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Loving my 11 inches..

Hello...

Hello...

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 10, 2011
809
107
I owned the very first MBA and a few in-between, my new one arrived today and i am very happy with it, waiting for the next ipad mini and think i will be set.
I still wonder if i should have bought the 13 inch, but i am still very pleased.
 
Does anyone find the 11 inch size smaller than their needs?
Did anyone "downgrade" from a larger size screen to the 11 inch and not have significant problems?
Thanks!
 
jadAce said:
Did anyone "downgrade" from a larger size screen to the 11 inch and not have significant problems?
Click to expand...

I downgraded from a 13" MacBook Pro to an 11" Air, at significant benefit. At home, my machine is connected to a 27" Cinema Display so the size of the MacBook's screen is irrelevant. But when I take it out, the 11" is eminently more portable, and that is a tremendous benefit.

As for the small screen, Mac OS window management (full screen mode, spaces, and mission control, command-tab, and launchpad) makes it usable, where I am certain I would find a Windows machine of the same size too constrained.

Also, my new 11" Air is faster than my 2011 MacBook Pro. :)
 
jadAce said:
Does anyone find the 11 inch size smaller than their needs?
Did anyone "downgrade" from a larger size screen to the 11 inch and not have significant problems?
Thanks!
Click to expand...

As a student I wanted something portable, but big enough that its not a "netbook" type thing so I went for the 13'' and I love the size of it. If you do a whole lot of traveling or are just looking for a smaller computer in general then the 11'' is perfect for you. I just like bigger screens:rolleyes:
 
lina231 said:
As a student I wanted something portable, but big enough that its not a "netbook" type thing so I went for the 13'' and I love the size of it. If you do a whole lot of traveling or are just looking for a smaller computer in general then the 11'' is perfect for you. I just like bigger screens:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Agreed. I am using the 13" too, and the bigger screen is great to have as a student.
Unfortunately, cannot afford a separate high quality display (such as the Thunderbolt), but this screen is simply large enough to get by without an external display.
 
jadAce said:
Does anyone find the 11 inch size smaller than their needs?
Did anyone "downgrade" from a larger size screen to the 11 inch and not have significant problems?
Thanks!
Click to expand...

I've gone from a 15" MBP to an 11" Air and find it fine for everything I use it for. I still have my 15", but I'm going to sell it off soon so I can get a good return on it while it's still covered by AppleCare.
 
ZBoater said:
Well, 13" > 11", and contrary to popular belief, size DOES matter... :cool:
Click to expand...

Agreed, the 13" screen feels a lot bigger. If you like watching movies or even youtube, I'd say 13". It's almost as portable and is a lot nicer to use due to the screen size and also the track pad size.

The 11" is pretty nice too now that the base is spec'ed the same/similar to the 13". If you move around a lot (I mean like every 20 minutes), then the 11" is for you. Otherwise, i'd go with the 13".

The battery life used to be a factor, but I guess that's less of a problem now. Haswell + Mavericks is going to be awesome.
 
I debated awhile between the 11 or 13 inch. In the end I ordered the 13 inch based on several factors.

Better screen size
Better trackpad size
SD card slot
12 hour battery life

The only real reason to go with the 11 inch is for extreme portability, though the 13 inch is no slouch in that regard. To me the increased portability of the 11 inch wasn't worth sacrificing the above features. The 12 hour battery life was especially important since I tend to keep my electronics until they break, so years from now when the battery gets worn down the 13 inch will still have strong battery life while the 11 inch would be lacking.
 
Last edited:
I had the iPad mini using it daily and a 2007 MBP which was a very heavy beast, the difference is not only the battery but the weight and the quickness of it loading pages, I really thought my internet was bottlenecking , I am guessing it was my old MBP.

I thought about getting the 13" but when then new mini comes out, i think these two will be all I need, sometimes with just owning the Mini, I needed a full laptop and I did not want a windows machine.
Battery life is incredible .
 
Hello... said:
I owned the very first MBA and a few in-between, my new one arrived today and i am very happy with it, waiting for the next ipad mini and think i will be set.
I still wonder if i should have bought the 13 inch, but i am still very pleased.
Click to expand...

you dirty dog:p

but yes - the 11" is the best computer i have ever owned. haven't had it long, still love it.

was worried that 11 would be too small, but so far no problems at all. got used to it almost right away. portability is everything to me. i am sure people with 13" love them too, but i wouldn't be as happy with the larger machine.
 
NewbieToMacs said:
I debated awhile between the 11 or 13 inch. In the end I ordered the 13 inch based on several factors.

Better screen size
Better trackpad size
SD card slot
12 hour battery life

The only real reason to go with the 11 inch is for extreme portability, though the 13 inch is no slouch in that regard. To me the increased portability of the 11 inch wasn't worth sacrificing the above features. The 12 hour battery life was especially important since I tend to keep my electronics until they break, so years from now when the battery gets worn down the 13 inch will still have strong battery life while the 11 inch would be lacking.
Click to expand...

you're absolutely right about the SD card and battery life but you're using the word better instead of the more appropriate word larger...

the pixel density on the 11 is actually "better" or at least higher (some people don't like that) and others argue that the wider screen makes watching videos more enjoyable.

i for one dont miss the lack of sd slot at all. my only complaint was that the trackpad took some getting used to.

i like to lie in bed and put my laptop on top of a pillow and type - sometimes the 11" digs into my wrist a bit but that's very slight. my 13" pro does it too sometimes.

other than that the 11" is the best laptop i have ever owned.
 
DisplacedMic said:
you dirty dog:p

but yes - the 11" is the best computer i have ever owned. haven't had it long, still love it.

was worried that 11 would be too small, but so far no problems at all. got used to it almost right away. portability is everything to me. i am sure people with 13" love them too, but i wouldn't be as happy with the larger machine.
Click to expand...

i only use it around the house, so a 13" would be fine also, but i like the old 12" powerbooks and this is the closest i can get to that.lol

also i don't think the text will be that much bigger on the 13'
 
Hello... said:
i only use it around the house, so a 13" would be fine also, but i like the old 12" powerbooks and this is the closest i can get to that.lol

also i don't think the text will be that much bigger on the 13'
Click to expand...

so you were win win either way!
glad it worked out mr stack-the-odds :p
 
Hello... said:
also i don't think the text will be that much bigger on the 13'
Click to expand...

Well that isn't quite true. Text is definitely smaller on the 11". If my eyes are tired, I can find it a bit of a strain - but I really need new glasses also. ;)

After two years with the 13", I often found myself wishing for the 11" - especially while travelling. My previous laptop was a 2008 15" MBP, and that screen was just beautiful. The 2011 13" was a nice transition, because it had the same number of pixels.

But over time, I sort of felt that the 13" was "neither here nor there" - not quite a large laptop and not quite a small one. I'm enjoying the 11" machine a lot now. It's great for watching movies - seems more "personal" than a bigger computer, and I still use my 15" MBP to watch DVD's when I want a larger screen anyway.

I honestly don't notice any difference at all with the keyboard and trackpad. I guess they are a bit smaller, but not enough to matter.

The 13" is also a very nice machine however. You really can't go wrong either way. The only hard part is deciding which one to buy. :)
 
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