This is why I choose the 11" over the 13" !

[altecXP]

really? complaining about the weight of a 11in vs thin 13in in college? The average college kid has a 15in laptop and doesn't complain. Are you that weak?

I can't believe so many kids today complain about weight are we raising kids THAT out of shape?

 

[urkel]

really? complaining about the weight of a 11in vs thin 13in in college? The average college kid has a 15in laptop and doesn't complain. Are you that weak?

I can't believe so many kids today complain about weight are we raising kids THAT out of shape?

Sheesh. Complaining about the fact that a complete stranger has a personal opinion? Remind me never to get old.

 

[arctic]

Remind me never to get old.

Right on😀! Get out of the way or he'll hit us with his cane.

 

[TC03]

really? complaining about the weight of a 11in vs thin 13in in college? The average college kid has a 15in laptop and doesn't complain. Are you that weak?

I can't believe so many kids today complain about weight are we raising kids THAT out of shape?

Weight is everything.

Bringing a laptop is something that is generally done out of precaution. In fact, you simply don't always need it and you don't know when you need it. So ideally, you wouldn't notice if you're carrying a laptop at all. Just like a pen, you always carry it with you because it doesn't bother you to carry it.

However, if a laptop has some considerable weight, like a 13" MBP, it may become a hassle. You start leaving your laptop at home when you think you don't need it just to find out you need it after all. By doing so you completely miss the point of having a laptop at all, because you don't have a mobile computer with you when you needed it most. A MBA is so light and thin, especially the 11", there is no reason not to carry it with you, which is a huge advantage (and in my opinion, the main USP).

To summarize:
1. A laptop is of full use when brought with you at all times
2. A laptop is least bothering you when the weight is kept to a minimum
1+2: A laptop should always weigh as little as possible.

 

[ZBoater]

That's what the iPad is for, and even that gets left sometimes behind. About the only thing you can guarantee you will have all the time with you is a phone.

If you are carrying an 11 incher, the 13 inches is not going to break your back. Unless you want to fit it into that cool looking jacket with a MacBook Air pocket. Only the 11" fits there. But then again how many people carry a laptop in their pocket?

"Hey, is that a MacBook Air in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?" 😎

 

[arctic]

Weight is everything.

Bringing a laptop is something that is generally done out of precaution. In fact, you simply don't always need it and you don't know when you need it. So ideally, you wouldn't notice if you're carrying a laptop at all. Just like a pen, you always carry it with you because it doesn't bother you to carry it.

However, if a laptop has some considerable weight, like a 13" MBP, it may become a hassle. You start leaving your laptop at home when you think you don't need it just to find out you need it after all. By doing so you completely miss the point of having a laptop at all, because you don't have a mobile computer with you when you needed it most. An MBA is so light and thin, especially the 11", there is no point into not bringing it, which is a huge advantage (and in my opinion, the USP).

To summarize:
1. A laptop is of full use when brought with you at all times
2. A laptop is least bothering you when the weight is kept to a minimum
1+2: A laptop should always weigh as little as possible.

No use wasting time writing a detailed response for that old guy. He's too in love with his machines on his sig he just came to the MBA forums to hit the kids with his walking stick.

 

[tuna]

Meh, to each his own. 13" is still really slim and light. It has a bigger, higher resolution, more useable screen, bigger and more useable keyboard and trackpad, and 40% more battery life. I figure that I'll enjoy using it more on the go than the smaller computer, and I definitely want an iPad for when I want something even smaller.

Plus the performance difference between the 1.6 and 1.7 is about twice as much as the performance difference between the 1.7 and 1.8, suggested by the turbo boost clocks of each processor and confirmed by benchmarks. You can BTO upgrade the 11" to the 1.8Ghz i7, but now you are bringing the price closer to the 13".

And then there's the real reason: MacMall is selling the 256GB 13" for $100 under MSRP, and in most states they won't be collecting sales tax from you. Thats a 9% savings for me. The 3rd party reseller prices on the 11" aren't as aggressive.

