The Verge: 2013 MBA best laptop ever

[Diversion]

Mind I asking why you decided to go from 11" to 13"? Pondering going the other way (and haven't received mine yet)

I find the 16:9 screen ratio to be awful at 1366x768.. I think it has a lot to do with how OSX is presenting itself to that resolution.. You don't fit a lot of web page and reading on the screen in that narrow of screen space.

The 13" is so much better for viewing content, but less so for movies/tv but I don't care about that.. I like to surf, read, and have more screen real estate.

11" keyboard palm rest is shorter and even though its still a full size, I found where my palms rest it just wasn't comfortable to me for long term typing.. The 13" has wonderful ergonomics, YMMV.

Everything else about the 11" seemed perfectly fine.. Speakers sound pretty much identical to the 13", battery life equally terrific.

I just definitely feel more at home on the 13".. I always went for the tiniest powerful machines I could find.. But to seriously use the 11" and feel like I could put a full 9 hour work day on it.. Not for me.. I don't think I could do it.. The extra res on the 13 is much better as a work horse.

The last thing is that people seem to be getting more Samsung LCDs and Samsung SSDs in the 13s over the 11.. This screen has deep blacks, whiter whites... Looks like Apple quality again.. I felt ripped off when I had my 11..

Glad I went back to 13"

 

[curtoise]

I find the 16:9 screen ratio to be awful at 1366x768.. I think it has a lot to do with how OSX is presenting itself to that resolution.. You don't fit a lot of web page and reading on the screen in that narrow of screen space.

The 13" is so much better for viewing content, but less so for movies/tv but I don't care about that.. I like to surf, read, and have more screen real estate.

11" keyboard palm rest is shorter and even though its still a full size, I found where my palms rest it just wasn't comfortable to me for long term typing.. The 13" has wonderful ergonomics, YMMV.

Everything else about the 11" seemed perfectly fine.. Speakers sound pretty much identical to the 13", battery life equally terrific.

I just definitely feel more at home on the 13".. I always went for the tiniest powerful machines I could find.. But to seriously use the 11" and feel like I could put a full 9 hour work day on it.. Not for me.. I don't think I could do it.. The extra res on the 13 is much better as a work horse.

The last thing is that people seem to be getting more Samsung LCDs and Samsung SSDs in the 13s over the 11.. This screen has deep blacks, whiter whites... Looks like Apple quality again.. I felt ripped off when I had my 11..

Glad I went back to 13"

First time with the 11" and i cannot go back to anything else for a mobile laptop, I always had a 13" that was too bulky and awkward to take it everywhere and ended up as a desktop replacement with an external monitor.

11" is the best computer I ever had for carry around and mobile purposes.

 

[Jefe's MacAir]

Just got back from exchanging the 11" for a 13"..

Got lucky - Samsung LCD in this one (LSN133BT01A02) and a Samsung SSD.

My previous 11" had a LG screen and Sandisk SSD.

My write speed on the Sandisk was 360ish and this Samsung is around 430ish.
Both had read speeds in the 700s...

How do you check which SSD you have?

 

[MeatRocket]

If you are buying an MBA as a toy to ding around with...fine. But the VMs I run need at least 4GB and the HD 5000 uses at least 1GB itself. Add that to the fact it's not upgradeable and it's only $100 - it's a no brainer.

Absolutely my thoughts. I too must use VMs quite a lot and for only $100? Seriously? I'd say anyone who's worried about $100 for maxing out the RAM probably shouldn't be considering dropping $1300+ on a mini-laptop.

So far it's no different than my friend's base model. We're both power users and with his i5 he is getting around 5 hours. That has been my experience with installing/setup. Obviously it goes longer if you just browse.

I haven't decided between the i7/8/512 or the i5/8/512. You say your'e both power users, but say his is a base model. Does he by chance try to run VMs? I'm going with 8GB Ram regardless, but am on the fence between the i5 & i7. I love the thought of the cooler & possibly longer running i5, but dread the thought of the CPU convulsing when running Win 8 & Win Server 2012 in separate VMs simultaneously.

 

[Diversion]

First time with the 11" and i cannot go back to anything else for a mobile laptop, I always had a 13" that was too bulky and awkward to take it everywhere and ended up as a desktop replacement with an external monitor.

11" is the best computer I ever had for carry around and mobile purposes.

I thought i'd feel the same as you but again, the 16:9 ratio on a 11" with not a lot of top-to-bottom resolution made it more of a chore for me to view websites in a fuller way... Too much scrolling I guess you could say? I just like seeing more top to bottom view of content for documents and webpages. Plus im enjoying the added bonus of more battery life on the 13".

As far as size and weight, I don't feel the 11" was that much smaller or lighter.. I think they both feel about the same weight when carrying and the size isn't much bigger..

Would I throw rocks at the 11"? Heck no.. I think its a wonderful machine, just not right for me

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How do you check which SSD you have?

Go to About This Mac and click on "More Info..." and then System Report..

Look under the SATA/SataExpress section and you'll see the part number for your SSD there.

