Owned 2011 13" MBA for 2 Weeks & Still Stuck Between 11 & 13-Inches

[i0Nic]

I can see that you are really deliberating between the 11" and 13" and finding it really hard to decide. So was I.

At the end the day, you *will* be happy with either model.

I went from 11" to 13" for fairly trivial reasons which may not be dealbreakers. If I had stuck with the 11" I'd probably be just as happy. If I originally got the 13" without comparing the 11", I'd still be just as happy.

The machine is great. It's portable, fast, and easy to slip into many bags and has a big enough screen to meet any portable demands. That is the case for either model. Don't try to over analyse things and compare very specific, minor usages that people have. Just get the one that makes you happier. I just decided that the bigger screen and battery life would make me a bit happier than the smaller size.

The 11" has a little smaller screen and is a little more portable, with a little less battery life. The 13" has a little bigger screen and is a little less portable, but with a little more battery life. What I'm trying to say is, the difference between the two is little! So don't sweat it a lot.

 

[urkel]

If it's such a tight choice then you must be looking for reasons to validate getting the 11". If it's that close then you probably should get the 13" because it can do everything the 11" except be as small and light. The best reason to choose an 11" is if you want it with you at all times and want to slip it into backpacks, purses, large jacket pocket, etc. Otherwise you'll likely be much happier with the 13" over time.

Im in the same situation as the OP and I know Im trying to validate my desire for the 11".

The 11" has some insane "sexiness" that is immediately appealing but I really wonder how it works out for non-power travelers in the long run. I just got the 13" and like it very much, but im very close to switching to an 11" just because my brain is telling me that I "need" it.

 

[hefeglass]

the grass is always greener on the other side!
i must say, i have been eyeing the 11 ever since getting the 13..
but after reading the pros and cons again, i am going to stick with this 13...

 

[KylePowers]

I debated for weeks and ultimately went 11-inch.

It's my first Apple laptop and the battery life trumps my previous laptop's. I typically get 4-5 hours with low or no backlit keys + 1-6 bars on screen brightness (I'm a touch typist and live in a bat cave). So maybe instead of comparing the 11-inch battery life to the 13-inch's, try comparing it to your previous one? That's how I look at it, thusly making it a better mobile computing experience.

I thought 4-5 hour battery life would bother me, but seldom am I ever mobile for that length of time. It doesn't particularly bother me to have my MBA plugged in and charging while using it, plus it charges relatively fast. Just something to think about, I'd say.

But yes, the portability cannot be rivaled and that's probably the main reason I chose it. It's a secondary computer to my 27" iMac. Now, if it was my only laptop, I'd definitely go 13-inch. Not really because of battery life, but because of screen real estate and the SD card slot.

Now, don't get me wrong... I don't particularly find the 11in hard to use, but I guess I'm on the short side for a male (5'8"; Asian-descent; engineering student, go figure), so maybe it's easier for me.

Lion really helped my deciding factor in that fullscreen apps can easily make up for the space the dock and Apple bar (I have no idea what it's called) take up making most applications relatively easy to use. 3-finger swiping between fullscreen apps is ridiculously convenient and I simply don't see the screen-size to be that much of a disadvantage, as long as you're willing to adapt.

I haven't used the larger trackpads found on the 13in or MBPs for extended periods of time, but I do have the trackpad for my iMac... which I believe is larger than both the 11-inch's and 13-inch's. I don't see much of a difference in terms of gesture usage, in that I don't separate my fingers more or open them wider just because I'm on a larger trackpad. I just do what's comfortable, and what's comfortable works on both sizes.

Anywho, those are just some of my findings n_n

EDIT: Also, money was not a deciding factor. I got mine at Best Buy in a tax-free state and got the $100 gift card =)

 

[macbookpro45]

sticking point for me would be the 13"mba has a 'proper', 'normal' resolution - i use those words loosely, of course.

 

[MacLappy]

Would like to add the 13" palm rest seems to be wider and longer, it feels really comfortable leaving my hands on the 13" for extended period of typing, almost feels like it requires no effort due to the ample resting space. While the 11" feels kinda tight, my hands seem to be bordering on the edges all the time, almost like i got to make a conscience effort to avoid having them fall off the edges while not skirting too close to the trackpad. I can't say that i really tested out the 11" all that much, since the only opportunity i had to try one was limited to the 15 mins i took to decide at the apple store, but it did feel slightly less comfortable. Could have been my imagination or maybe i just got big hands!