 

[meistervu]

I have tried both for a day each

I believe that the choice between the 11" and 13" is really personal. I am going to post my experience here in case it helps some one with the decision.

First, my background. I am a programmer. I used to lug around a 17" Dell with 1920x1200 resolution. The last few years I have been using a MacPro with a 24" screen at 1920x1200. I couldn't stand the 1280x768 15" screen on a Windows laptop I used occasionally. So, in my first trip to check out the new MBA I looked mostly at the 13". I did take a glance at the 11" but it did not occur to me that I might consider it.

When I got home, for some reason the thought of the 11" came up. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to try it out to see if it works for me. It is such a neat size, and my thought were that 900 versus 768 pixel height may not be that big of a deal once I get used to it.

So I bought a 11" and used it for a day. It's was a great little laptop. But I kept wishing for a bit more room. While full-screen apps made the best use of available real estate, I still wished that I could see more of my codes, or web sites, etc. The more I thought about it, the more I suspected that I was making an unnecessary compromise. What do I gain by choosing a 11" over a 13"? A smaller size, less weight, but does it really matter that the 13" is slightly heavier and bigger? I suspected not.

So I returned the 11" for the 13". And my suspicion was correct: I did not find the 13" weight to be more objectionable than the 11". They are both really light. As for size, I find the 13" more stable on my lap, so it's a plus. Unlike a phone which must fit in my pocket, the larger size of the 13" doesn't really make a difference in my back pack.

And now the pluses. I got a couple more hours of battery life. The screen size and resolution is fantastic compared to the 11" (which is not bad at all. I could have lived with it but it would have been a compromise). The trackpad is bigger. I got a built in SD. reader.

So in the end, I am keeping the 13". The 11" was a really neat device and a marvel of engineering. But the 13" suits my needs better.

Good luck with your choice.

 

[TC03]

Meh, to each his own. 13" is still really slim and light. It has a bigger, higher resolution, more useable screen, bigger and more useable keyboard and trackpad, and 40% more battery life. I figure that I'll enjoy using it more on the go than the smaller computer, and I definitely want an iPad for when I want something even smaller.

Plus the performance difference between the 1.6 and 1.7 is about twice as much as the performance difference between the 1.7 and 1.8, suggested by the turbo boost clocks of each processor and confirmed by benchmarks. You can BTO upgrade the 11" to the 1.8Ghz i7, but now you are bringing the price closer to the 13".

And then there's the real reason: MacMall is selling the 256GB 13" for $100 under MSRP, and in most states they won't be collecting sales tax from you. Thats a 9% savings for me. The 3rd party reseller prices on the 11" aren't as aggressive.

The 11" MBA has exactly the same keyboard as the 13".

 

[infobhan]

The 11" MBA has exactly the same keyboard as the 13".

Not exactly. The keys on the function row at the top are shorter. But close enough.

 

[striker33]

Meh, to each his own. 13" is still really slim and light. It has a bigger, higher resolution, more useable screen, bigger and more useable keyboard and trackpad, and 40% more battery life. I figure that I'll enjoy using it more on the go than the smaller computer, and I definitely want an iPad for when I want something even smaller.

Plus the performance difference between the 1.6 and 1.7 is about twice as much as the performance difference between the 1.7 and 1.8, suggested by the turbo boost clocks of each processor and confirmed by benchmarks. You can BTO upgrade the 11" to the 1.8Ghz i7, but now you are bringing the price closer to the 13".

And then there's the real reason: MacMall is selling the 256GB 13" for $100 under MSRP, and in most states they won't be collecting sales tax from you. Thats a 9% savings for me. The 3rd party reseller prices on the 11" aren't as aggressive.

