Of these two, which MBA would you buy?

[dmk1974]

My Dad is thinking about sipping the Apple kool-aid and is looking at a MacBook Air since they travel a bit.

I've got some Best Buy RZ points that I can give him and today at the local BB I saw some 2010 open-box models as well. I personally have a 2011 13" MBA which I love, but was thinking of steering him towards one of these two since both are under $1000.

A.) $974.99: 2010 13" MBA 1.86 GHz C2D, 2 GB RAM, 128 GB HDD (open box)

B.) $949.99: 2011 11" MBA 1.6 GHz i5, 2 GB RAM, 64 GB HDD (new)

I don't think the amount of storage space is a big deal for him (64 GB should be plenty). Both have the same RAM, but it comes down to a trade-off of model year/screen size/processor power/lit keyboard/battery life.

Which would you rather buy from there? Thanks!

 

[NutsNGum]

I'd plump for the 11", personally.

Faster, smaller, lighter - handy if they travel a lot. Safari zooming on Lion means small text is less of an issue.

Unless your dad's got an epic iTunes library.

 

[dmk1974]

I'd plump for the 11", personally.

Faster, smaller, lighter - handy if they travel a lot. Safari zooming on Lion means small text is less of an issue.

Unless your dad's got an epic iTunes library.

No, he's not going to load much on the laptop anyway. 64GB should still give plenty of headroom. I mean, on my 2011 MBA, I'm only using about 70/128 GB and have a ton of files, apps, and videos on it. More space is always nice, but not needed.

One other difference, I think, is the size of the touchpad. The 11" touchpad is smaller, right? Or am I mistaken? If so, is that much of an issue for you 11" users out there? I like my 13" touchpad a lot.

 

[Fernandez21]

No, he's not going to load much on the laptop anyway. 64GB should still give plenty of headroom. I mean, on my 2011 MBA, I'm only using about 70/128 GB and have a ton of files, apps, and videos on it. More space is always nice, but not needed.

One other difference, I think, is the size of the touchpad. The 11" touchpad is smaller, right? Or am I mistaken? If so, is that much of an issue for you 11" users out there? I like my 13" touchpad a lot.

The touchpad is beggar than any windows machine I've used, so for me this touchpad feels huge. In the store it only look marginally smaller than the ones on the pro, so it shouldn't be a deal breaker.

 

[NutsNGum]

No, he's not going to load much on the laptop anyway. 64GB should still give plenty of headroom. I mean, on my 2011 MBA, I'm only using about 70/128 GB and have a ton of files, apps, and videos on it. More space is always nice, but not needed.

One other difference, I think, is the size of the touchpad. The 11" touchpad is smaller, right? Or am I mistaken? If so, is that much of an issue for you 11" users out there? I like my 13" touchpad a lot.

I've owned both of the 2011 models - 11" and 13".

The only thing I've found more difficult on the 11" trackpad is the four-finger pinch used to bring up Launchpad. Even then, it's not especially difficult, just a bit of a tighter squeeze.

With regards to space, if your parents found themselves needing more storage in the future then they have the option to upgrade using OWC's Aura Pro Express, bit pricey, but it's arguably worth the money.

Edit: The other fella makes a good point: If you're coming from a Windows environment, even a smaller multi-touch trackpad is going to feel a lot more responsive. You've just been spoiled by the 13 inch!

 

[KPOM]

No, he's not going to load much on the laptop anyway. 64GB should still give plenty of headroom. I mean, on my 2011 MBA, I'm only using about 70/128 GB and have a ton of files, apps, and videos on it. More space is always nice, but not needed.

One other difference, I think, is the size of the touchpad. The 11" touchpad is smaller, right? Or am I mistaken? If so, is that much of an issue for you 11" users out there? I like my 13" touchpad a lot.

The 11" touchpad is fine. I had a 13" MacBook Air since 2008 (several revisions), and now use an 11" 2011.

To the original question, I'd go with the i5. Would you consider the 4GB i5? Lion does use up a lot of RAM, so even for basic use, 4GB might be better.

 

[dmk1974]

To the original question, I'd go with the i5. Would you consider the 4GB i5? Lion does use up a lot of RAM, so even for basic use, 4GB might be better.

I thought about it, but it's an extra $190 for that 11" with 4 GB and 128 GB SSD. If bumping up that much, I may start considering the 13"/4GB/128 SSD like I have though.


Another thought I am considering for him though is my older 2008 black MacBook. It's 2.4 GHz C2D/4GB RAM/64GB SSD in it. Much heavier of course than the airs, but effectively cheaper since I have it. I do like the Air's though

 

[KPOM]

I thought about it, but it's an extra $190 for that 11" with 4 GB and 128 GB SSD. If bumping up that much, I may start considering the 13"/4GB/128 SSD like I have though.

You can order the 11" with 4GB and 64GB SSD and still get an education discount of $50. That would make it $1049. MacMall actually has it for $1043 through their AppleInsider link.