 

[techn0lady]

It is based on real world usage. I can still use the 2gb Airs just fine. I had a base 2012 Air and ran VM's without a hiccup. The only place you will see people complain about needing 8gb of RAM is these forums. .

I'm sure that for emailing your granny and surfing myspace in a 2010 MBA 2GB is just fine running Apple Basic or some crap like that. But for real world usage, where one might want to create a powerpoint presentation while having photoshop open at the same time - where one might like to airplay over a 1080p movie in VLC to their ATV or maybe run dreamweaver Lightroom at he same time ... 2 GB is a nonsense number.

I don't know how you can say something like that with a straight face . Frankly 2GB hasn't been used for anything much since 2005 and the minimum memory requirements of Mavericks will undoubtedly be 4gb.

Advice like yours is worth everything we paid for it on the internet.

 

[curtoise]

Would I throw rocks at the 11"? Heck no.. I think its a wonderful machine, just not right for me

Yes it is a wonderful machine.

The 13" 3 hours of extra battery and a little more real estate is tempting me but I'm in love with the size of the 11" and 9+ hours is plenty (for me) Even if I work all day from this machine I never work 9 hours glued to the screen and battery last about 2 days until I need to plug it in again.

 

[saberahul]

I have a really strong desire to sell my 2011 MacBook Pro for MacBook Air.

 

[curtoise]

I have a really strong desire to sell my 2011 MacBook Pro for MacBook Air.

I have an early 2011 Macbook Pro with 1tb and 16gb ram.

The base i5/4gb/256 ssd that I'm typing on right now is making me put the MBP on auction this week, I'll never go back to that dinosaur.

This thing is very very fast.

 

[saberahul]

I have an early 2011 Macbook Pro with 1tb and 16gb ram.

The base i5/4gb/256 ssd that I'm typing on right now is making me put the MBP on auction this week, I'll never go back to that dinosaur.

This thing is very very fast.

Now I have an even stronger desire!

 

[mj1108]

I have an early 2011 Macbook Pro with 1tb and 16gb ram.

The base i5/4gb/256 ssd that I'm typing on right now is making me put the MBP on auction this week, I'll never go back to that dinosaur.

This thing is very very fast.

Welcome to Club Air. These are just stupid fast.

 

[lilo777]

New MBAs are good but there are better laptops. For example, Sony Vaio Pro is much lighter (or the same wight when used with extra battery), has same battery life (with extra battery), has the same fast PCIe SSD. But it has one huge advantage - Full HD TRILUMINOS IPS touchscreen (1920 x 1080).

 

[Miat]

But it has one huge advantage - Full HD TRILUMINOS IPS touchscreen (1920 x 1080).

You listening, Apple?

(Apart from the touchscreen bit, no thanks).

 

[marvin4653]

I'm sure that for emailing your granny and surfing myspace in a 2010 MBA 2GB is just fine running Apple Basic or some crap like that. But for real world usage, where one might want to create a powerpoint presentation while having photoshop open at the same time - where one might like to airplay over a 1080p movie in VLC to their ATV or maybe run dreamweaver Lightroom at he same time ... 2 GB is a nonsense number.

I don't know how you can say something like that with a straight face . Frankly 2GB hasn't been used for anything much since 2005 and the minimum memory requirements of Mavericks will undoubtedly be 4gb.

Advice like yours is worth everything we paid for it on the internet.

While I would purchase 8GB of RAM if I was buying a new computer, since the cost to upgrade is cheap and the RAM can't be replaced, you simply don't need that much memory for most computing tasks. I agree, 2GB is a bit low, though far from usable only for "emailing your granny" (seriously?), but 8GB is surely overkill for most users.

Just to run with your example, here's a screenshot of my 2010 Air 4GB "creating a powerpoint presentation while having photoshop open at the same time" (editing a 12MP photo from a D3)...and streaming a 1080p movie from my file server over wifi, just for kicks.

 

[mattopotamus]

I'm sure that for emailing your granny and surfing myspace in a 2010 MBA 2GB is just fine running Apple Basic or some crap like that. But for real world usage, where one might want to create a powerpoint presentation while having photoshop open at the same time - where one might like to airplay over a 1080p movie in VLC to their ATV or maybe run dreamweaver Lightroom at he same time ... 2 GB is a nonsense number.

I don't know how you can say something like that with a straight face . Frankly 2GB hasn't been used for anything much since 2005 and the minimum memory requirements of Mavericks will undoubtedly be 4gb.

Advice like yours is worth everything we paid for it on the internet.

I think you are speculating and not going on personal use. Mine is based on real world usage. I would almost bet that mavericks will not be a minimum of 4gb.

 

[maxosx]

Meh, the best laptop ever to me is the Pixel. That thing can last 19 hours without a charge. Don't forget it boots the computer in 2 seconds while having a touchscreen and highest screen resolution of any laptop.

I just need to figure out how to run iTunes on this thing.

I'm enjoying my Pixel far more than I anticipated, and it's an "extra" laptop in addition to my highly regarded mid-2012 13" MBA.

My vast iTunes library resides on my server & as such is an ideal solution when one has multiple machines & or iOS devices.