Don't be so defensive. Backing up your points with false facts doesnt help either 😛

 

[myrtlebee]

more useable screen, more useable keyboard and trackpad

What does this mean? More useable trackpad- what? How so? More useable keyboard? I still am not understanding this one. I don't agree with a "more useable screen", either, but I suppose that's really the only one truly up for debate. I would suggest those debating which to choose to go to a store - doesn't have to be an Apple Store, it could be a Best Buy for that matter, and test these people's claims. There will be no consensus on this board, that's for sure. 🙄

 

[darngooddesign]

I wouldn't choose the 11" due to the lower res screen. I do Flash presentation work and our exhibits are all 1024x768. The 11" doesn't have resolution to work at that size, not to mention editing AS code, or any code for that matter, requires a higher res screen. While its not debatable that the higher res screen is more usable, not everyone needs that at the cost of greater portability.

 

[questioner76]

I had the 2010 11" and switched to the 2011 13". While I love the 13" and do not regret switching, I do find the 11" quite a bit more portable. This is a device I take to the office everyday in my briefcase and travel quite frequently with.

The 11" is significantly easier to pull out of my bag with one hand and open up to start working with. When you combine the weight and length differences (torque for those of us who still remember high school physics ;-)), it takes a lot less wrist work. I also notice the weight difference when carrying it around in a brief case.

I will say that the 13" also fits fine in my bag and it resembles more of a full size computer without the weight and thickness of my work Dell, for instance. It's been a lot easier to do more of the things I'm accustomed to doing on my work PC on it as compared to the 11", which really confined me to checking things/consuming content, and doing working for short periods of time.

 

[KPOM]

I wouldn't choose the 11" due to the lower res screen. I do Flash presentation work and our exhibits are all 1024x768. The 11" doesn't have resolution to work at that size, not to mention editing AS code, or any code for that matter, requires a higher res screen. While its not debatable that the higher res screen is more usable, not everyone needs that at the cost of greater portability.

I think this is one area where the full-screen mode of Lion will come in handy. You'll get access to the entire 768 vertical pixels without having to share them with the menu bar and Dock.

 

[usw]

I wouldn't choose the 11" due to the lower res screen. I do Flash presentation work and our exhibits are all 1024x768. The 11" doesn't have resolution to work at that size, not to mention editing AS code, or any code for that matter, requires a higher res screen. While its not debatable that the higher res screen is more usable, not everyone needs that at the cost of greater portability.

You can choose 1024*768 (without stretching) in the display preferences...

The new mba 11" will be my main computer, I'm getting roughly the same computing performance as from my late 2009 13" mbp, without any heat or noise issues and it's much snappier, even when dealing with large code files.
I appreciate how lion allows you to totally bypass the windowing nightmare os x used to feel like, especially when using small displays...
The first gen mba was an overpriced engineering failure, the 2010 version not powerful enough, but this one is simply awesome.

 

[Jezak]

I had a 2010 13inch MBA and decided to go with a 11inch 4GB 1.6Ghz 128GB flash model. I also ordered a Mac Mini with the AMD 6630 graphics card. The Mini has not arrived yet.

My original purpose for both machines, is that the Air would serve as my primary machine and I'd use the Mini as my media hub, VM testbed, and light gaming computer. I wanted to lighten my load a bit with the stepdown to the 11inch from the 13 and honestly, I love the form factor the 11inch offers.

For the entire weekend, I used my new 11inch Air connected to my 27" ACD and around the house (Sunday morning coffee on the porch/living room). I must say, I have been completely surprised with how fluid and smooth things are. With full screen mode on the Air, I found the screen size adequate. I was working a fairly large spreadsheet without much trouble. Now, it wasn't perfect, but I didn't find myself regretting the 11inch at this point remembering that I had just come from a 13.

The real surprise was the performance of the machine while connected to the 27" ACD. I could not get over how smooth things are. Websites/forums with heavy images and gif's we're extremely smooth. With my old 13 I'd always see some type of delay (albeit brief, but annoying). I could pop in and out of spaces, launch pad etc without the annoying slight jitter my old 13 gave me. I am really, really impressed.

Now, knowing the new 13 and 11 is a new class of machine all together, this really came down to size and aesthetics. For me, the 11 fits better. Maybe I'll change my mind once I am working hard on it, but for now I am happy to have this form factor. Just my two cents.

