Did you go for the 15” or 13” MacBook Air and why?

[IJustWannaTalk]

The 15" Air weighs 270g more than the 13" Air, that's an extra 22%. In a daily commute bag that makes a noticeable difference. For me, the smaller footprint of the 13" is also much more pleasant and less unwieldy – on the couch, in the car, in an airplane etc. For desk-only use I'd probably get a big fat 16" MBP. Or a mini

Now, I've lived with large laptops for many years, I had the 17" unibody MBPs and the aluminium one before that. It's not like I couldn't handle those. But times and priorities change. Comparing the 13" and 15" Airs side by side at the Apple Store I had no doubt that the 13" was the right size for me. If both cost the same it would have been a tighter race, but with the 15" being substantially more expensive the 13" was the clear winner for me.

The 17" Powerbook was beastly. Really regretted not getting a backpack for it. Something like 6.7lbs?

 

[helloapple1]

Got my 15" M4 MBA in today after returning my 13" M4 MBA, and I have a new found appreciation for this larger size while only being slightly heavier. Each to their own use-case of course, but I'm mostly NOT hooked up to an external monitor so it makes a big difference. Even if I was hooked up to an external monitor often I still believe I would go with the 15" version so that when I go anywhere I can still utilize the larger workspace. Just my perspective.

 

[IJustWannaTalk]

Got my 15" M4 MBA in today after returning my 13" M4 MBA, and I have a new found appreciation for this larger size while only being slightly heavier. Each to their own use-case of course, but I'm mostly NOT hooked up to an external monitor so it makes a big difference. Even if I was hooked up to an external monitor often I still believe I would go with the 15" version so that when I go anywhere I can still utilize the larger workspace. Just my perspective.

Excellent choice.

 

[bellflyer14]

I have the 13" M4 MBA. Part of me wonders if I would be happier with the 15" but I just love the form factor of the 13" when on the go.

 

[IJustWannaTalk]

I have the 13" M4 MBA. Part of me wonders if I would be happier with the 15" but I just love the form factor of the 13" when on the go.

It's really hard to go with anything larger if you're traveling. My wife loves her 15" MBA, but even with the lower weight it feels really big to me compared to my 14" MBP.

If I travelled regularly, I'd definitely go your route. It's just so much more convenient.

 

[bellflyer14]

It's really hard to go with anything larger if you're traveling. My wife loves her 15" MBA, but even with the lower weight it feels really big to me compared to my 14" MBP.

If I travelled regularly, I'd definitely go your route. It's just so much more convenient.

Even though the 15" is lighter than the 14" MBP, I suppose it is the footprint that makes it feel so much bigger. Almost opted for the base 14 MBP for the screen alone.

 

[helloapple1]

Even though the 15" is lighter than the 14" MBP, I suppose it is the footprint that makes it feel so much bigger. Almost opted for the base 14 MBP for the screen alone.

The 14” MBP footprint is nicer than the 15” MBA, but I’ve noticed that the difference in extra screen real estate feels so much nicer on the 15” (more spacious). The 14” feels a lot similar to the 13”. In fact when I tried the 16” MBP and then tried the 15” MBA, the experience was very similar with the screen sizes. All personal preference. The Promotion display is really nice on the Pro’s.

 

[HelloPervert]

I hear this rationale from people & it doesn’t make sense to me. The font size isn’t any bigger on the 15” thanks to Apple’s retina DPI spec, just the amount of things you can fit on the screen at once. So I don’t understand how this helps aging eyes.

I think it's easier because I can fit more stuff on the screen with a larger font versus the 13"

 

[JaredJenkinsDesign]

The 14” MBP footprint is nicer than the 15” MBA, but I’ve noticed that the difference in extra screen real estate feels so much nicer on the 15” (more spacious). The 14” feels a lot similar to the 13”. In fact when I tried the 16” MBP and then tried the 15” MBA, the experience was very similar with the screen sizes. All personal preference. The Promotion display is really nice on the Pro’s.

Yup I agree. I have my 13" MBA (personal) and 14" MBP (work) side by side and they're very similar. Despite the similarities, the differences are there though as I can tell the slight weight difference and see the smoother cursor on the MBP. The jump from 13" to 15" feels bigger as my old Intel 15" MBP definitely had a larger footprint and took up more space. Definitely personal preference like you said and it's nice that we have several options to choose from that best suit our needs.

 

[JuliaJoanneBlack]

I just bought a 13-inch M3 MBA. I chose this over the 15-inch because I already own an external display and because I already own a 15-inch PC laptop.