 

[Dominus Mortem]

The best reason to choose an 11" is if you want it with you at all times and want to slip it into backpacks, purses, large jacket pocket, etc. Otherwise you'll likely be much happier with the 13" over time.

Why is that?

* 13" has a larger screen, almost always this is an advantage
* It has a 1-2 hour better battery life
* It is only .6 lbs heavier, almost impossible to notice that much more
* It has a larger trackpad (tho truthfully it's hard to notice unless you obsess about it)

Those are the most important differences.

 

[Dominus Mortem]

Im in the same situation as the OP and I know Im trying to validate my desire for the 11".

The 11" has some insane "sexiness" that is immediately appealing but I really wonder how it works out for non-power travelers in the long run. I just got the 13" and like it very much, but im very close to switching to an 11" just because my brain is telling me that I "need" it.

The problem I run into with the 11" is that away from home I come close to running the battery down completely more often than not. I really need another 2 hours of battery life. I carry an ipad with me along with the 11" right now for that reason. I'm returning to school in a few weeks and I'll use the 13" there as the 11" won't have enough battery to allow me to finish the day with it (I have both, it's a long story why, and it looks like I'll be keeping both). I'd like to sell the ipad to recoup some of my expenditures but I think I'd miss it too much. I always have too many computers so this situation is nothing new for me.

 

[kilonet]

Well my choise would be 11" for portability and Mini or iMac for work and gaming. If I would have only one laptop Id go for MBP.

Not something in between (13").

 

[kegler]

i was in a similar situation as you
i asked myself.... when im carrying it ard....would i be carrying e mba in a bag? if yes, it doesnt matter 11 or 13. You will need a bag.

i also asked myself.....does the 270grams more feels much diff? isit worth the extra battery life? extra screen reso? sd card for extra storage? extra speed? and all these for just $100 more ?

 

[misterneums]

I really need to avoid threads like these... I've owned my 13" for 9 days now. I really like it, but part of me keeps thinking back to the 11" version. I just need to weigh the pro's and con's of each one.

When it comes down to it, for me, the 13" just has a higher set of Pros/Better aspects than the 11".
+Better Battery Life
+SD Card Slot
+More Powerful i5 Processor
+Larger Screen
+Higher Resolution Screen
-Larger Physical Footprint
-Slightly more weight.

++My 13" is double Samsung--do I really want to play the Apple Lottery again?

 

[Roman2K~]

I was in the same situation as the OP last week. In the end, I went with the 13" mainly because of the higher, eye-soothing screen resolution .

 

[alecgold]

Reasons for picking the 11” over the 13”.

The 11” has on almost every front a little bit less than the 13”
It has less pixels, less battery life, a little bit less CPU power but also a little bit less weight, costs a little bit less, smaller size and is much more portable.
Point for point:
- less pixels is a bit worrying, but we have done with much, much less pixels in the past and that worked as well. The 19:9 ratio is a little bit less handy for working with texts etc. but hiding the dock or putting it to the left size and using full screen when possible, makes it work quite well. And if you really want to, you can use the 27” thunderbolt display, which makes your MBA 11 (or 13 for that matter) an asthmatic iMac.
- Less battery life is relative. If you are a roadworrier (or you see yourself being a roadwarrior) even 5 hours might get you a long, long way. I’ve managed with my 2010 13” well over 9 hours being very careful, not using wifi etc, just using word. The 11” can be pushed to 7 hours of very light use. But if you are on the road, how often do you have wifi around? And if you are traveling by car, you could get the car charger from hypermac. I’ve got one (I hardly ever use it, but it has it’s moments of glory when you really couldn’t do without it). Other solution is a hypermac battery. But I’m not sure if these are still being sold as Apple didn’t like the idea of reusing the magsafe wires….
- If you need CPU-power, don’t get a macbook air. Easy as that. But if you think you can manage with it, the differences are small between the 11 and 13”.
- The 11” is a good €300 cheaper if you compare the most basic versions. If you compare a bit more equal systems with both 4Gb and 128 Gb and just 0,1Ghz difference in the processor the difference is only €100. Never the less, if you can live with the basic 11”, it’s quite a saving! And the 2Gb memory isn’t that bad, for one has OS-X a nice memory using behaviour and secondly is a swapfile not as bad with the flash memory as it was on a HDD.
- The 13” is very portable, coming from a 13” macbook pro and a 17” macbook pro. And the 11” isn’t that much smaller, I think it is just a few cubic centimeters smaller, it’s not that much lighter, about 300 gram or 0,6 pounds and yet it feels like a whole new class of portable. I can’t believe how much more portable an 11” feels compared to the already very portable 13”. And without feeling like a week, feeble laptop, because it feels even sturdier than my 13”. If you just look at the numbers, it shouldn’t feel like so much more portable. But that’s the same with the performance of these little buggers. On paper the numbers tell you a macbook pro or a imac is much faster. But if you do your day to day work on them, they feel like they are blazing fast, just because everything starts so fast. Opening word, parallels, Acrobat pro, it’s opening in the blink of an eye. And when you don’t do much crunching (coding or video encoding) on it, you will never notice it only has got an IGP or an ultra low voltage processor.

