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Thinking of returning 13" mba for 11"
- Thread starter TheLuckyOne01
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My MBA purchases have been as follows:
Rev C: 13"
Rev D: 11"
Rev E: 11"
Rev D: 13"
Personally I am still torn. I buy a new MBA each year, and waterfall my 1 year old machine within the family. I could use either... right now I am using the 13"... but there are definitely tradeoffs.
The nice thing is that I use the MBA as a stateless machine. Everything is synchronized via some cloud service (iCloud, Dropbox, IMAP, etc). So... if I pick up my wife's 11" MBA, and log into my login... then it is identical to my machine in every way (except weight and size). Likewise, if she logs into her account on my MBA, she has her entire environment. It comes in handy when only one of us has our machine with us.
/Jim
Battery life is not an issue? You get 2 more hours with the 13".
Also, I think it's better for working on Office documents. The fullscreen function gives you a LOT of space.
If you just use it occasionaly for websurfing and DON'T watch movies on it, then the 11" would be nice.
I used to own an Inspiron 15R before my MBA. The MBA feels very light compared to that beast.
).For someone who is mostly stationary like me, who already has a 27" iMac, don't ask me why I still returned my 13" Air in favour for the 11" flavour. There's something magical about its footprint that pulls me in. The 13" feels like any other laptop, it's thin but still large. The Air represents ultra portability, and the 11" represents that, not the 13".
I love the ultraportability factor. In my Sena folio case, I can bring it with me anywhere on a whim. When I am out and about, 4hrs of light use is more than enough for me.
If it's your primary machine then I'm more inclined to steer you towards the 13", but as a secondary machine the 11" is just perfect imo.
I love the ultraportability factor. In my Sena folio case, I can bring it with me anywhere on a whim. When I am out and about, 4hrs of light use is more than enough for me.
If it's your primary machine then I'm more inclined to steer you towards the 13", but as a secondary machine the 11" is just perfect imo.
Man it is a tough one, I have had both and eventually went to the 13" MBA
BUT, if money were no issue, I would probably have both...
The 11" is the ultimate for travel and taking places
The 13" gives the better battery and a bigger screen and more stuff
I did recently take the 13" on a plane, and it was good, but the 11" would have fit better...again, having both is not crazy, in fact I may eventually get an 11" at the refurb store.
BUT, if money were no issue, I would probably have both...
The 11" is the ultimate for travel and taking places
The 13" gives the better battery and a bigger screen and more stuff
I did recently take the 13" on a plane, and it was good, but the 11" would have fit better...again, having both is not crazy, in fact I may eventually get an 11" at the refurb store.
I went with the 11 due to the fact that i'm on the road a lot for business and it is (imho) ideal for airtravel, but that being said...there are times i wish i had a 13" when staying over for a week or two
currently have a 2012 11" but am always looking for a refurb 13 in the store
currently have a 2012 11" but am always looking for a refurb 13 in the store
A personal decision
Whether 11" or 13" is really a personal decision. Best if you can go to a store and spend a couple of hours with it.
Am set for the 11" because I've been using a 12.1" Wintel for 10 years and at that time I pronounced it as the perfect compromise size-wise (this thread) is concerned. So the 11" is already .5" wider than my current, and the 13" is another 1.5" , the decision is made.
If it spends lots of time on your lap, take it with your wherever you go, then probly the 11" If it spends lots of time on your desk, probly the 13"
Whether 11" or 13" is really a personal decision. Best if you can go to a store and spend a couple of hours with it.
Am set for the 11" because I've been using a 12.1" Wintel for 10 years and at that time I pronounced it as the perfect compromise size-wise (this thread) is concerned. So the 11" is already .5" wider than my current, and the 13" is another 1.5" , the decision is made.
If it spends lots of time on your lap, take it with your wherever you go, then probly the 11" If it spends lots of time on your desk, probly the 13"
I love the 11 inch for portability and periodically connect it to a large display for when I feel it's necessary. Certain processes I do benefit from the added space while reducing tedium.
I have the latest MBA ultimate and the battery life is amazing for it's speed and size. I'm getting 5 to 5.5 hours before I even have to start digging out the cord.
I had a 13" MBP for 3 years and went with the 11" Air last year and I enjoyed using it for a few months but ultimately it is too small to be my only laptop. I held out for a good seven months until I finally had enough (and had three fantasy football drafts to do, lol), so I upgraded to a rMBP 15". If there was a 13" I would have gone that way and I struggled with the rMBP/13" Air decision for about a week and ultimately resolution won out. If picking between Airs, definitely get the bigger one.
The way I look at it...it's like buying a TV...you can always deal with too big because you can always make things smaller on the screen. You can't make the device bigger tho! (yes I know it's a stretch, but it's the way I looked at it)
The way I look at it...it's like buying a TV...you can always deal with too big because you can always make things smaller on the screen. You can't make the device bigger tho! (yes I know it's a stretch, but it's the way I looked at it)
I'd pick the 13" any day, it's palm rests are comfortable, the 11" is just very very tiny and its palm rests are more suitable for small persons with small hands - like children.
lol...Buying a laptop is nothing like buying a tv. I got news for you, if you buy a device too big then you can't make it smaller either. I have a 16.4" Vaio that weighs almost 7 pounds. My 11" Air runs circles around that thing in terms of overall use.
Yes with TVs you almost always buy bigger than you think because they stay stationary for years and your concern is just screen size and quality. Laptops have nothing in common with them. An iMac maybe but not a laptop.
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This is still a bit of concern about the 11" for me. When I first started using it I found it a bit cramped. I am though warming up very fast to it.
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This is funny but I just got the 11" 8gb mba and was thinking for a second that it was a bit cramped when I first got it and maybe I should have gotten the 13". I find myself liking it more everyday though.
Tough decision. I've got an 11" and my wife has a 13". I swapped a 15" MBP for an 11" MBA and don't miss the MBP at all.
If you carry your laptop around all day, or you spend a lot of time on planes, or simply like to surf on the couch or type away with your laptop on your . . . er, lap, then the 11" is ideal.
If your laptop spends most of its time on a desk, or you really need extended battery life, or you do a lot of photo editting on the go, the 13" is probably better. It kills the 11" battery-wise.
I chose the 11" because I needed a laptop I could take anywhere, anytime and work on the road. We have an external monitor and keyboard at home, so it doubles as a desktop. No problem there.
However, battery life is my biggest criticism of the 11" - if it had better battery life and a built-in sim card slot like an iPad for connecting to mobile networks, it would be the ultimate road warrior.
If you carry your laptop around all day, or you spend a lot of time on planes, or simply like to surf on the couch or type away with your laptop on your . . . er, lap, then the 11" is ideal.
If your laptop spends most of its time on a desk, or you really need extended battery life, or you do a lot of photo editting on the go, the 13" is probably better. It kills the 11" battery-wise.
I chose the 11" because I needed a laptop I could take anywhere, anytime and work on the road. We have an external monitor and keyboard at home, so it doubles as a desktop. No problem there.
However, battery life is my biggest criticism of the 11" - if it had better battery life and a built-in sim card slot like an iPad for connecting to mobile networks, it would be the ultimate road warrior.
You're the one making the decision, what do you think? It doesn't matter what anyone else says.