MacBook Air: 11" vs 13"

[TomBlack]

if i really need to use it as main computer, i would go for 15'' at least
without external monitor and exclusively for home use, neither one nor the other would substitute 15-17'' laptop

Refering to your conlusion I have to disagree. Sorry, but I went from a fully expanded version of a 15" windows laptop, where I had a problem with my back and couldn't fit it in my bag, a had to use a backpack.

I bought a mbp 13" and still after so much use I have a problem with it. I't still too heavy. So after some research i'm going for a mba 11" and a maxed out mac mini connected to a tv.

i would advice for those people who are still unable to decide between 11 or 13 either:

- get 11 if you have external monitor and another 15+ laptop / computer

- get 13 if you haven't any of them

but I have to admit that the 1,6kg 13" mba looks promising with a 8gb ram chip and a 256gb ram. This one thing to think about.

 

[Boyd01]

Visit a store and hopefully you will find an 11" and 13" model side by side. I did this awhile ago. While the specs don't imply much difference, it's surprising how different the weight feels in person.

Was up in NYC walking around yesterday. The 11" MBA was great, also perfect for web surfing without taking up much table space at a coffee house, then later I sat in the car with a friend and we watched a movie together.

She is the person that has my old 2011 13" MBA in fact, so it was re-united with my new 11" MBA for the first time in 6 months. No doubt, the larger screen on the 13" model is nice if you are going to do a lot of work without the benefit of an external monitor. But if you want portability, it just seems huge next to the 11".

Also, playing with both computers, I was again struck by how little performance difference there is between the 2011 and 2013 model while doing everyday stuff like e-mail, web and finder operations. However the battery life on the 2013 11" MBA is noticeably better than the 2011 13" MBA.

 

[DisplacedMic]

Visit a store and hopefully you will find an 11" and 13" model side by side. I did this awhile ago. While the specs don't imply much difference, it's surprising how different the weight feels in person.

Was up in NYC walking around yesterday. The 11" MBA was great, also perfect for web surfing without taking up much table space at a coffee house, then later I sat in the car with a friend and we watched a movie together.

She is the person that has my old 2011 13" MBA in fact, so it was re-united with my new 11" MBA for the first time in 6 months. No doubt, the larger screen on the 13" model is nice if you are going to do a lot of work without the benefit of an external monitor. But if you want portability, it just seems huge next to the 11".

Also, playing with both computers, I was again struck by how little performance difference there is between the 2011 and 2013 model while doing everyday stuff like e-mail, web and finder operations. However the battery life on the 2013 11" MBA is noticeably better than the 2011 13" MBA.

agree on all counts.
i'm a scientist. use my 11 air for everything and love it.
every now and then i plug it into an external but truth be told i could just as easily do without.

i do data analysis, powerpoint presentations, databases, paper writing, photoshop, 3rd party science stuff and entertainment on my 11 w/ no issues.

occasionally i would like a bit more real estate but i ALWAYS appreciate the reduced weight.

I was sure i wanted the 13...until i went to the store and compared it to the 11...at which point it was between the 11 air and the 15 retina. the 13 retina felt the same as the 13 air to me (i know it's .5lb heavier). but i don't buy 1st gen tech and i always go w/ the cheaper option when i can't decide on something.

glad i did!

the entire macbook line is awesome - hard to imagine anyone making a "wrong" choice.

 

[Dirtyharrydev]

I did buy a 11" Air and I love it.
When I'm traveling it's light and I can take it with my.
At home I do hock it up with a 24" screen and use it with the screen no issue there.

The 13" is bigger and is a little more wight.



That's my 5 cent, put your money on CTO instead of 13".

 

[jizzy]

I chose 13". My logic was simple:
1) no big weight difference, no big price difference
2) usually I carry stuff (papers, notebook) which has the dimension compatible with 13" (A4) -> I usually have a bag compatible with this format
3) screen size: bigger is better
4) text is small for 11". If you don't use text, take a tablet.

