Except people are considering the fact that one will have more RAM, an i7 over an i5, and a much larger SSD. I'd say the footprint, battery life, and SD slot are only half the issue.
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How did you decide which size Air you went for?
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Except people are considering the fact that one will have more RAM, an i7 over an i5, and a much larger SSD. I'd say the footprint, battery life, and SD slot are only half the issue.
Ordered the 11" first because I've been fascinated by that one ever since its initial release.
Then I remembered how 768 pixels vertically is to little for my uses, that I'd have no SD card slot to expand storage with and that the battery life would be worse. You know, the usual!
I realised I had no real need to have the tiniest footprint available, so I cancelled my order and went for the 13" instead. Glad that I did. 13" fit me better.
Then I remembered how 768 pixels vertically is to little for my uses, that I'd have no SD card slot to expand storage with and that the battery life would be worse. You know, the usual!
I realised I had no real need to have the tiniest footprint available, so I cancelled my order and went for the 13" instead. Glad that I did. 13" fit me better.
To be honest, I don't know what we're discussing anymore.
From my understanding once you move past the $999 entry level 11", its only a $100 difference for an identical configuration between the 11" and 13" models.
So as I said, the points to consider are the footprint, battery life and SD card slot
The post I was originally refuting claimed people buy the 11" because its cheaper and I personally believe that to be incorrect.
And I add my voice to your claim; I want the 11" because it's light and small. I have a bad back, good eyes and external screens at home/work. I'd rather have something light.
Price was never a factor when making the decision.
But then there are some people who believe their views are the One True View so there's no point arguing with them. It's like having a debate with Jeremy Clarkson but without any of the fun.
Price was never a factor when making the decision.
But then there are some people who believe their views are the One True View so there's no point arguing with them. It's like having a debate with Jeremy Clarkson but without any of the fun.
13 inch
I decided to go with the 13 inch. I had a 13 C2D MBA and it was my absolute favorite computer. I seriously debated getting the 11 after being quite drawn to them at the store. However my gut told me to go for the 13 and I'm glad I did.
I rationalized it by considering the extra 2 hours of battery life as extra portability, as well as the SD card slot being very useful. Also, when viewing HD trailers the 13 had a lot more presence.
I decided to go with the 13 inch. I had a 13 C2D MBA and it was my absolute favorite computer. I seriously debated getting the 11 after being quite drawn to them at the store. However my gut told me to go for the 13 and I'm glad I did.
I rationalized it by considering the extra 2 hours of battery life as extra portability, as well as the SD card slot being very useful. Also, when viewing HD trailers the 13 had a lot more presence.
The whole point of the Air, to me, is the portability factor. I've got an iMac at home. An 11" Air for everything else. Love how this thing just slips into my bag. I barely even notice it.
I've got a 2010 version and what I'm really waiting for is the upgrade to IPS display panels next year and the Haswell processors.
I've got a 2010 version and what I'm really waiting for is the upgrade to IPS display panels next year and the Haswell processors.
If you've never used a machine smaller than 13", the 13" air is not going to feel 'too big', so you'll not feel the need to go smaller.
I got the 11", thinking if it was too small, I could get the 13". Turns out it's perfect for what I need it for- I don't think I could use anything bigger now without wanting to go back to the 11"
(I have a 24" ACD to connect to when I'm at my desk, although my g/f is currently using it, and I'm not really missing it that much!)
I got the 11", thinking if it was too small, I could get the 13". Turns out it's perfect for what I need it for- I don't think I could use anything bigger now without wanting to go back to the 11"
(I have a 24" ACD to connect to when I'm at my desk, although my g/f is currently using it, and I'm not really missing it that much!)
Tempted by the rMBP for the screen, but too much money for a first gen and for a laptop in general. Tempted by 11 inch Air for all of its advantage except screen size. The 13 inch gave me enough portability and had the most advantages over the other two for my needs. I was worried about the TN screen but it is sharp enough, and with 8/256 the base model is perfect, for me.
