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MBA from Best Buy - 11" or 13"?

MacLC said:
The 11" has plenty of downsides.
Lower resolution, lower battery life, etc. Most annoying for me is the lack of built-in SD card reader. I borrowed a friend's MBA for a trip (great friend :D ) but was annoyed to no end in having to get an external USB SD card reader which didn't fit in his custom MBA carrying bag. Speaking of carrying bags and cases, more generic choices are available for the 13" MBA.
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Yeah, the lack of card reader is a downer. I mean, I have an external card reader, but I don't like the fact of HAVING to use that. I take a LOT of photos (3 kids), and one of my main reasons for a MBA is to view (and possibly edit) photos when I am not home.

I was also considering getting rid of one of my iPads for the Air, but they are totally different machines with different uses, so I will end up having both.
 
I recently used my 11" MBA at a theatrical photo shoot where I took about 400 pictures. Just plugged my Nikon directly into the MBA with a USB cable, no big deal. Then I edited the photos sitting in a bar with friends that evening. I never used the SD card slot when I had the 13" MBA.

If you do a lot of photo editing and can't use an external screen though, the 13" model might be better.
 
Boyd01 said:
I recently used my 11" MBA at a theatrical photo shoot where I took about 400 pictures. Just plugged my Nikon directly into the MBA with a USB cable, no big deal. Then I edited the photos sitting in a bar with friends that evening. I never used the SD card slot when I had the 13" MBA.

If you do a lot of photo editing and can't use an external screen though, the 13" model might be better.
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I don't do a ton - its just a hobby. Same with video editing - but for that I have my iMac.
 
CharlieBrandt09 said:
I don't do a ton - its just a hobby. Same with video editing - but for that I have my iMac.
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In that case you're probably good to go. In my short stint with the 11", I didn't have access to a desktop on the road and didn't want to buy a new case for just a couple of days. The extra couple hours of battery life would have been nice. However what was great was the lightness. I loved how light and :p "Airy" the 11" felt. My previous 3 experiences with laptops were 2 Dells of 3+ kilos (7lb) and a 12" PowerBook that at 2kilos (4.5lb) felt downright light. The MBA was 1/2 that and got hot, but was still cooler and MUCH quieter than the others.

Just of course get a custom model with 8gigs as you'll notice a difference and can't upgrade later (it's soldered in).
 
The 11" is kind of small for photo editing.

For productivity, it could be bigger, but it can do it fine.

No problems for other things.


I think the 13" is a much better choice especially if it's your only/main computer. The only reason I have the 11" is because I have a 15" rMBP and two desktops.
 
There is not much to discuss. The OP has to go to the store and check out the screen size he likes.
The End.
 
I'm one of those people that got the 11" MBA to combine my laptop/iPad usage. I had a 15" MBP that I rarely used because I had an iPad which handled most of my consumption. Unfortunately, apple still hasn't made the iPad a stand alone device (since it needs to be linked to an iTunes account) and I also need a laptop for classes and work. Also more and more I started using my iPad mini as a reading device. So I got rid of my mini and my MBP and got the 11" MBA. I've had it for about a week now and it's really convenient. The portability if the 11" matches an iPad but expands the usability with full apps and web pages and multi tasking. Best of both worlds. As for my reading, I bought a kindle paperwhite and really like that as well. This seems to be my perfect setup.
 
I think the 11" Air is perfect for you. Just be sure to bring a USB cable with you to transfer photos from your camera to your 11" Air. No need for an iPad when you have a 11" Air because the iPad is just a toy compared to a fully functional OSX computer like the 11" Air.
 
Battery life isn't an issue with the 2013 but the earlier models, only getting 4 hours is a huge drawback
 
The way I look at it...

If you're gonna buy an Air, might as well get an 11" for the ultra-portability. Otherwise I'd go with the 13" MacBook Pro for its muscle and Retina display.
 
OT2000 said:
The way I look at it...

If you're gonna buy an Air, might as well get an 11" for the ultra-portability. Otherwise I'd go with the 13" MacBook Pro for its muscle and Retina display.
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Yup... that was my thought process. If I need more muscle, I have my iMac.
 
I too bought the 11" 2013 Air with that $150 Best Buy student discount. I have an Asus MX279H 27" monitor coming in today and plan on using the Air at home in clamshell mode, to replace my 2010 21.5" iMac, and then undock it and take it with me to school when needed. I couldn't justify having to fully manage two computers, so I feel this is going to work out splendidly.
 
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