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What is it about the 11" MBA? The 13" ticks more boxes but still want the 11!
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I was browsing the forums at MR constantly in anticipation of the 2012 MBA. I walked into the store and bought the 13" despite loving the 11". I think for a moment I saw the practicality of a 13" and have not looked back. It's only and inch.
I was browsing the forums at MR constantly in anticipation of the 2012 MBA. I walked into the store and bought the 13" despite loving the 11". I think for a moment I saw the practicality of a 13" and have not looked back. It's only and inch.
I have been using the 11" air exclusively for more than a month now. Absolutely love it. Today I decided to do some spring cleaning on one of the older macbook air 13" and realise how "huge" it is. Anyone notice the same thing switching between the two sizes. 
I have been using the 11" air exclusively for more than a month now. Absolutely love it. Today I decided to do some spring cleaning on one of the older macbook air 13" and realise how "huge" it is. Anyone notice the same thing switching between the two sizes.
do you prefer the 11 inch mba?
I have been using the 11" air exclusively for more than a month now. Absolutely love it. Today I decided to do some spring cleaning on one of the older macbook air 13" and realise how "huge" it is. Anyone notice the same thing switching between the two sizes.
The 13" Air is thin, but its still a large laptop. Portable, but not ultraportable like the 11". If I didn't already have an iMac I'd choose the 13". I love the 11" form factor, so much more fun to use and carry around.
I was thinking that too, but then there are items like this out there: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006FLENJC/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&smid=A3D26MR0NTC8CO
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
Yes! It is so amazing. I prefer it on so many levels, there is simply no comparison between the 11" and 13".
I'm with this. I have a new Mini in my (home) office with a 24 inch screen for any heavy lifting I need to do, the 11" Air (2011 i5/4gb/128gb) serves my travel and portability needs very well. I did the iPad thing for a few years (all 3) but in the end the 11" Air just has more to offer. Everything my Mac can do, plus everything the iPad did for me in one easy to pick up and go with package. I use my iPhone for the quick hit while on the run if necessary...
It's amazing the way Apple's products find ways to tailor to different moments of your life.
I have an 11" MBA enroute and I couldn't be more excited.
Initially I thought I would go for the 13". The 11" seemed ridiculously small - too small to get any serious work done. But my initial reasons for getting an Air were lightness.
I primarily use a 2011 15" MBP, and I would consider myself a Pro user. I use a LOT of heavy video and audio apps. But I also do a lot of writing, and have been learning programming. These kinds of tasks arent really that processor heavy, so the Air seemed like a logical choice to keep learning and planning on the go.
The differences between iOS and OSX really are massive. I own the original iPad, which often became my 'grab and go' machine. But increasingly many of the tasks I perform without a hitch on OSX were either cumbersome on iOS, or absent altogether.
For any serious coding, one needs a true full size physical keyboard. But you also need a multi window user interface. iOS is based on the premise that every app is its own fullscreen window, but it's also limited for throwing content around between apps, or having apps work together in a larger whole.
So for me iOS apps are like solitary tools. They work great by themselves, or integrated with an OSX device.
Increasingly for me this has restricted my iPad to a casual device. It's also limited by whether or not I have cellular data paid for, or am in range of wifi. Since I also have an iPhone, like most people this device never leaves my pocket. And like previous posters said this covers my 'quick hit' bases when on the go, or tethering for mobile web if I'm out with my MBP.
So the Air is the solution to my portable workflow woes that I have with iOS. In fact, I'm tempted to sell the iPad, but the main reason stopping me is it has become integrated into my live performance setup. I've considered selling it and getting a Quneo, which does exactly what Touch OSC does. But the iPad is still nice, for casual reading, or couch browsing.
So, I've often had my 15" MBP in my backpack, and about town, to keep productive on OSX. When I couldn't be bothered with the weight strain of the MBP, I'd take the iPad, only to find it crippled for what I really would prefer to be working on, on the go.