So there are two points to make in the end; one is that the 11” isn’t much less of a computer compared to the 13” and the second is that the 13” basic model has a very good price, compared to the 11” with the same specs that is just $100 cheaper.
So if you want just a computer and €1249 is in your budget and you don’t have much ultra portability needed, the 13” is very nice.
If you are on a tight budget or you want to have ultra portability, choose the 11” and you’ll never look back.

 

[amitdoc2b]

I really need to avoid threads like these... I've owned my 13" for 9 days now. I really like it, but part of me keeps thinking back to the 11" version. I just need to weigh the pro's and con's of each one.

When it comes down to it, for me, the 13" just has a higher set of Pros/Better aspects than the 11".
+Better Battery Life
+SD Card Slot
+More Powerful i5 Processor
+Larger Screen
+Higher Resolution Screen
-Larger Physical Footprint
-Slightly more weight.

++My 13" is double Samsung--do I really want to play the Apple Lottery again?

My decision:

I decided to keep the 13” MBA. The only thing I like about the 11” is the footprint, and apparently this footprint is very high on my list of wants because of the attractiveness factor. However, I don’t like the battery life, screen resolution, don’t care about the weight difference, nor would I ever travel with it without putting it in a bag anyways. If my 13” MBA was not double Samsung, I think I would have more of a bigger reason to consider a switch because then two things would mentally eat me alive based on what I read on these forums (samsung issue, battery life).

It’s true I will never use 7 hours in a day of battery anyways, but I don’t typically use a laptop at recommended low settings.. rather on high brightness and do multi-task using both flash/non-flashed based sites.. so I rather have 4 hours of usage from the 13” in real intensive settings than 2-3 hours from the 11”. I think carrying an 11” plus a charger in most occasions is worse than carrying a 13” without worrying about bringing a charger in most scenarios.

Ironically the bezel really bothers me about the 11” too... does anyone notice the bezel around the screen is double the size of the area around the keyboards? On the 13” the bezel around the screen is slimmer and matches the area around the keyboards. Along with the vertical resolution, I think this is what is adding to its odd stunted look that some people are concerned about. I really want the 11”, but maybe next year if they can improve at least the battery on it if nothing else. Thanks guys/girls for all your helpful info.

So maybe an 11” without the charger in 2012 when its ready for prime time like the 13” is now!

 

[misterneums]

My decision:

I decided to keep the 13” MBA. The only thing I like about the 11” is the footprint, and apparently this footprint is very high on my list of wants because of the attractiveness factor. However, I don’t like the battery life, screen resolution, don’t care about the weight difference, nor would I ever travel with it without putting it in a bag anyways. If my 13” MBA was not double Samsung, I think I would have more of a bigger reason to consider a switch because then two things would mentally eat me alive based on what I read on these forums (samsung issue, battery life).