 

[robvas]

The text really isn't much smaller on the 11" because it's only a few ppi higher than the 13"

135 ppi vs 128 ppi, the 15" Pro is 110 ppi by comparision

I love the form factor of the 11" but the lack of vertical space is really restricting. My 15" monitor in 1995 had 1024x768 pixels

 

[Boyd01]

The text really isn't much smaller on the 11" because it's only a few ppi higher than the 13"

Having owned both, I disagree. The text is noticeably smaller on the 11". As mentioned above, we had them side by side yesterday. I had to change font sizes when I got the 11 - Apple Mail just wasn't readable using the standard font I had on the 13. And I constantly zoom in with Safari. Never needed to do that on the 13. Nevertheless, I still prefer the 11.

 

[jdechko]

3) screen size: bigger is better

For the most part, I agree with such a generic statement. Depending on the task however, neither the 11" nor the 13" (nor a 15") would suit my workflow, and necessitate hooking up to an external display in order to "spread out".

Personally, I'd rather have an 11" + an external display than a 13" (with or without an external display). In the end, I feel I get the same machine at home and a more portable setup on the road. But that's just my opinion.

Having owned both, I disagree. The text is noticeably smaller on the 11". As mentioned above, we had them side by side yesterday. I had to change font sizes when I got the 11 - Apple Mail just wasn't readable using the standard font I had on the 13. And I constantly zoom in with Safari. Never needed to do that on the 13. Nevertheless, I still prefer the 11.

Agreed, although I've only found Safari to be a little small. But after setting the minimum font size to something a little larger, I haven't had any issues at all.

 

[jizzy]

ok I recompile:
if you (can) really use an external monitor a lot, the screen size does not matter => 11" is better
else, bigger screen size is better if it does not add a significant weight.

 

[Boyd01]

I'd rather have an 11" + an external display than a 13" (with or without an external display). In the end, I feel I get the same machine at home and a more portable setup on the road. But that's just my opinion.

No it isn't - it's also my opinion! Very nicely put.

----------

if it does not add a significant weight.

This can be hard to quantify. The 11" weighs 2.38 lbs, the 13" weighs 2.96 lbs. So the 13" machine is 24% heavier than the 11. Now I weigh 150 pounds. If I gained that much I'd weigh 186. I would certainly consider that "significant".

 

[jizzy]

I like you use numbers, Boyd01. Unfortunately "significant" depends on your total bag when you're "mobile". If you're carrying only the laptop, I vote for you; if you add "significant" stuff (like notebooks for example, damn sometimes they're so heavy ..., books, etc), I don't.

 

[Boyd01]

Very true. My friend not only had the 13" MBA in her pack, but an external hard drive, external DVD drive, an opera score and all kinds of "chick stuff". I went to pick it up and couldn't believe how much it weighed.

Meanwhile, I just had the 11" MBA, the power brick and a USB thumb drive in a small shoulder bag...

 

[J&JPolangin]

I have a 2011 13.3" MBP and just picked up a 2013 11.6" MBA = the MBA is an amazing machine and the battery life is finally where I like it for my unplugged needs!

My MBP isn't heavy itself but in comparison its a huge difference between the two units.

I'd go with the MBA and an external display if you want the most portable machine possible!

 

[yosemit]

That's the logic by which I chose 11" MBA. With 8GB and i7, it is a really a workhorse. And it is ultra-portable when I'm on travel.

ok I recompile:
if you (can) really use an external monitor a lot, the screen size does not matter => 11" is better
else, bigger screen size is better if it does not add a significant weight.

 

[Abazigal]

Heck I just autohide. The dock doesn't tell me any realtime data I need to know...

That's what full-screen apps are for.

 

[Miss Roxy]

+1 - fully agree.
and it's perfectly fine as a primary Mac, imho



auto-hide the dock - as someone has suggested - is the answer here

the screen resolution on the 11.6" Air is just fine for most eyes.
coming off a 15" retinaMBPro it took like a couple of hours to adjust.
next day it was not noticeable.
we adapt very easily, I find.
mind you, my Air has the AU Optronics panel which is far better than the LG and Slamsung offerings

AUO is better than samsung and lg?