When I went into a Mac store to finally consider the 13", there was the 11. And I was stunned. I'll admit the 16:9 ratio does look a little quirky, but when I played with it I was amazed at how incredible the resolution was.
Then it hit me. The big reason I wanted an Air was for portability. I already had an MBP for the tough stuff, I've got the screen real estate if I need it. I'd go between the 13" and the 11, and suddenly I realized the 11" MBA was what I wanted.
I didn't want to complain about weight. I didn't want to leave my notebook at home because of sore shoulders or strain. No, I wanted a notebook with me everywhere, to be pulled out at any moment of inspiration. But I also wanted other things - a packed lunch. A drink, some extra clothing and a book. Once you add these up, after decades of laptop freight, the human frame gets pretty tired of it. I'm only a small guy, with enough back problems as it is.
The 11" MBA I think will be the ultimate on the go production companion. Since I'll only be working with text files, patches and programming files, I can save everything to Dropbox for easy retrieval when I get home.
What's more I have the Thunderbolt Display. Should I need to up the Res for a closer look in more domestic surrounds.
And my MacBook Pro can finally be tasked to what it's good for - heavy rendering, high load CPU tasks - things I would never actually do on the go anyway.
I'll still keep the iPad I think, which another poster mentioned is a great companion to the Air on flights. 3 hours of MBA, and the iPad for movies and entertainment. Even the two combined don't add up to the weight of 13" MBP.
So I can't wait till this little puppy turns up! I think it will be an awesome addition to my workflow
Just wanna say too, as cheesy as this thread is, I've really enjoyed reading it! It's actually been entertaining! To the point I had to share my own story
I have an 11" MBA enroute and I couldn't be more excited.
Initially I thought I would go for the 13". The 11" seemed ridiculously small - too small to get any serious work done. But my initial reasons for getting an Air were lightness.
I primarily use a 2011 15" MBP, and I would consider myself a Pro user. I use a LOT of heavy video and audio apps. But I also do a lot of writing, and have been learning programming. These kinds of tasks arent really that processor heavy, so the Air seemed like a logical choice to keep learning and planning on the go.
The differences between iOS and OSX really are massive. I own the original iPad, which often became my 'grab and go' machine. But increasingly many of the tasks I perform without a hitch on OSX were either cumbersome on iOS, or absent altogether.
For any serious coding, one needs a true full size physical keyboard. But you also need a multi window user interface. iOS is based on the premise that every app is its own fullscreen window, but it's also limited for throwing content around between apps, or having apps work together in a larger whole.
So for me iOS apps are like solitary tools. They work great by themselves, or integrated with an OSX device.
Increasingly for me this has restricted my iPad to a casual device. It's also limited by whether or not I have cellular data paid for, or am in range of wifi. Since I also have an iPhone, like most people this device never leaves my pocket. And like previous posters said this covers my 'quick hit' bases when on the go, or tethering for mobile web if I'm out with my MBP.
So the Air is the solution to my portable workflow woes that I have with iOS. In fact, I'm tempted to sell the iPad, but the main reason stopping me is it has become integrated into my live performance setup. I've considered selling it and getting a Quneo, which does exactly what Touch OSC does. But the iPad is still nice, for casual reading, or couch browsing.
So, I've often had my 15" MBP in my backpack, and about town, to keep productive on OSX. When I couldn't be bothered with the weight strain of the MBP, I'd take the iPad, only to find it crippled for what I really would prefer to be working on, on the go.
When I went into a Mac store to finally consider the 13", there was the 11. And I was stunned. I'll admit the 16:9 ratio does look a little quirky, but when I played with it I was amazed at how incredible the resolution was.
Then it hit me. The big reason I wanted an Air was for portability. I already had an MBP for the tough stuff, I've got the screen real estate if I need it. I'd go between the 13" and the 11, and suddenly I realized the 11" MBA was what I wanted.
