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How did you decide which size Air you went for?
- Thread starter Martylaa
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I went with the 11" last year and regretted it almost the entire time after the newness and novelty of such a small/powerful laptop wore off. Wished I had gotten the 13" from that point forward. Sold it a few weeks ago and got a rMBP but am having second thoughts about the size again. I really think 13" is the sweet spot w/ laptops.
I had my 2008 Unibody 13" for 3 years and only wanted to update it when it got a bit slow. So lesson learned. I'm still in the 14 day window on my 15" rMBP, so I may return it and just get a 13" Air. It really is the idea size as far as I'm concerned.
I had my 2008 Unibody 13" for 3 years and only wanted to update it when it got a bit slow. So lesson learned. I'm still in the 14 day window on my 15" rMBP, so I may return it and just get a 13" Air. It really is the idea size as far as I'm concerned.
I knew from experience with other laptops that the size I prefer the MOST is a 15", and that an 11" would have been too small of a display, so I went with a 13". I also wanted the SD slot and better battery life. Finally, I have been going to the Apple Store for quite a while, playing with both MBPs and MBAs, and when the time came to actually purchase one I pretty much already had it figured out.
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I've been kinda' only using 15" models for the past N years... I know for sure that a 11" notebook would be too small for my needs but at the same time, I know that I don't want another 15" model cause it's just not comfortable enough to keep on your lap while sitting on the couch, laying in bed, etc. I clearly need something slightly bigger than the 11" model and smaller / more flexibly than the 15" model... what's left? YOU'RE CORRECT! 
PS: ... just that it's most likely gonna be a rMBP and not an Air ( weight doesn't bother me... sliver bezels on the other hand do ). This year, next year... don't really care, but it won't have a tick silver bezel!
PS: ... just that it's most likely gonna be a rMBP and not an Air ( weight doesn't bother me... sliver bezels on the other hand do
). This year, next year... don't really care, but it won't have a tick silver bezel!
The threads I've read here are definitely mixed -- there are strong fans of both the 11" and 13". So you will not find a definitive answer here.
If it's your only computer, especially if you don't have an external display, 11" is pretty small. Personally, the 13" is fine for me. 11" is very small.
Best thing is to go to an Apple Store and try both.
If it's your only computer, especially if you don't have an external display, 11" is pretty small. Personally, the 13" is fine for me. 11" is very small.
Best thing is to go to an Apple Store and try both.
I brought home both a 13" and a 11" and evaluated both within my 14 day return period. The 13", while I like the battery, was the only thing I liked about it. It felt big, despite it's thinness, the footprint was definitely bigger than I'd like for travel. The 11", while the battery was less desirable @ 5hrs, it felt like what an Air stood for, ultraportable, tiny footprint, very lightweight, 16:9 display was nice and didn't feel small after spending some time with it, it's the ultimate grab and go device for me.
I'm always near a power plug, so while battery life was less than ideal for me, it wasn't a deal breaker. The 11" Air is the little engine that could. I can deal with the battery, but I can't deal with a larger footprint Air as it goes against what it stood for in my eyes.
13" = portable
11" = ultraportable
Price was not a deciding factor at all. I went with a 11" 2011 model over a 2012 13" model, gaining an extra 128GB SSD storage while giving up Ivy Bridge, USB 3.0, and HD4000 at the same $1080 price point. Internal storage and form factor were my top priorities.
I'm always near a power plug, so while battery life was less than ideal for me, it wasn't a deal breaker. The 11" Air is the little engine that could. I can deal with the battery, but I can't deal with a larger footprint Air as it goes against what it stood for in my eyes.
13" = portable
11" = ultraportable
Price was not a deciding factor at all. I went with a 11" 2011 model over a 2012 13" model, gaining an extra 128GB SSD storage while giving up Ivy Bridge, USB 3.0, and HD4000 at the same $1080 price point. Internal storage and form factor were my top priorities.
Price and weight. I knew I would only want to use it when I was out and about so it made sense to go with the cheapest I could get since there is a higher risk of it being broken\stolen\etc. As for weight, an extra 1/2 pound doesn't seem like much on paper but is noticeable after a long day.
The 11" is completely usable. Screen doesn't seem that small once you have it for a few hours.
The 11" is completely usable. Screen doesn't seem that small once you have it for a few hours.
This is completely personal. You would know if this wasn't your first portable because you would have a very personal opinion on the last portable that you had to lug around.
If you can borrow one and use it for a month, u will have a pretty good idea. Failing that, I will go into a big box store and play with it. Is OK, they don't kick you out.
Failing all of that, get the 13" Just because having toys is almost always be the biggest, fastest baddest!
Frankly I dunno how those people walk around with their 17" 10-commandment tablets!
That's what turned me off buying an 11", very nice for travelling but I felt the size would negatively impact usability over time so thought the 13" was the best all rounder.
Size. I bought the highest spec machine I could get in an 11-inch size. Portability is the most important for me.
This is my second 11-inch. Before that I had a 13 and I much prefer the smaller size.
No matter the size of my laptop, I plug it into an external monitor when I am able... but I travel a lot and love having a laptop I can stick anywhere.
This is my second 11-inch. Before that I had a 13 and I much prefer the smaller size.
No matter the size of my laptop, I plug it into an external monitor when I am able... but I travel a lot and love having a laptop I can stick anywhere.
Mostly the screen resolution, actually.
I had a ThinkPad X100e. It was an 11.6" notebook with a 1366x768 resolution. There just weren't enough vertical pixels. It was a decent form factor, but only having 768 vertical pixels felt so 20th century to me. I just couldn't deal with it. I had been using 17" PowerBook G4s and 15" MBPs for the longest time so 1440x900 feels minimally acceptable to me.
I had a ThinkPad X100e. It was an 11.6" notebook with a 1366x768 resolution. There just weren't enough vertical pixels. It was a decent form factor, but only having 768 vertical pixels felt so 20th century to me. I just couldn't deal with it. I had been using 17" PowerBook G4s and 15" MBPs for the longest time so 1440x900 feels minimally acceptable to me.
The 13 Inch will always be the best size. 11 Inch is for those who wants it cheaper.
There's nothing wrong with the 11. It's not small, you'll adapt to it.
There's nothing wrong with the 11. It's not small, you'll adapt to it.
I bought the 11 inch, maxed out everything bar the SSD (got a 256gb). Price didn't enter into it. I don't find the screen size inhibitive, I find I use the full screen option in apps, I could never see the point of them on a 15 inch screen, too much like wasting space.
Thats a ridiculous statement. My spec'd 11" was almost $2k.
I bought the 11" because I wanted an ultra-portable and I'm sure thats the case for 99% of 11" owners. If you cant afford another $100 for a 13" and thats really the deciding factor, you probably shouldn't be buying a mac period.
I did very similar. I went with a new maxed mid-2011 11" Air. Got it for less than $1,000.
No I havent.
other than the footprint (screen size), battery and SD card slot they're identical performance wise.
So no, I don't know why you'd compare a 'best' 11" with the 'standard' 13".