Few questions about the MBA.

[Trav29]

Hey guys I have a few questions about the MBA. Just a little background info it will be my first Mac, I currently have an Alienware M11x and a custom desktop. I will be using the MBA to take with me to class. I like the form factor of the 11 inch over the 13 inch model. Do you guys have any suggestions on which one I should get? I have heard the 11 inch doesn't get as good battery life. But what amount of battery life does it get? Also about how much time does it take to charge the MBA from about 20% to 100%. This laptop needs to be future proof for at least 2 years. Do you think it is?

Sorry for all the questions just want to make sure I am making a good purchase.
Thanks

 

[johnhurley]

Hey guys I have a few questions about the MBA. Just a little background info it will be my first Mac, I currently have an Alienware M11x and a custom desktop. I will be using the MBA to take with me to class. I like the form factor of the 11 inch over the 13 inch model. Do you guys have any suggestions on which one I should get? I have heard the 11 inch doesn't get as good battery life. But what amount of battery life does it get? Also about how much time does it take to charge the MBA from about 20% to 100%. This laptop needs to be future proof for at least 2 years. Do you think it is?

Sorry for all the questions just want to make sure I am making a good purchase.
Thanks

If you get the 11 inch with 4 gb of RAM ( and 128 gb of ssd space ) sure it will be future proof for 2 years. The 2 gb of RAM is pretty dang tight and likely will hurt future resale value also.

Several recent threads around here on 11 inch battery life ... no it's not very good ( compared to the 13 ). No good idea on recharge time question shot in the dark guess is an hour.

They typically never recharge to 100% but no worries they get close to that number.

 

[3dflyboy1]

If you get the 4GB RAM, then it will definitely last two years or more. I have that model, and I typically get about 5 hrs of battery life with light web browsing (2-3 tabs open) and/or MS word. I have no idea about the recharge time...I've never really paid ant attention to that detail.

 

[Trav29]

Thanks for the help guys. I really like the form factor of the 11 inch its too bad the battery life isn't that great. Although most of the time I am just doing some web browsing. This is going to sound like a random question but how big is the charger for it?

 

[Macman45]

The Magsafe Is

Thanks for the help guys. I really like the form factor of the 11 inch its too bad the battery life isn't that great. Although most of the time I am just doing some web browsing. This is going to sound like a random question but how big is the charger for it?

About half the size of the MBP....At least mine is, so I would assume that although mine is a 13" they would be the same. Pretty portable, but I'd go for the 13" if you can.....The 11" is just not enough real-estate IMO.

 

[Trav29]

About half the size of the MBP....At least mine is, so I would assume that although mine is a 13" they would be the same. Pretty portable, but I'd go for the 13" if you can.....The 11" is just not enough real-estate IMO.

I am beginning to lean towards the 13". I liked the form factor and the price of the 11" more but for the extra money I think it would be worth it to get the 13".

 

[johnhurley]

I am beginning to lean towards the 13". I liked the form factor and the price of the 11" more but for the extra money I think it would be worth it to get the 13".

The 13's are really sweet ... two more thoughts.

If price is not that huge of a deal go for the 13 with 256 gb storage. It will be easier to live with for several years.

Many people set them up dual boot with bootcamp ( win 7 ) on one partition. Having 256 gb to start with makes it easier to create an adequately sized win 7 partition.

You can get a decent sized external monitor ( 24 inch at 1920 x 1080 ) for dirt cheap. In the US typically around 170 sometimes down into the 150 range.

The mba's work really nicely with a nice big external monitor for dual screen action.

 

[Trav29]

The 13's are really sweet ... two more thoughts.

If price is not that huge of a deal go for the 13 with 256 gb storage. It will be easier to live with for several years.

Many people set them up dual boot with bootcamp ( win 7 ) on one partition. Having 256 gb to start with makes it easier to create an adequately sized win 7 partition.

You can get a decent sized external monitor ( 24 inch at 1920 x 1080 ) for dirt cheap. In the US typically around 170 sometimes down into the 150 range.

The mba's work really nicely with a nice big external monitor for dual screen action.

That's good as I have a Samsung 24 inch 1080p.

 

[cedwhatev]

Hard to rule out the 11", considering you'll be using it for class. The battery for me, lasts around 5.5-6 hours, and that's with WiFi on, with 50% brightness, Bluetooth off, and doing average web browsing... and maybe a bit of iTunes (w/ headphones). If you are using this for class, and you have WiFi turned off, you could definitely squeeze 6 in.

