You could just the cheaper, but overall better, MBP and not have to compromise on internal specs. Is 2.5 pounds really that important?
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Owned 2011 13" MBA for 2 Weeks & Still Stuck Between 11 & 13-Inches
- Thread starter amitdoc2b
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You could just the cheaper, but overall better, MBP and not have to compromise on internal specs. Is 2.5 pounds really that important?
For my next purchase... Yes, it is.
You'd be getting something that's somewhat underpowered and paying over a grand for it at that.
Well let me ask you this (and i'm not trying to sway you, just wondering) WHY are you (and everyone else here) getting the MBA when you can get the baseline Pro (that's as thick as my index finger) for less?
And again, I"m not saying it's stupid or dumb or whatever, just wondering.
Two main reasons besides the obvious weight comparison. (Which is a good reason also. If you lug your laptop around along with other things like books, the weight difference matters)
1) Better resolution (1440 x 900 vs 1280 x 800)
2) SSD make's it super snappy.
The resolution sucks on the 13" MBP if you do any serious development work.
13 days ago, I was stuck between an 11" i5/128 and a 13" i5/128, and till this day I still am. I was sure I was going to get an 11" before they released the specs on July 20th, but I still ended up getting the 13".
I absolutely LOVE the 13" MBA...
Pros about the 13":
-Has the faster i5 processor of the two MBA screen size options
-Has a thinner bezel
-Has a bigger screen
-Has the resolution of a 15" MBP
-Has a 2 hour longer battery life
-Has the SD card slot
-Has louder speakers
-Mine is double Samsung!
-And its my primary computer
Pros about the 11":
-Has a smaller overall footprint
-Has lower overall weight
-Has the uniqueness of being the smallest full-fledged OSX experience
-Has a cheaper price tag by $100 (when considering i5 11 vs 13")
-Has just about a full sized keyboard
-And I keep daydreaming about the 11" (while still admiring the 13") despite a shorter list of pros that I could come up with.
I would like to add, the main reason I picked the 13" last minute when I was thinking 11" the whole time was that the battery was 2 hours longer and the resolution is equivalent to a 15". My biggest thing is to be able to work on two documents side-by-side. I'm sure I could adjust to either screen size otherwise. I'm also not traveling with it as much, I like the slimness more because of looks and moving it around the apartment. I will barely be using the battery ever, but its nice to have the extra hours on those rare occasions if I EVER needed it. Yet, despite everything I said I probably would have grabbed the 11" even if it had 1 of those 2 features I originally mentioned (higher resolution to a 15" or two more hours battery) even though I am adjustable to both.
Anyone care to add pros or cons? This is your one last shot to convince me to keep the 13" or exchange for the 11" before tomorrow night when my 14 days is up!
Either way I am confused but happy...
I was in the same quandary pre-2011 model and got the 13. Used it for a month. It was like having married the wrong girl and looking back over my shoulder and spotting the one I should have married. I didn't make the same mistake when I was able to re-up to the new models for free. I went 11 and am digging it for all it's worth. I have multiple Macs to use, by the way, so the 11 fits right in. As a designer, I go for the larger monitor for when it's needed. I see it like having a few cars in the garage. It's great to take the two-seater out for a spin.
Can you maybe explain why the 13 was wrong and the 11 was right?
Thanks!
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Sure... here are a couple of reasons off the top of my head:
1. Size and Weight. I currently have a big/heavy 16.4" laptop, and I'd like something smaller and lighter. A 5 pound laptop feels a LOT heavier (to me) than one that weighs under 3 pounds. Personal preference, I guess.
2. Instant On. I fell in love with this feature on my iPhone and iPad, and would very much like to have it on a laptop.
to be honest these new macbook air's don't seem like they do instant on, mine takes a good 3-4 seconds, then another second or so for the wifi to come one.
Not a complaint, and what harm is 4 seconds? none at all, just a fact I have noticed with my new machine.
I have the 11" i got today, and jesus christ this thing is so light and portable, I can tell why a lot of people didn't get the 13".
Not a complaint, and what harm is 4 seconds? none at all, just a fact I have noticed with my new machine.
I have the 11" i got today, and jesus christ this thing is so light and portable, I can tell why a lot of people didn't get the 13".
I really believe the 13" MBP is the ideal system for most people but because the MBA is so incredibly sexy then we make excuses for why we need sad so badly (you can put SSD in an MBP), how storage space isn't important (the cloud has yet to be proven for large files) or how the incredibly sleek MBP is somehow a fatso (Its pretty compact for what it holds inside).
