Just bought an 11" as a main computer. Am I crazy?

[joeblow7777]

If you don't mind me asking, what Windows laptop are you using that is 11.6"?

An Asus x202e "Vivobook". A couple of years old.

Nothing fancy in terms of specs, especially compared to an MBA. A Core i3, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD. But I prefer Windows, and it has a touchscreen so I can get the most out of Windows 8.1, and it only cost $499. It gets the job done. Decent build quality too. Not as thin as the MBA, but mostly metal except the bottom which is some kind of rubber.

I really hope that there are still good 11" Windows laptops on the market when I'm ready to replace it.

 

[wordsworth]

I recently bought an eleven-inch Air and it feels great. I haven't really begun to use it as a main machine yet. I'm still on my old whitebook which itself idled for quite a while before becoming my main machine. Eventually I loved it though, and it's been a real workhorse. I hope the Air gives me as good a performance for the next five years. I'll be plugging it into a larger monitor for some of its usage, just as I do with the whitebook.

I can't begin to imagine what Apple laptops will look like in five years' time.

 

[peapody]

l have gone back and forth between 13 and 11 and now use an 11" as a 'main' computer ( l use a mac pro I use to manage media otherwise.) l used to think the 11" was too small but It has really been an excellent companion. It Is pretty much my main computer. With remote desktop, boot camp , and emulators it replaces my work and windows machines too.

 

[missnoir]

Main computer

I have an 11' as my main and only computer. I have no issues with it - the size is very convenient for me as I like travelling and I carry it around with me a lot to take to lectures. I wouldn't want it any bigger. I use evernote, box and dropbox to store all my files so I don't even use all the space on it.

 

[Tallgrass]

I really like the macbook air 11” as it is. It is a quite capable device. I like the size, the design, the silver bezel, and I don’t even have an issue with the screen resolution. I have always wanted one but never purchased one. The reason is, I have an iMac that will just not stop working. Along with my iMac I have an iPad and a iPhone so I could never justify buying the MBA. Reading this forum recently caused me some concern regarding updates to the MBA line. It worries me how Apple might make changes.
Touchscreen - no thanks
Larger form factor - no thanks
Shorter battery life - nope
Price increase - hope not
Plastic body - no thank you
So this week I purchased a MBA 11” as I am afraid that what happened with the 17” MBP might also happen with the MBA 11”. I would kick myself if I lost the opportunity to own this amazing little computer.
OP, congratulations on your new MBA 11" !!

 

[joshlalonde]

Honestly, for me, the deal breaker was the shorter battery life. I'm probably one of the few people who actually prefer a smaller screen to some degree. Though, I think 13" is a sweet spot and much prefer it over the 11. And its battery life is better, of course. Sometimes it might be nice to have a super-small laptop but I don't have need for it often enough to justify shelling over just under $1K.

 

[jmoore5196]

Buy yourself a Thunderbolt Display and have a good life!

The 11" is, in my view, the best laptop I've ever owned ... and since I started with a PowerBook 100, went thru the 500 series, Duos and then Titanium, I speak from experience.

 

[wordsworth]

I really liked the PowerBook Duo (I have an upgraded 270c that became a 2300, bought secondhand) and that's what probably led me to the smaller MacBook Air.

 

[snorkelman]

bear in mind the ppi of the 11" is only slightly higher than the 13 (as the two screens have different resolutions)

As a result while one screen is approx 15 percent bigger than the other, there's only 5 percent difference in size of on screen elements.

I personally find vertical res of 768 a bit limiting these days, but if everything you need can fit onto a 1366*768 display then there isn't a massive advantage in terms of screen readability going to the 13 versus the 11

 

[Mrbobb]

U get used to whatever is available.

I got an 11" too because portability is #1. Once a while I sit at a desktop and enjoy the luxury of a 25" screen, but that doesn't last because I can't get the big screen with me to the couch, the bed, etc.

 

[Glenn.eu]

I went from the macbook retina 15 inch to the 2013 11 inch macbook air as my main computer.
The retina screen on the 15 was amazing, but i just love the 11 inch form factor! I can use this laptop everywhere, it's as mobile as the ipad! (which i sold because now i use my 11 inch macbook air for everything).
Even the 16:9 ratio is great for me, it's perfect for watching video's and with fullscreen apps everything fits great on screen. (I don't do video editing or much photo editing, and some websites might be a bit limited vertically, but i can live with that)

If Apple can put a 12 inch retina screen in the form factor of the present 11 inch i'll upgrade If they release a 12 inch air that is bigger than the current 11 inch i'll have a very hard time giving up this small 11 inch wonder!

