBook Pro, there's an SD card slot, and tired eyes like mine probably do better with the screen real estate.
I can tell you that an iPad is not a substitute for an Air. I love my iPad, but it's a consumption device. I write for a living, and need a full-fledged computer to work. That's where the MacBook Air comes in!
I prize portability. The 11" MBA is now the machine I take everywhere; I contemplated switching to an "ultimate" 13" MBA and could not handle the increase in size.
There are, however, various advantages to the 13" MBA - the screen resolution is coequal to a 15" MacBook Pro, there's an SD card slot, and tired eyes like mine probably do better with the screen real estate.
I can tell you that an iPad is not a substitute for an Air. I love my iPad, but it's a consumption device. I write for a living, and need a full-fledged computer to work. That's where the MacBook Air comes in!
The 11" is absolutely phenomenal. Portable, powerful, practical. Just brilliant. Add a monitor to dock to when you're stationary and you're in computing heaven.