However, I am using the 2010 Ultimate (128SSD, 4GB RAM, 1.6GHz) with Snow Leopard, and it gets on average 30-45 minutes more battery life than the 2011 running Lion from what I understand. I am quite happy with this MBA's performance, so I won't be upgrading anytime soon, as I have no need to.
As for the battery charging time.. I haven't timed it, but I'd say somewhere around 2-2.5 hrs to recharge, tops.

It's the portability that is really attractive about this machine, and I absolutely LOVE it! Easy to carry around.. I have an 11.6 Tucano bag to go with it.. along with a MintCase leather sleeve.. along with some accessories. I just can't express how awesome this machine is, and I promise you'll love it! But hey... it's your call. I'm sure the 13 would be sweet too.. the MBA is just all around a superb product.

 

[Trav29]

Hard to rule out the 11", considering you'll be using it for class. The battery for me, lasts around 5.5-6 hours, and that's with WiFi on, with 50% brightness, Bluetooth off, and doing average web browsing... and maybe a bit of iTunes (w/ headphones). If you are using this for class, and you have WiFi turned off, you could definitely squeeze 6 in.

However, I am using the 2010 Ultimate (128SSD, 4GB RAM, 1.6GHz) with Snow Leopard, and it gets on average 30-45 minutes more battery life than the 2011 running Lion from what I understand. I am quite happy with this MBA's performance, so I won't be upgrading anytime soon, as I have no need to.
As for the battery charging time.. I haven't timed it, but I'd say somewhere around 2-2.5 hrs to recharge, tops.

It's the portability that is really attractive about this machine, and I absolutely LOVE it! Easy to carry around.. I have an 11.6 Tucano bag to go with it.. along with a MintCase leather sleeve.. along with some accessories. I just can't express how awesome this machine is, and I promise you'll love it! But hey... it's your call. I'm sure the 13 would be sweet too.. the MBA is just all around a superb product.

Thanks for making the decision even harder haha. I would probably have WiFi on and wouldn't be listening to iTunes. I have also heard the screen is better on the 13" I am wondering if that's true.

 

[The Samurai]

Pros of the 13"

- SD card reader built in (no need to carry about USB adapters etc)
- bigger screen (better for pretty much everything, including working late hours in the library )
- slightly better CPU in the 13"s
- better battery life - last thing you want is when your in a lecture or some sort of group work is to have the battery indicator come up and then plug your charger in (not that its chunky or anything but just the inconvenience).

Negs
- weight (bigger the better, the heavier )
- price

 

[Seasought]

I am beginning to lean towards the 13". I liked the form factor and the price of the 11" more but for the extra money I think it would be worth it to get the 13".

Make sure you take some time to try out both in person. I initially thought I'd want the 13, but after tinkering with both in person, I found I preferred the 11. Don't think you're going to be unhappy either way, but try both of them out in person if you can.

 

[Trav29]

Make sure you take some time to try out both in person. I initially thought I'd want the 13, but after tinkering with both in person, I found I preferred the 11. Don't think you're going to be unhappy either way, but try both of them out in person if you can.

I liked the 11" more due to its form factor, but I found out it has the same resolution as my Alienware M11x. Does anyone know if the screen is better on the 11" than by M11x?

 

[orfeas0]

Hey guys I have a few questions about the MBA. Just a little background info it will be my first Mac, I currently have an Alienware M11x and a custom desktop. I will be using the MBA to take with me to class. I like the form factor of the 11 inch over the 13 inch model. Do you guys have any suggestions on which one I should get? I have heard the 11 inch doesn't get as good battery life. But what amount of battery life does it get? Also about how much time does it take to charge the MBA from about 20% to 100%. This laptop needs to be future proof for at least 2 years. Do you think it is?

Sorry for all the questions just want to make sure I am making a good purchase.
Thanks

I suggest either the base 11" model (if you're tight on money) or the base 13" model.
The high-end 11" just isn't worth it, throw in 100$ and you get the 13" which is better and bigger.

But for web browsing/notes etc, the base 11" model is really great. I just bought mine and it's blazing fast, with no memory problems (even when GAMING on parallels-windowsXP!!). And I clarify: I have the 2gb with 64gb storage.

Storage is another story, if you can't live with 64gb or less, just get the 13".