Enjoy your fast little mobile computer! I do!

 

[Handle]

Once Yosemite becomes final, I can't wait to use the instant hotspot feature from the iOS devices.

Can you tell me more about this?

As for using the 11" as a main computer, I just went from a 24" iMac as my main computer to a 13" MBA. I'm getting used to the smaller screen and lower resolution, but an 11" would probably be a bit to small for me.

The good thing is that the computer itself is much more powerful than my iMac, so I could just buy a big monitor for cheap and still come out ahead. The best of both world, big screen and portability.

 

[joshlalonde]

bear in mind the ppi of the 11" is only slightly higher than the 13 (as the two screens have different resolutions)

As a result while one screen is approx 15 percent bigger than the other, there's only 5 percent difference in size of on screen elements.

I personally find vertical res of 768 a bit limiting these days, but if everything you need can fit onto a 1366*768 display then there isn't a massive advantage in terms of screen readability going to the 13 versus the 11

I didn't quite understand your 1366x768 point. And anyways, the difference in screen size is quite noticeable.

And anyways, 768p and 900p are noticeably different (to me at least).

----------

Can you tell me more about this?

As for using the 11" as a main computer, I just went from a 24" iMac as my main computer to a 13" MBA. I'm getting used to the smaller screen and lower resolution, but an 11" would probably be a bit to small for me.

The good thing is that the computer itself is much more powerful than my iMac, so I could just buy a big monitor for cheap and still come out ahead. The best of both world, big screen and portability.

You'll be able to use your iPhone for Wifi. Wait, can't you already do that?

I also have a 13" and I found the 11" too small. Especially since I'll be doing some serious work on here.

But then, what about battery? 9 hours isn't a lot when you consider that you'll probably only get 4-5 with more intensive usage (flash videos for example). Having 12 hours normal usage translates to about 7-8 hours with more intensive usage. It's a surprising difference and was the ultimate deciding factor for me.

----------

U get used to whatever is available.

I got an 11" too because portability is #1. Once a while I sit at a desktop and enjoy the luxury of a 25" screen, but that doesn't last because I can't get the big screen with me to the couch, the bed, etc.

One last thing, having spaces is an incredible feature that some may even take for granted. The ability to swipe quickly into another desktop/fullscreen app is critical for me. I tend to use it quite often.

Only downside is that sometimes I miss Windows' Aero snap feature. I hope something like it gets implemented into OS X so I can quickly snap a PDF/Book to the side while taking notes or something. I guess Apple wants you to pull out your iPad and use it as a second screen but I'm not rich enough X_x

 

[jahala]

Only downside is that sometimes I miss Windows' Aero snap feature. I hope something like it gets implemented into OS X so I can quickly snap a PDF/Book to the side while taking notes or something.

I use Cinch to replicate the Aero snap. There are other solutions as well.

 

[Amplelink]

I was at the store looking at both the 13" and the 11" MBA, and then something about the size of the 11" won me over.

So I bought the whole shebang with a new 11" MBA, a clear case for it, a Magic Mouse, and a new printer

I plan on this being my main computer, because I do travel a lot, and I do not have a "home office" that I can set the thing down and work from. My home office can range from the bed, to the couch, to the dinner table.

I also own an iPhone 5s and an iPad mini with 4G (non retina). Once Yosemite becomes final, I can't wait to use the instant hotspot feature from the iOS devices.

Anyone else here also uses an 11" as their main computer? Any recommendations?

The screen size got old for me real fast. The 11" actually works really good wit ha nice big external monitor. Then there are no issues using it as your home computer.

 

[VanDerMac]

I was at the store looking at both the 13" and the 11" MBA, and then something about the size of the 11" won me over.

So I bought the whole shebang with a new 11" MBA, a clear case for it, a Magic Mouse, and a new printer

I plan on this being my main computer, because I do travel a lot, and I do not have a "home office" that I can set the thing down and work from. My home office can range from the bed, to the couch, to the dinner table.

I also own an iPhone 5s and an iPad mini with 4G (non retina). Once Yosemite becomes final, I can't wait to use the instant hotspot feature from the iOS devices.

Anyone else here also uses an 11" as their main computer? Any recommendations?

MBA used to be cool a few years ago but we're nearing 2015 and there is no excuse for that antique display in the MBA. I mean throw me a freakin bone over here. I wouldn't touch the MBA until it gets a new "retina" display. The form factor is cool and all but I'll take the MBP's display over portability any day. Besides even the base model MBP beats the MBA. MBA is a sitting duck. Just like the Ukraine.