It’s true I will never use 7 hours in a day of battery anyways, but I don’t typically use a laptop at recommended low settings.. rather on high resolutions and do multi-task using both flash/non-flashed based sites.. so I rather have 4 hours of usage from the 13” in real intensive settings than 2-3 hours from the 11”. I think carrying an 11” plus a charger in most occasions is worse than carrying a 13” without worrying about bringing a charger in most scenarios.

Ironically the bezel really bothers me about the 11” too... does anyone notice the bezel around the screen is double the size of the area around the keyboards? On the 13” the bezel around the screen is slimmer and matches the area around the keyboards. I really want the 11”, but maybe next year if they can improve at least the battery on it if nothing else. Thanks guys/girls for all your helpful info.

So maybe an 11” without the charger in 2012 when its ready for prime time like the 13” is now!

It's always a hard decision.

 

[slpslee]

I can vouch for the fact that the 11" is more than acceptable as a business laptop. I used mine for 10 hours straight yesterday, and I didn't find myself wishing for more screen real estate. I love slipping it into a small bag, and I'm good to go. When I thought about it, I decided portability was the major issue for me. I was just tired of lugging a brick everywhere, as nice a brick as it was. I had a 13" MBP but sold it because it was just kind of an anomaly--neither small nor light enough to be radically different from what I already owned.

To me, Lion is the perfect component that really makes this model practical. I love mine. I do have a 15" Core i7 MacBook Pro, but I'm not sure what I'll use it for any more. I'm so glad I got the top of the line configuration, because I can see myself using this MBA for years to come and, since it came with the larger SSD installed, there's no need to upgrade to a larger capacity internal storage any time in the foreseeable future.

 

[Sounds Good]

The only thing I like about the 11” is the footprint...

Funny, I have the same thoughts about the footprint. I actually work from home and rarely travel, so my laptop is usually attached to a 24" monitor. But when I either move around the house or very occasionally want to take the laptop out somewhere with me, I really, really want that small footprint! It sounds crazy, but even just sitting at my kitchen table while having breakfast and reading email or news, I would love the small footprint of the 11" MBA.

So, am I nuts? Is an 11" laptop a good idea for me? Bad idea? Am I better off with a 13" (or larger?) laptop ???

Help!

 

[cpnotebook80]

I got both the mba 11 and 13". the 13" seems massive to me and sure the screen estate is big and battery life is longer. But my 11" works perfectly when i was out on the patio last evening and sits perfectly on my lap and not too big or small and still do everything i want.
plus its light to hold with one hand
the 13" is great too although i played it for a bit but still went to 11" lol

 

[urkel]

I got both the mba 11 and 13". the 13" seems massive to me

It sounds stupid to say the 13" seems "massive", but I got the 13" and just bought an 11" 2010 and the difference is amazing.

Weight: The 13" doesnt actually weigh much more but it feels like it does.
Size: 11" fits in a tiny netbook sling bag but the 13" requires the same big bag you need for an MBP13.

User Experience: Here's where the big selling point of the 11" comes in. Despite it being smaller physically, when talking about getting work done then it feels just as big as the 13". The screen resolution is pretty close so my aperture/photoshop/website work looks almost identical, the keyboards are the same size, they work equally well as 2nd screens when attached to my 24" monitor and it has the same port limitations. So everything I could or couldnt do on the 13" is exactly the same on the 11" except the 11" is tiny.

The only thing holding me back from upgrading is Best Buy. I bought the 13" 256GB with gift cards Ive been saving so I have to buy from them again but they dont sell the 11" 256GB. So by trading up I'd have to live with a smaller drive (which is difficult because I keep my Aperture library and masters on the internal) or look elsewhere for SSD upgrades and they are ridiculously expensive. So in th end i may be "stuck" with an awesome (but not tiny) 13" MBA.

 

[Pipper99]

I agonized over the choice on the 2010 model. I originally got an 11" because it was so unique, but I just didn't like working on that small, vertically short screen. The smaller trackpad bothered me, working with a number of open windows seemed unpleasant, and I didn't like looking at photos on that small of a screen. I returned the 11", and I bought the 13", and the 13" was just right, for me. I completely understand the appeal of the 11" for others who have different needs/desires/circumstances: it's a beautiful, powerful machine. Ultimately, I wanted a larger screen, particularly in the vertical. I must say that I'm glad to have the SD slot on the 13": I use it a lot. I wish that I could afford both.

