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Did you feel the 13 was better for you but still got the 11?

U

UKmacman

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 4, 2007
254
1
Ok so before we start I know there are a lot of 11 or 13 threads, but I guess they are relevant to people who have yet to buy their MBA - like me!

Anyway the point is my head says I should get the 13 - bigger screen & better battery but when I look at them in the apple shop the 11 looks amazing and the 13, well a little, I don;t know, just not as good as the 11.

I am coming from a black macbook and for my needs the MBA will be fine, I will buy the ultimate of either machine.

So finally the question or point. For me the 11 is almost perfect but I do worry if the screen is just that little too small. Who else felt that the 13 would probably be the better choice but ultimately went for the 11. Was it the right decision?
 
Which do you need more, the bigger screen and battery? Or the extra portability? Or maybe you need the SD card slot?

For me, the decision was easy. I didn't need power, or a massive amount of storage space as mine is my secondary computer. Instead, I needed something just a little more usable than an iPad, but just as portable.

Edit- Some extra info. Previously owned a Rev B. as well as 2009 and 2011 MBPs and an iPad.
 
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After owning the 13" original Rev. A, then upgrading to the Rev. B when it came out (skipped Rev. C), I couldn't resist the new faster SSD 2010 models. But, being unable to choose between the 13" I was used to, and the really neat 11", I ended up getting both. :rolleyes:

I used both of them, but found that I seem to favor the 11" due to the small size. When the 2011 models arrived, it was the 11" that I upgraded, keeping the 2010 13". Of course, the larger SSD had a lot to do with my decision, but the faster CPU was also a factor.

I still routinely use both models, but if I am holding the Air while using it (on the couch) rather than at a table, I grab the 11". The double-tap zoom and full-screen application features introduced with Lion really makes the 11" a nice computer to use!

But, you can't go wrong with either one of the Airs!


-howard
 
Personally, I got the 11 inch one. I just wanted a second computer since I use my Macbook Pro 13" hooked up to a 24" screen for movies and Photoshop.

I'm really happy with the 11". Almost fits in my pocket. ;) I use it for college everyday and I don't even notice it in my bag.

Get the 11" if you don't need the bigger screen. That's my advice.
 
I replaced my 2009 macbook with a 2010 13" 1.86 128SSD MBA. After about 6 months of use I upgraded to the 2011 11" i5 128SSD. I thought they hit the sweet spot on pricing with spec's for the new 11" models vs the 2010.

I love this machine for it mobility. Especially moving around with it while open. It feels so easy grabbing it while open and walking form point a to point b. The 13" was light but id did not feel comfortable grabbing it by one corner while open and doing the same, creek! lol....

I do not notice taking a hit with screen real-estate on the 11". The pixel density is so good, and the Lion options make it feel much bigger then it is.

Both are great machines and it comes down to preference. For me, the 11" was the best choice I have made with apple, but I would of never known until I had it with me for a few weeks.
 
UKmacman said:
Anyway the point is my head says I should get the 13 - bigger screen & better battery but when I look at them in the apple shop the 11 looks amazing and the 13, well a little, I don;t know, just not as good as the 11.
Click to expand...

I thought similiar like this before I bought one. The 13" looks better on the paper and it was my mind that said go with it, but my heart said go with the 11" it's the more fun computer and gives you the better experience.
In the end I listened to my heart :p and never regret it in a second :) It was one of the best decisions ever.
 
I took a while to decide also--thinking the 11" was going to be too small. I came from a 15" windows pc. I love it! It is so lightweight and I have no complaints at all. The size is not an issue in any way. I bought the 2gb ram, and I do regret that--go with the 4. Has not affected me yet in any way, but I just wish I went with it.

Go get it--you will love it!!
 
Having owned both the 11' (2010) and 13' (2011), I can say that I do miss the quasi-iPad portability of the 11'. As someone already said, you can walk around with it, you can sit back (in an armchair, sofa or bed) with it and the real-estate sacrifice is not one that I ever really noticed. For me, it was the battery life that pushed me towards the 13' but then again I do have a MBP as my main computer so perhaps the real estate issue can be overcome when it comes to doing photo editing or video editing.

Both excellent machines and I do love the SD card slot on the 13'. Wouldn't want to be without it
 
Wanted the 13", but went 11" since I have a 27" iMac.

Never notice it in my backpack though, so it's definitely very portable.

Just wish the screen tilted back farther and the battery lasted a little longer x_x
 
I thought I only wanted the 13-inch machine. While I was looking for a good deal on craigslist, I found an 11-inch, 128 GB SSD with 4 GB of RAM that was so cheap I had to get it, if only to resell it right away.

While I had it, I gave a try. I am totally sold on this. After almost 8 months I am still impressed with it. I really love how small and light it is while still letting me do everything I want, including video editing with iMovie. Wonderful machine.
 
I was pretty well sold on the 11…with the 13 sort of nagging me in the back of my head. I didn’t realize how much I loved my 11 until a month later when I was in the store revisiting the 13. It took me all of about 10 seconds to realize how happy I was NOT to have chosen the behemoth 13 :p

Now, I understand that scenario could work in reverse…but I just get the sense that most satisfied 11 owners don’t think twice about the 13…where as most 13 owners kind of wonder (or wish) that they had an 11 ;)

YMMV!
 
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