 

[polee]

Am using the MBA 11 as my main computer. Love the size of the keyboard, it's portability, and have set zoom to 214 percent to make the text readable in MS Word. I have the MBA 13 too but I only use it as my second computer. Was very hesitant initially to make the switch from 13 to 11 but now I am totally not going back.

 

[APlotdevice]

11" is just fine. Put the dock on the side rather than bottom and you have almost as much space as on the 13". Yes, you will rather work in full screen than having many windows next to each other but that is the case on the 13" too.

Yeah, that's how I have mine set up as well.

 

[Handle]

MBA used to be cool a few years ago but we're nearing 2015 and there is no excuse for that antique display in the MBA. I mean throw me a freakin bone over here. I wouldn't touch the MBA until it gets a new "retina" display. The form factor is cool and all but I'll take the MBP's display over portability any day. Besides even the base model MBP beats the MBA. MBA is a sitting duck. Just like the Ukraine.

So you're just a troll, right?

I just bought a 13" MBA and LOVE it. I spent $750 on it brand new. I didn't want (nor need) the "Pro" model nor did I want to pay for something on that level.

Your comparison is downright silly. You clearly don't belong in this subforum. You remind me of someone who spends all of his money leasing a BMW and then goes to a Ford forum to complain about Ford cars and brag about BMW being better.

 

[nineteen73]

I'm haven't made the leap from my iBook G4 to an MBA or MBP, but the 11-inch MBA catches my eye. I like the portability it offers and its sleek compact design. However, the 13-inch is most likely what I'll buy when I'm ready to buy my first MBA or MBP, because that extra size appeals to me more.

 

[JHUFrank]

It's a beautiful little box. With it's strong ability to drive external monitors I don't see any reason that it's not an acceptable primary computer. If my eyes weren't so bad I my have gotten one instead of my old 2010 MBA.

 

[Baunkjaer]

It all depends on your needs. It would be too small for me though.

 

[SherlockLogic]

Not sure what your needs are, but I know it is perfect option for writers, as I used one exclusively for over 3 years. I now use a Late 2013 13" MacBook Pro with Retina display. What pushed me over the edge is something I knew would happen eventually: I avoided seeing the retina-equipped laptops for as long as possible, but eventually caught sight of one. The rest is history.

That being said, it may not be the same for you, seeing the 11.6" MacBook Air has a unique 16:9 aspect ratio (the only laptop Apple has ever made with one, in fact) and has the highest pixel density (135 PPI) of any other non-retina Apple laptop currently shipping. Nonetheless, I recommend avoiding in-person run ins with retina Macs for as long as possible. They are beautiful. Once you go retina...

 

[joshlalonde]

MBA used to be cool a few years ago but we're nearing 2015 and there is no excuse for that antique display in the MBA. I mean throw me a freakin bone over here. I wouldn't touch the MBA until it gets a new "retina" display. The form factor is cool and all but I'll take the MBP's display over portability any day. Besides even the base model MBP beats the MBA. MBA is a sitting duck. Just like the Ukraine.

... no?
It's not an antique display. Antique display has 1366x768 resolution.
Improvements could be a different panel to reduce glare in sunlight, but anyways...

I don't think it needs a retina display. Retina displays are power hungry. And how do you distinguish the pro from the air if they're all the same? There has to be differences between the two models, man. Retina would kill the 12 hours battery as you'd also have to upgrade the GPU and add more RAM to handle the integrated graphics eating up more RAM. Or give it vRAM, but seriously, too much man.

 

[mortenandersen]

Soon in the same boat!

I really like the macbook air 11” as it is. It is a quite capable device. I like the size, the design, the silver bezel, and I don’t even have an issue with the screen resolution. I have always wanted one but never purchased one. The reason is, I have an iMac that will just not stop working. Along with my iMac I have an iPad and a iPhone so I could never justify buying the MBA. Reading this forum recently caused me some concern regarding updates to the MBA line. It worries me how Apple might make changes.
Touchscreen - no thanks
Larger form factor - no thanks
Shorter battery life - nope
Price increase - hope not
Plastic body - no thank you
So this week I purchased a MBA 11” as I am afraid that what happened with the 17” MBP might also happen with the MBA 11”. I would kick myself if I lost the opportunity to own this amazing little computer.
OP, congratulations on your new MBA 11" !!

I also fear the possible discontinuation of the 11 MBA as it is to day (non-touchscreen, 16:9 ratio, light and small, etc.).

So while now trying out a Chromebook (not a huge investment, after all), I think a MBA 11 will come into my life this Fall.