I didn't want to complain about weight. I didn't want to leave my notebook at home because of sore shoulders or strain. No, I wanted a notebook with me everywhere, to be pulled out at any moment of inspiration. But I also wanted other things - a packed lunch. A drink, some extra clothing and a book. Once you add these up, after decades of laptop freight, the human frame gets pretty tired of it. I'm only a small guy, with enough back problems as it is.
The 11" MBA I think will be the ultimate on the go production companion. Since I'll only be working with text files, patches and programming files, I can save everything to Dropbox for easy retrieval when I get home.
What's more I have the Thunderbolt Display. Should I need to up the Res for a closer look in more domestic surrounds.
And my MacBook Pro can finally be tasked to what it's good for - heavy rendering, high load CPU tasks - things I would never actually do on the go anyway.
I'll still keep the iPad I think, which another poster mentioned is a great companion to the Air on flights. 3 hours of MBA, and the iPad for movies and entertainment. Even the two combined don't add up to the weight of 13" MBP.
So I can't wait till this little puppy turns up! I think it will be an awesome addition to my workflow
Just wanna say too, as cheesy as this thread is, I've really enjoyed reading it! It's actually been entertaining! To the point I had to share my own story
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The iPad 3 and the 11" is truly a perfect companion to each other. I feel I have the best of both worlds when I am mobile, don't feel like I am sacrificing anything at all. My reason for going with the air is to take advantage of both the weight and size, if I went with the 13" I feel like I am leaving something on the table. My iMac is my workhorse so I have all bases covered.
I love our first world problems, heh.
I love our first world problems, heh.
I don't understand this at all. The ipad is redundant next to the MacBook air. My parents have an ipad and I don't see any real use for it ESPECIALLY if you have a MBA. MBA can do everything and more. Also MBA 11" weighs less than the ipad (or close). Why would you double your traveling weight for no gain in productivity. And don't tell me it's so you can draw things with your finger.
I don't always need a keyboard, yet would like to enjoy the functionality that osx and boot camp (gaming) brings. I enjoy both form factors. They are different yet similar. Similar in size, yet much different in terms of raw power and battery life. They both can for sure perform similar functions, but the approach can be different enough to offer a satisfying experience depending on your mood/preference/likings.
...I also want a better battery life in the 11.6" MBA and will either get an Ivy Bridge or Haswell model (next year) but either way, the iPad pick up where the MBA battery life runs out when out and about...I have an old Sony PS2 messenger bag that holds both units very nicely
Every few months someone makes a post like this, claiming the iPad and MacBook Air are redundant and shouldn't be used together. That's beyond ridiculous and I hope no one makes a decision based on those words.
I use my MacBook Air and iPad together every day for business and pleasure. One compliments the other very well. To many examples to list, but it doesn't matter anyway. If you think a MacBook Air and/or iPad may suit your needs try them, both items are easily returnable.
Really well summed up Plucky. The 11" is so portable it goes with me almost everywhere. It's a new experience compared to the 13" which I used mostly hooked up to my dell 3008 WFP.
I notice that many people feel this way about the 13" compared to the 11", in the sense that it is automatically recommended as the more "sensible" choice when one is looking for a main/only computer. Two months ago I believe I would wholeheartedly agree, but the last month and a half solely using the 11" has really altered my perspective of this little mac.
Here are some of the things I noticed in these last few weeks that hopefully would alleviate the fear of going so small.
While using my macs connected to my 30" screen I never really use active desktop or fullscreen mode, in fact many of the nicety of Mac OSX was lost on me since I had so much screen real estate. To a smaller extend the 13" macbook air feels the same. As of OSX Lion, apple seems to be gearing towards enhancing the experience of it's main operating system on devices with smaller screens. This puts the 11" in a perfect position. On a 30" 2560x1600 screen, fullscreen mode feels kind of meaningless. On a 13" 1440x900 screen, its really great but not absolutely essential. On an 11" 1366x768 screen, it is nothing short of amazing. Suddenly all the effort that apple put into creating active desktops, fullscreen mode, easy swipe navigation, smooth zooming etc makes perfect sense. The macbook air 11" really exemplify apple's ability to recreate a perfect desktop experience, in spite of all the inherent shortcoming of a small screen. This is the perfect machine to showcase the perfect operation system.