OP, based on what you've said, I think that you made the right choice for yourself.

 

[Young Spade]

Funny, I have the same thoughts about the footprint. I actually work from home and rarely travel, so my laptop is usually attached to a 24" monitor. But when I either move around the house or very occasionally want to take the laptop out somewhere with me, I really, really want that small footprint! It sounds crazy, but even just sitting at my kitchen table while having breakfast and reading email or news, I would love the small footprint of the 11" MBA.

So, am I nuts? Is an 11" laptop a good idea for me? Bad idea? Am I better off with a 13" (or larger?) laptop ???

Help!

There's definitely no problem with that; personally out of the 11/13 MBA and the 13 MBP for my next, only, laptop, I really, really wanted the 11 inch Air. It's small, fast, and since I'm a college student I want to have as much desk space left after my laptop when I'm in class.

The only thing holding me back was the 5 hour battery. Yea I could just throw a charger in the bag with the laptop, however if I have3/4 classes a day and don't have time to find a charger, I run the risk of being out of power by the last class. Don't want that happening.

However if you can manage on a ~5 hour battery, then by all means get it. When you get back to your desk, you can simply hook up a separate monitor. Easy as that.

I got both the mba 11 and 13". the 13" seems massive to me and sure the screen estate is big and battery life is longer. But my 11" works perfectly when i was out on the patio last evening and sits perfectly on my lap and not too big or small and still do everything i want.
plus its light to hold with one hand
the 13" is great too although i played it for a bit but still went to 11" lol

Exactly; I love taking my MBP around the house with me; it's the thinnest/smallest fully functional laptop I have ever owned. HOwever, when I'm eating dinner or something, I remember loving taking my iPad 1 and a stand downstairs for that. Easier manipulation and control.

When using the laptop, I just set a video to play, push it back, and eat. It does take up a bit more space than I would like though :/

 

[BENJMNS]

Actually most people wouldn't go for the 13 if they had the money. Money has nothing to do with it. Id pay extra for the 11".

Also most of us business users use external monitors or desktops at work. We use our laptops mainly while traveling and commuting, which the 11" is perfect for.

I dont stare at an 11" screen all day. I have 2 22" monitors for the mba 11" at my desk at home. At work i have a pc with a 3 monitor setup. But i use the 11" everyday on the train for an hour each way. Which the 11 is perfect for and battery life is fine for that hour. I never use the laptop for more than 1 hour off the charger.

Money ALWAYS has something to do with it unless you're flat out rich where a $2K expenditure is like buying a packet of gum.

It is a tough call. I have the 13 ultimate, but am sometimes tempted by the 11, but not enough to go through the hassle of selling it, reloading the 11, etc.

 

[Young Spade]

Money ALWAYS has something to do with it unless you're flat out rich where a $2K expenditure is like buying a packet of gum.

It is a tough call. I have the 13 ultimate, but am sometimes tempted by the 11, but not enough to go through the hassle of selling it, reloading the 11, etc.

Exactly. The differences are getting smaller (clock speed, battery life, screen size, sd card) but they are still differences; whether or not they're worth the extra few bucks will vary between users.

 

[DieterRams]

The battery was just an added bonus for me. Really, the vertical resolution was a pain on the 11" though. The 11" MBA's trackpad was an annoyance as well if you're coming from a unibody MBP.

I went to the Apple Store to use it and I had the same impression. However, with Lion, doesn't the full screen ability make up for some of that? And the way you can double-tap with two fingers on a webpage to zoom in on text like you can on iOS make up for that too in terms of browsing on the smaller screen? It really makes me wonder if it may not be that bad.

 

[teerexx52]

I went to the Apple Store to use it and I had the same impression. However, with Lion, doesn't the full screen ability make up for some of that? And the way you can double-tap with two fingers on a webpage to zoom in on text like you can on iOS make up for that too in terms of browsing on the smaller screen? It really makes me wonder if it may not be that bad.

Yes, I think the full screen adds a lot and the double tap zoom. I like it a lot for browsing.