For me, I got a 13" MBA thinking I needed the extra screen size but when I realized I spent $1600 for a machine that had the same footprint as the $1100 13" MBP yet had half the capacity and slower processor then I felt my purchase decision was based more on aesthetics than practicality.
So I re-evaluated my needs and got an 11". And IMO the 11" is a unique class of computer in todays market because 1) rarely do you see "smaller screens" cost less than their larger screen counterparts and 2) IF portability truly matters then the 11" is incredibly portable while the 13" MBA has the same portability restrictions as the 13" MBP due to identical footprints.
OBviously the entire Apple lineup right now is good and I don't condemn anyone for getting either Air or Pro, but I really feel the 11" is the best value for power/portability out there today.
^That's how I feel. I woke up this afternoon, not 30 minutes ago, opened the MBP and typed my password in 2 seconds later. Then I proceeded to use the computer.
It seems to be one of those things like having a push to start car rather than one that you can turn to start but having the wireless key in your back or pocket. It just saves 1-2 seconds.
Thank you for the reply. That is, somewhat subconsciously, what I think I was looking for. Before I got my computer, I was on the fence from the time the new Airs came out to the time I walked into the store.
College student, carries books, walks/rides bike to school, has 3-4 classes a day, doesn't like carrying heavy backpack (had to carry a 5.x lb black MB last semester (and the charger) and that sucked.
The MBA seemed to be the best option, and I wanted that, however, it came out to being 1250 (without tax for cheapest 13 inch) rather than 1168 WITH tax for the MBP. When all you're doing is getting a high resolution and saving 2.5 pounds, I thought it wasn't really worth it.
But that's me; and I really, really, really wanted the 11 inch, however it only gets around 4.5 hours of battery life and I can't afford to have it die on my last lecture if I can't get to a charger for some reason (stayed on campus last semester so I could easily go to my room between classes and do whatever).
Don't get me wrong though, if I had the money I would have probably went for the 13 inch Air. I just think that it's a little too expensive and you're paying a bit for the design rather than functionality at that point (which is the whole point of the air, the design).
It's a great machine though; I'll probably end up getting the next, next future generation (3-4 years time) when everything starts getting really good.
If you think about it, we're paying a lot for what's going to be obsolete in a few years (we all know this) BUT, I can't wait to see WHAT will make it obsolete.
I just received my new 11" last week, and I'm absolutely 100% happy with it. I don't live close to an Apple Store or Best Buy, so I didn't get to actually try out the 11" before ordering. I also have had a 2nd gen. 13" Air which I've enjoyed, but I decided to "think different" and try the 11", and it's great. Unless you've got really big hands, it's perfect to type on, and the screen is great- very, very sharp and bright. Yes the native text size is smaller than my old Air (1280x800 display), but the extra sharpness makes up for it, and Lion makes it so easy to zoom in with the gestures. The full screen mode also helps make the most use of the smaller screen. My old 13" feels like a hog now after using the 11".
That's exactly why I'd like to get the 11" but could you live with using it without an external monitor and its smaller palm rest and smaller trackpad when doing work?
Depends one why your doing , work wise that is.
The way I see is, if you can browse on your iPhone or iPad for hours, then this screen is even better.
For anything like word, and stuff like that, if your doing autocad like I do, or photo shop, anything smaller than a 17" is hard to work on. But that's just my opinion.
The palm rest isn't a problem for me either, it's so thin to me I it's like I can rest my palm on my desk at the same time as using the track pad
One thing I have noticed though is that because the width is a lot smaller than my old mac book prob, I have the tendency to press the wrong key because I'm used to moving my hand a longer distance.
But I will simply get used to that, full screen apps are also great, but does anyone know how the instantly get out of the full screen state? I press escape but it takes about 4 presses or something and I don't always want to be going to the corner of the screen to exit.
Control + Command + F is the default shortcut to exit out of fullscreen
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I tried both the 11" i7 and 13" i5 and I got about 50 minutes more out of the 13". I was doing iPhone development and had Spotify running the whole time streaming music, a few Safari windows open, Preview, TextEdit, Xcode, iTunes (idle).
Very interesting; how much time do you get out of the 13 inch on average with that kind of usage and lighter/heavier usage?
If you could answer the same for the 11, that would be great as well; of course, only if it isn't too much of a bother