I have an iPad, and they are a great combination, and a 24 inch dell when at desk with the Air, and my old faithfuls listed in signature for disk drives and storage as well as usb3 drive partitioned for time machine and system backup.
So, after a lot of research here and considering the options for some time, I am happy with my choice and recommend the 13 inch if it suits your needs.
I have an iPad, and they are a great combination, and a 24 inch dell when at desk with the Air, and my old faithfuls listed in signature for disk drives and storage as well as usb3 drive partitioned for time machine and system backup.
So, after a lot of research here and considering the options for some time, I am happy with my choice and recommend the 13 inch if it suits your needs.
13" has 2 hour longer battery life, same weight, bigger screen and better for gaming
13" forever <313 inch, If I wanted something smaller why not get an iPad ? You get a better screen with the iPad 3 than the 11 inch air
I simply couldn't decide so I bought them both
Which one did you use more? And in what kind of settings?
There's so little difference in physical size & weight, I vastly prefer the 13" with it's additional 2 hrs of battery life.
Yet for international travel, the 11" does have it's advantages in an otherwise cramped seating space. Yet it's no where near as well balanced as the 13 so it ends up being personal preference as usual.
The amount of scrolling required on the 11" is crazy.
If one is buying just one computer the 11" is awfully limiting. Conversely the 13 is incredibly useful & delightful.
Battery life was the decider for me. I thought the 11" screen was pretty good but someday I might be happier with the larger one.
Depends on the carrier I guess. Living where I do ALL of my travel is international, LOL, but even on the two transatlantic trips I've done since getting it my 13" wasn't a problem to use. (It helped that no one in front of me put their seat back on the way out - and I had the exit row coming back!) I did pretty much kill the battery both times though, and that's even with getting a precious plug in both airports!
Depends on the carrier I guess. Living where I do ALL of my travel is international, LOL, but even on the two transatlantic trips I've done since getting it my 13" wasn't a problem to use. (It helped that no one in front of me put their seat back on the way out - and I had the exit row coming back!) I did pretty much kill the battery both times though, and that's even with getting a precious plug in both airports!
Oh okay. I think I misunderstood your last post a little. And I agree with your point that the 11" isn't solely purchased because it's cheaper.
I think you should think on your needs only.
I got the '11 because I travel a lot, and needed mobility. When you are on a plane '11 is the perfect size, for example.
The '11 is ultralight. You get 5 hours battery and I've never had problems with power. My girlfriend bought a '11 too, she couldn't decide between '13 and '11 but I convinced her. She is really happy with her notebook now, because it fits in her purse (She bought a cover of course).
On the specs side, if you are not doing imaging and video editing, I don't think you should even look at the specs. The macbook air is a very powerful machine. If you are doing any other work, it will be fast enough.
On the screen. You won't even notice after 1 day. And it's really beautiful. I watch movies, do Excels, words, browse, facebook, do little gaming etc. I don't miss the extra real state. I think that for coding and image editing it is small.
OSX is ultra efficient too. Your computer will last at least some 3 years. I got the 2011 model and I was really looking for a reason to buy a 2012, but just couldn't justify it.
My '11 is a 4 gb ram, i5, 128 gb ssd macbook air.
Hope it helps!
I got the '11 because I travel a lot, and needed mobility. When you are on a plane '11 is the perfect size, for example.
The '11 is ultralight. You get 5 hours battery and I've never had problems with power. My girlfriend bought a '11 too, she couldn't decide between '13 and '11 but I convinced her. She is really happy with her notebook now, because it fits in her purse (She bought a cover of course).
On the specs side, if you are not doing imaging and video editing, I don't think you should even look at the specs. The macbook air is a very powerful machine. If you are doing any other work, it will be fast enough.
On the screen. You won't even notice after 1 day. And it's really beautiful. I watch movies, do Excels, words, browse, facebook, do little gaming etc. I don't miss the extra real state. I think that for coding and image editing it is small.
OSX is ultra efficient too. Your computer will last at least some 3 years. I got the 2011 model and I was really looking for a reason to buy a 2012, but just couldn't justify it.