 

[glambutnerdy]

I don't own any MBA (nor do I plan on buying one) but I was very surprised at how small the newest 13 inch models are in real life-- I guess I was accustomed to the older pre 2017 models but despite the screen footprint being the same I think it still somehow makes it more cramped/uncomfortable, just from the slight change in angle you'd end up looking down at it by, or the typing experience/less space to rest your wrists/hands. 15 inch all the way.

 

[Meedoss]

15", replaced a M1 24" imac with it. Daughter has a 13" to compare, bigger screen and speakers suits me.

 

[crion1]

Coming from a 2019 MBP 16” intel 8-core, radeon to 15” MBA 24/512. I wanted an 16” MBP 24/512 but it’s just expensive.

Plus the 15” MBA is just so light and thin. For office use its just great. I’m trying my way around semi-VM’s currently with orbstack. I’d like to revisit this topic in a year.

 

[ignatius345]

13" for size and absolutely a minimum of weight. A fair bit of my laptop usage these days is on a commuter train where a 15" would be awkward to use.

The rest of my usage is heavy multitasking and graphic design, for which I have iMac M4 on my desk.

The one use case I hit occasionally which really requires more space from my laptop is when I am working remotely from a location that isn't my home (doing the work I'd be doing on that iMac). In that case, I have a 1440p portable display which fills in quite nicely.

 

[Dennis Jay]

I opted for the 13" MacBook Air because I prioritize portability and travel a lot for work. The smaller size makes it easier to carry around and fits well in most bags. Plus, the performance and battery life suit my needs perfectly. However, the 15" is great for those who need a larger screen for multitasking or extended use.

 

[JenniferDances]

Going to Best Buy to pick up a 15 , 16/256 now that it’s 150 off for the house / personal comp.

This is going to be a night/day difference coming from a late 2013 27” iMac right? 🤣. Will still be able use that for downloading flacs, streaming live concerts, etc 🤞…but for anything else it’s unbearable. The other resource it still has is being hardwired in, during the Ticketmaster on sale rodeos.

Can get stuff like a dock, external ssd, and a monitor or two down the line. The Samsung 2008 monitor I had connected to iMac finally blew out last fall. Atleast secure the machine now at a good price.

 

[coolguy4747]

The 15" Air weighs 270g more than the 13" Air, that's an extra 22%. In a daily commute bag that makes a noticeable difference.

I have a 15" Air for work and sometimes I wonder whether I forgot it. It's basically all I have in my backpack and I barely notice it's there 😂

 

[SuzyM70]

13" as it cost less. Also the size and weight seem just right for me.

 

[vi2867]

I got the 13" for portability. When I am home I connect to an external screen for larger viewing.

 

[flatfoot]

I chose 13" for portability.

I can always hook up a big display or two at home – and would probably go back to 11" if Apple offered this option.

 

[MultiFinder17]

I chose 13" for portability.

I can always hook up a big display or two at home – and would probably go back to 11" if Apple offered this option.

I do miss the 11" Air - I still have my 2015 that I use regularly around the house, and it's such a fantastic little form factor. If they made a modern reincarnation, or even a 12" rMB I'd be all over it.

 

[Howard2k]

I do miss the 11" Air - I still have my 2015 that I use regularly around the house, and it's such a fantastic little form factor. If they made a modern reincarnation, or even a 12" rMB I'd be all over it.

It's almost the same as the 13". You could measure the difference in paperclips.

 

[flatfoot]

It's almost the same as the 13". You could measure the difference in paperclips.

Sure, but just imagine how small they could make an 11" with those thinner bezels.
Although I do like a "full-size" keyboard.

 

[ufgatorvet]

I went into Best Buy (no Apple Store near me) two different times to spend 15 minutes with both 13" and 15". After that 30 mins, decided the 13" "felt" right to me. Very subjective, but sometimes you gotta go with the gut.

Haven't opened it up and started using it quite yet, so I may revise my opinion soon!!

I did find that the silver's cosmetic appearance seemed to "hold up" better with all the (assuming) heavy Best Buy usage, so went with that. The midnight -- brand new, looks wow -- but the hand smudges were too much for me to look past. The silver hardly showed any use whatsoever.

 

[flatfoot]

I went into Best Buy (no Apple Store near me) two different times to spend 15 minutes with both 13" and 15". After that 30 mins, decided the 13" "felt" right to me. Very subjective, but sometimes you gotta go with the gut.

Haven't opened it up and started using it quite yet, so I may revise my opinion soon!!

I did find that the silver's cosmetic appearance seemed to "hold up" better with all the (assuming) heavy Best Buy usage, so went with that. The midnight -- brand new, looks wow -- but the hand smudges were too much for me to look past. The silver hardly showed any use whatsoever.

True, midnight blue is a smudge magnet. But the smudges wipe away quite well just from putting the MacBook in its sleeve and getting it back out.