 

[r6mile]

Mountain Lion barely runs on 2GB (I know from experience). 4GB will surely be the minimum requirement for Mavericks, and I bet it will run fine on that, but for future OS releases, 8GB is likely to be necessary. £70 is really not very much for such a big upgrade.
Not everyone upgrades every year.

 

[sofakng]

Go to About This Mac and click on "More Info..." and then System Report..

Look under the SATA/SataExpress section and you'll see the part number for your SSD there.

I see a part number but Google isn't giving me any useful results.

My 2013 11" has APPLE SSD SD0256F
...and 13" has APPLE SSD SM0256F.

(Both seem to have Samsung LCD panels but I can't decide if I want to keep the 11" or 13" either...)

 

[Diversion]

I see a part number but Google isn't giving me any useful results.

My 2013 11" has APPLE SSD SD0256F
...and 13" has APPLE SSD SM0256F.

(Both seem to have Samsung LCD panels but I can't decide if I want to keep the 11" or 13" either...)

SD is SanDisk.. the SM is Samsung.

 

[sofakng]

Thanks!

 

[curtoise]

New MBAs are good but there are better laptops. For example, Sony Vaio Pro is much lighter (or the same wight when used with extra battery), has same battery life (with extra battery), has the same fast PCIe SSD. But it has one huge advantage - Full HD TRILUMINOS IPS touchscreen (1920 x 1080).

I did have several Vaios, Hps, etc untli I got my first Mac 6 years ago and never looked back.


Good luck with Windows 8, I would not touch that monster even if you pay me.

 

[mattferg]

SD is SanDisk.. the SM is Samsung.

Weird, I've got the LG display but the Samsung SSD. Personally prefer the LG because it hasn't got the built-in gradient issues, and I've just changed the colour profile so it's as vivid as the Samsung.

 

[gnasher729]

Of course there'd be a price jump. But then who's to say they wouldn't retain the non retina MBA's as they're doing with the pro for those with tight budgets?

Retina MBPs cost exactly the same as non-retina or are cheaper. They only look more expensive because you can't buy them with cheap hard drives, only with SSD drives. But non-retina MBPs with exactly the same specs cost the same or more than Retina.

The problem is a trade-off between battery and display quality, and it may be that Retina display production isn't high enough yet.

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New MBAs are good

Have you fallen ill? You are saying something positive about an Apple product?

but there are better laptops. For example, Sony Vaio Pro is much lighter (or the same wight when used with extra battery), has same battery life (with extra battery), has the same fast PCIe SSD. But it has one huge advantage - Full HD TRILUMINOS IPS touchscreen (1920 x 1080).

I'll stop worrying, same old lilo, still in good health and complaining about Apple as always.

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Mountain Lion barely runs on 2GB (I know from experience). 4GB will surely be the minimum requirement for Mavericks, and I bet it will run fine on that, but for future OS releases, 8GB is likely to be necessary. £70 is really not very much for such a big upgrade.
Not everyone upgrades every year.

Mavericks has some new tricks up its sleeve to run with significantly less memory. And Apple just spent a week telling developers (among other things) how to avoid wasting memory. Not that I would recommend 2GB to anyone, but Mavericks will handle it better than Mountain Lion.

 

[torana355]

New MBAs are good but there are better laptops. For example, Sony Vaio Pro is much lighter (or the same wight when used with extra battery), has same battery life (with extra battery), has the same fast PCIe SSD. But it has one huge advantage - Full HD TRILUMINOS IPS touchscreen (1920 x 1080).

Don't forget the craptastic trackpad and the fact it runs Windows

 

[Diversion]

New MBAs are good but there are better laptops. For example, Sony Vaio Pro is much lighter (or the same wight when used with extra battery), has same battery life (with extra battery), has the same fast PCIe SSD. But it has one huge advantage - Full HD TRILUMINOS IPS touchscreen (1920 x 1080).

The Sony Vaio Pro seems nice at first but the fit and finish fail when you compare ergonomics and ease of use against the MBA. I played with one and felt that the keyboard, trackpad, etc. all felt too difficult to comfortably use. With the MBA, you get a top notch keyboard with great backlight (the Sony Pro's backlight is pretty awful, read the Verge review) and the touchpad on the MBA is untouchable this far. It's reliable, fast, accurate, doesnt fail to detect gestures and two/three fingered scrolling.

I used to primarily own Sony Z laptops due to their powerful, small size and light weights. Then I got a MBA and never looked back. Yes you can get better screens/more res on Windows laptops but the ease of use and ability to reliably hammer out a 9 hour work day on a Windows laptop without getting annoyed by something.

If I got another Sony.. it would be the Haswell powered Sony Duo 13.. Thats one wicked machine.. Slide out backlit keyboard, Haswell, 9+ hour battery life and touch screen with 1080p. Much better than the Sony Vaio Pro IMO.

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Don't forget the craptastic trackpad and the fact it runs Windows

This is so true, I haven't EVER had a Windows machine that had a touchpad that worked well enough. Im not sure why nobody's been able to come close to the macbook touchpad yet. If I feel the need to connect a mouse to a laptop to be productive, you've failed.