My '11 is a 4 gb ram, i5, 128 gb ssd macbook air.
Hope it helps!
I brought the 13" as my friend had the 11". That screen is just too small for doing anything on I found. I had a 09 13" MBP and I just like the size. Not to big and not too small.
I was waiting on the announcement of the new 15" model, when the rMBP was announced I was quite disappointed. I was hoping for something more in line with the "Air" platform but 15". I went to the Apple Store to compare the rMBP with the 13" Air, I walked out with a 13" MBA 2.0/8/512 and haven't regretted it a bit. I absolutely love it.
I simply couldn't decide so I bought them both
Same here.
Using the 11" for a while, and then going to the 13", the screen looks huge!
One tip for the 11" is zoom out one level in your web browser, helps fit more on the screen. I plug both into the same 22" monitor when I'm at home anyway (1920x1080)
I too had read the many rumors suggesting a 15" MBA. I was thrilled at the idea, yet cautious since you never know what Apple will do.
It's a shame they didn't create one, but its highly likely it was nixed due to a much smaller profit margin than the rMBP.
In addition, Apples clever promotion of the "Magical word Retina" has buyers salivating for Retina equipped devices. Apple wins big in the profit department, and moves everyone upmarket in the process.
I chose an 11". I've had it for over a week and I don't regret it. My primary concern was weight and portability. I had a 13" MacBook Pro once for work and the darn thing was so heavy and cumbersome. At that time I took public transportation so I spent a lot of time with my laptop strapped to me. This time I wanted to lightest thing possible. Hence, MBA.
I like the small screen personally. I recently took an airplane trip somewhere and it was nice not to have this big computer on the tray in front of me (a guy across the aisle to me whipped out some 15' behemoth). And when I get paranoid about theft (like in hotel rooms), I can hide this computer in a lot of places. It's been great.
I got this computer for school. I imagined zipping through my lab homework while still in lab. If I ever have concerns about the screen size then I can hook it up to a monitor. But I am young and have good eyesight. Also you can zoom into the screen using the trackpad, making the words larger.
I didn't care about the screen resolution because nothing I am doing on the MBA is graphics intensive. I don't game on this machine. I don't watch movies on here. I have a Apple TV and a television monitor for that.
I'd go for the 11" if you want it. No more clunky cumbersome computers for me.
I like the small screen personally. I recently took an airplane trip somewhere and it was nice not to have this big computer on the tray in front of me (a guy across the aisle to me whipped out some 15' behemoth). And when I get paranoid about theft (like in hotel rooms), I can hide this computer in a lot of places. It's been great.
I got this computer for school. I imagined zipping through my lab homework while still in lab. If I ever have concerns about the screen size then I can hook it up to a monitor. But I am young and have good eyesight. Also you can zoom into the screen using the trackpad, making the words larger.
I didn't care about the screen resolution because nothing I am doing on the MBA is graphics intensive. I don't game on this machine. I don't watch movies on here. I have a Apple TV and a television monitor for that.
I'd go for the 11" if you want it. No more clunky cumbersome computers for me.
Yeah, feels like a breath of fresh air after lugging around 6-9 lb laptops in the past. So much power in such a small space. I didn't really appreciate the form factor until I placed the 11" on top of the 13" and the difference is quite alarming for me. 2" doesn't sound like much but in reality the 13" takes up quite a bit more space on the table.
Form took priority over function and performance, as the 2011 is already fast enough for what I use it for, so 2012's differences did not really sway me to spend more money for the latest and greatest, not if I have to sacrifice larger storage for performance that I didn't really care for.
Form took priority over function and performance, as the 2011 is already fast enough for what I use it for, so 2012's differences did not really sway me to spend more money for the latest and greatest, not if I have to sacrifice larger storage for performance that I didn't really care for.
Do a lot of web design/programming so decided I'd like a bit more screen space. Other than that, not much. I guess the smaller size and weight of the 11" doesn't appeal to me that much since my 13" was such a dramatic drop in both from my previous laptops though.