I came from a toshiba windows laptop, so the battery (even the 11" 's) seems awesome. 5 hours browsing, 10 hours reading (wifi-off).
Really! I had a PDF open with wifi off, and of course bluetooth off, and it said it had 10 hours left. The charger is really small and it has 2 cables included, 1 small and 1 longer, you choose which one to carry

 

[cedwhatev]

The 13" screen resolution is better (1440 x 900), yes. The 11.6" screen for me, is perfect. I had a 10" HP 2140 around three years ago, and it had the 16:9 1366x768 res screen, which was sweet, but then I sold it, and bought the Samsung NB30 with the normal 1024x600, and I really missed the HP. I also prefer smaller computers, so when the MBA came out, it was a no brainer for me. I plan on having this for the next 2.5 years, and then will probably get another one after that. I just don't see myself going back to PC now..

 

[Trav29]

I just wish the res on the 11" was higher, it would make this decision a lot easier. I also wish I could compare my M11x screen to the 11" side by side.

 

[heyloo]

I'm approaching my 3rd week on my MBA 13" i5 and am loving it Like what others have said, however, you can't go wrong with either MBAs to be honest

 

[ecib]

Hey guys I have a few questions about the MBA. Just a little background info it will be my first Mac, I currently have an Alienware M11x and a custom desktop. I will be using the MBA to take with me to class. I like the form factor of the 11 inch over the 13 inch model. Do you guys have any suggestions on which one I should get? I have heard the 11 inch doesn't get as good battery life. But what amount of battery life does it get? Also about how much time does it take to charge the MBA from about 20% to 100%. This laptop needs to be future proof for at least 2 years. Do you think it is?

Sorry for all the questions just want to make sure I am making a good purchase.
Thanks

The 13" has a much better battery life. One of the best things about it (imho) is that you can leave with it in the morning fully charged, and literally use it all day. You don't have to pack a charger. But the 11" seems like it would be nice if you are setting it on your desk in class. For all day use, just remember that the 11" is going to be 'bulkier' than it otherwise would seem because you need to carry a charger with you.

Also, is this you only computer? If so, I would def get the 13" because of the screen real estate. I couldn't imagine typing papers on an 11" screen.

At any rate, you're going to freak out at how awesome it is, no matter which you choose. After using Windows boxes for so many years, it's astonishing at how much better the OS, build quality, and UI is on Apple laptops.

 

[cedwhatev]

At any rate, you're going to freak out at how awesome it is, no matter which you choose. After using Windows boxes for so many years, it's astonishing at how much better the OS, build quality, and UI is on Apple laptops.

Here here! I always was curious as to why Mac owners were so adamant on them... and now I know why! Dude, if you're leaning towards the 13", just get it. You'll be happy you did. Go with your gut.

 

[chipz]

Few questions about the MBA

I have the 13" withe the Core i5 1.7 GHz processor, and 256 GB SSD.I love it!
The 13" has the Card reader which the 11" doesn't have. The battery time is awesome as is the screen resolution. It doesn't have the Super Drive, but you can always purchase an outboard one if you really need it. I move to the MBA fro 1 13" Black MacBook, circa 2008. I never though the MBA would be my primary machine, but now it is. Go for the 13" MBA - you won't regret it!

 

[Trav29]

I think I am going to make a last minute choice whenever I go get it. Cause I really can't make an early decision.

 

[gman901]

I just wish the res on the 11" was higher, it would make this decision a lot easier. I also wish I could compare my M11x screen to the 11" side by side.

For what it's worth, I had the M11x R3 and switched back to the 13" 2010 Air. The screen on the M11x is pitiful compared to the MBA. The viewing angles and color on the M11x is extremely narrow and the colors looked somewhat washed out. The Air has excellent viewing angles and the colors are much more vibrant.

Also, if you like gaming on the M11x, you'll be surprised on the capabilities of either 2010 Air models.

 

[Trav29]

For what it's worth, I had the M11x R3 and switched back to the 13" 2010 Air. The screen on the M11x is pitiful compared to the MBA. The viewing angles and color on the M11x is extremely narrow and the colors looked somewhat washed out. The Air has excellent viewing angles and the colors are much more vibrant.

Also, if you like gaming on the M11x, you'll be surprised on the capabilities of either 2010 Air models.

Did you sell your M11x? I am not planning to sell mine, so that is also making the decision difficult, as I would probably be doing similar things on the MBA that I could do on the M11x.