 

[VeloRapid]

I personally found the MBA 11 too small and MBA 13 is perfect, but 128gb is not enough for me unfortunately. 256gd of ssd is a really good upgrade.

 

[bandofbrothers]

I would advise you to get one with 4gb ram as opposed to a 2gb.

 

[bomsom]

Consider 4GB RAM

I would definitely consider a 4GB RAM option. The MBA memory is soldered on the main board, so not user replaceable.

Maybe it can run fine now but in a year or so you´ll miss the extra RAM.

 

[ZipZap]

You can order the 11" with 4GB and 64GB SSD and still get an education discount of $50. That would make it $1049. MacMall actually has it for $1043 through their AppleInsider link.

Careful with MacMall they now charge sales tax all states.

 

[thuglove]

You can order the 11" with 4GB and 64GB SSD and still get an education discount of $50. That would make it $1049. MacMall actually has it for $1043 through their AppleInsider link.

This. I'd order it from Apple directly though. It's actually $1039 after the education discount and you get a $100 iTunes gift card that you can sell for $90, which will bring the total down to $949.

 

[Cheffy Dave]

Don't know how old Dad is,

But I am 63, I absolutely adore my 11" 2010 MBA 4MB Ram, came with a 64GB SSD, which I swapped out for a 480GB OWC SSD, because my Wife and I run our business with it,something you could do if he needed more room.
I voted for the new 11" because you are not buying from Apple,as a refurb, you will get a great i5 Processor,backlit keyboard,, same sweet lil Laptop, as the 2010.
Your Dad will love the 11" MBA, we do, and we have 3

 

[Bye Bye Baby]

Sorry, I would-t get either one.

But that's just me.

 

[dubAdub]

I wouldn't buy either either. The 11" is too small and the 13" has an old cpu.

 

[IngerMan]

I would not get either also. I would at least get 4gb of ram in either machine. And you should be able to find a much better deal on a C2D. I would think the specs you listed with 4GB of ram for less then $850. Do some more shopping, better deals are out there.

 

[dmk1974]

You guys make a lot of good points. Yeah, I think if I was going to go with the older C2D, I might as well just give the cheaper, though chunkier, 2008 black MacBook.

I would not get either also. I would at least get 4gb of ram in either machine. And you should be able to find a much better deal on a C2D. I would think the specs you listed with 4GB of ram for less then $850. Do some more shopping, better deals are out there.

Wait, are you saying a 2011 with 4GB RAM for less than $850? That seems like it would be a steal!

----------

This. I'd order it from Apple directly though. It's actually $1039 after the education discount and you get a $100 iTunes gift card that you can sell for $90, which will bring the total down to $949.

I'm not a student and my kids are only in grade school. How would I be able to get the education discount?

 

[vitzr]

I would never buy open box. Refurb from Apple? Yes, no problem.

But open box from a retailer, no way. Too risky. Believe it.

 

[IngerMan]

Quote "Wait, are you saying a 2011 with 4GB RAM for less than $850? That seems like it would be a steal!"

No, I am saying you should find a handful of C2D for that price.

 

[scarred]

Neither, never.

 

[dmk1974]

Neither, never.

Got anything more helpful that that?

 

[scarred]

Got anything more helpful that that?

Not much that you don't already know.

The only people that should buy the entry model 11inch macbook air are those that know exactly what apps they'll be using for it's lifetime. They will use it for specific purposes and be happy. The fact that you made a poll to try and help decide which to get means you really don't fall into that category. One day, you are going to wake up and tell yourself "I wasted 1000 bucks on this thing, I can't do what I want with it."

And the C2D is old. For 1000 bucks, you are investing in something that has 5 year old technology. Doesn't sound like a wise choice to me.

 

[dmk1974]

Not much that you don't already know.

The only people that should buy the entry model 11inch macbook air are those that know exactly what apps they'll be using for it's lifetime. They will use it for specific purposes and be happy. The fact that you made a poll to try and help decide which to get means you really don't fall into that category. One day, you are going to wake up and tell yourself "I wasted 1000 bucks on this thing, I can't do what I want with it."

And the C2D is old. For 1000 bucks, you are investing in something that has 5 year old technology. Doesn't sound like a wise choice to me.

That better I coudn't tell if you were a a Windows user trolling or something.

 

[KPOM]

Not much that you don't already know.

The only people that should buy the entry model 11inch macbook air are those that know exactly what apps they'll be using for it's lifetime. They will use it for specific purposes and be happy. The fact that you made a poll to try and help decide which to get means you really don't fall into that category. One day, you are going to wake up and tell yourself "I wasted 1000 bucks on this thing, I can't do what I want with it."

And the C2D is old. For 1000 bucks, you are investing in something that has 5 year old technology. Doesn't sound like a wise choice to me.

Agreed. Even the $1099 4GB model with the i5 is a far better choice, IMO. You can always supplement the storage later, but the processor and RAM are set at Day 1. Two years from now, there could well be mainstream Apple software that just won't run well on the Core 2 Duo (some iTunes content struggles as it is). That won't happen with the i5.