 

[addoh]

I had a 2010 13inch MBA and decided to go with a 11inch 4GB 1.6Ghz 128GB flash model. I also ordered a Mac Mini with the AMD 6630 graphics card. The Mini has not arrived yet.

My original purpose for both machines, is that the Air would serve as my primary machine and I'd use the Mini as my media hub, VM testbed, and light gaming computer. I wanted to lighten my load a bit with the stepdown to the 11inch from the 13 and honestly, I love the form factor the 11inch offers.

For the entire weekend, I used my new 11inch Air connected to my 27" ACD and around the house (Sunday morning coffee on the porch/living room). I must say, I have been completely surprised with how fluid and smooth things are. With full screen mode on the Air, I found the screen size adequate. I was working a fairly large spreadsheet without much trouble. Now, it wasn't perfect, but I didn't find myself regretting the 11inch at this point remembering that I had just come from a 13.

The real surprise was the performance of the machine while connected to the 27" ACD. I could not get over how smooth things are. Websites/forums with heavy images and gif's we're extremely smooth. With my old 13 I'd always see some type of delay (albeit brief, but annoying). I could pop in and out of spaces, launch pad etc without the annoying slight jitter my old 13 gave me. I am really, really impressed.

Now, knowing the new 13 and 11 is a new class of machine all together, this really came down to size and aesthetics. For me, the 11 fits better. Maybe I'll change my mind once I am working hard on it, but for now I am happy to have this form factor. Just my two cents.

Sounds great, I'm planning to buy either 11 or 13 inch ultimate and the new Thunderbolt Cinema Display. My main concern is how this new MBA will handle the display and increased resolution.

I'm doing mostly surfing, streaming, and Lightroom 3. How does it run when you watch HD videos or edit photos on the Cinema Display? Still lag free?

Thanks in advance dude!

 

[Jezak]

Sounds great, I'm planning to buy either 11 or 13 inch ultimate and the new Thunderbolt Cinema Display. My main concern is how this new MBA will handle the display and increased resolution.

I'm doing mostly surfing, streaming, and Lightroom 3. How does it run when you watch HD videos or edit photos on the Cinema Display? Still lag free?

Thanks in advance dude!

I did not do any photo editing, but I didn't have any problems with a HD podcast running on half the screen (okay upper right hand quadrant) and doing coding on the other side. I know that's not as intensive as photo editing, but I was switching back and forth between heavy web browsing and an RDP session without any lag. Hope that helps.

Edit: In addition I had four other spaces going each with at least 3 or four windows in each of them and switching between those was lag free.

 

[lionheartednyhc]

Thanks for the post. I was wondering about the same thing. Im contemplating the exact same setup as you (27" iMac + 11" Air). Do you sync files back and forth, or do you keep them completely separate? Im wondering about the best way to do so.

 

[drober30]

The 11" or 13" comes down to personal preference and how you will be using your computer. Both are amazing computers!

I'm reading through this thread like everybody else to read peoples opinions on why they purchased the 11" or 13".

I purchased both today. The 13" was replacing my 13" MBP and the 11" was for my wife. I unboxed both to set them up and I have not set my wife's 11" MBA down!

The 11" to me is new and different than my 13" so it really feels like a new computer. I have two other iMacs in the house so my laptop is just for surfing and playing around. If I need more real estate then I can use one of the iMacs.

I think most people want to own the 11" MBA but they must decide if it fits into their daily computing lifestyle.

I will be exchanging my 13" at Best Buy for the 11" tomorrow morning.

This 11" MBA is a very sleek, ultralight computer and I'm very excited to have my first SSD computer!

 

[splashnader]

The 11 inch models for $1199 with the 128GB SSD must be selling like hot cakes. When I went to the Apple store to purhcase one, they only had the base model 11 inch in stock. The Apple salesperson stated that almost every customer coming into the store that day looking to buy a MBA, was only interested in buying the $1199 11 inch model.

I was really looking forward to going home with a new MBA, but I am only intersted in the 11 inch, and the 64GB of stoarge for the base model gives me some worries.