The insane portability of the 11" cannot be explained, it needs to be experience. I will not attempt to describe how easily the 11" just "fits" as I am positively certain I cannot adequately express how well it conforms to my lifestyle. Suffice to say that it would “fit” you. Period. What often has not been conveyed, is the amazing balance that apple achieved on the 11". It feels like a perfectly weighted katana. Balancing it on one thigh while stretching the other, would make you believe that it is perhaps the perfect partner device while performing yoga. The kind of “ergonomical” magic apple pulled off in order to create this little masterpiece is simply astounding.
The lust factor of the 11” is undeniable, not just because of it’s sleek silver appearance, it’s petiteness but also because of it’s amazing “power” to weight/size ratio. Those who recollect yesteryears of ultraportables would clearly remember not only how much more costly they were, but also due to the size/thermal restrains, how crippled they were. Not with the macbook air 11”. This time you can fully configure the 11” with as much “power” as it’s bigger brother while maintaining the much smaller footprint, and yet purchase it at a lower cost. For someone who had bought both a ULV 1ghz core solo and an a ULV 1ghz core2duo sony 11” TZ, this kind of power to weight/size ratio at this kind of price is quite simply drool worthy.
Does the 13” last longer on battery? Yes. (Hopefully most people know they can get a good 5 hours of casual surfing, and almost 8 hours while working on a simple document offline on the macbook air 11”.) Does the 13” have a bigger/taller screen? Yes. ( Sure you can squint at 2 documents side by side on the 13” or you could use active desktop on the 11” and swipe to get from one to the other. Really if you must view 2 documents side by side, get a nice external monitor, it is worth it. Save your eyes while you are still young. No don’t get mad with me, yes you can thank me later.) Is the 13” the better macbook air? I don’t think so, for me I can confidently say that I most definitely prefer the 11” over the 13” and yes it is my main computer.
P.S. As you all can probably tell, I am completely in love with the 11” so do take everything I said with a whole casket of salt. I am such a basketcase!
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Really well summed up Plucky. The 11" is so portable it goes with me almost everywhere. It's a new experience compared to the 13" which I used mostly hooked up to my dell 3008 WFP.
I notice that many people feel this way about the 13" compared to the 11", in the sense that it is automatically recommended as the more "sensible" choice when one is looking for a main/only computer. Two months ago I believe I would wholeheartedly agree, but the last month and a half solely using the 11" has really altered my perspective of this little mac.
Here are some of the things I noticed in these last few weeks that hopefully would alleviate the fear of going so small.
While using my macs connected to my 30" screen I never really use active desktop or fullscreen mode, in fact many of the nicety of Mac OSX was lost on me since I had so much screen real estate. To a smaller extend the 13" macbook air feels the same. As of OSX Lion, apple seems to be gearing towards enhancing the experience of it's main operating system on devices with smaller screens. This puts the 11" in a perfect position. On a 30" 2560x1600 screen, fullscreen mode feels kind of meaningless. On a 13" 1440x900 screen, its really great but not absolutely essential. On an 11" 1366x768 screen, it is nothing short of amazing. Suddenly all the effort that apple put into creating active desktops, fullscreen mode, easy swipe navigation, smooth zooming etc makes perfect sense. The macbook air 11" really exemplify apple's ability to recreate a perfect desktop experience, in spite of all the inherent shortcoming of a small screen. This is the perfect machine to showcase the perfect operation system.
The insane portability of the 11" cannot be explained, it needs to be experience. I will not attempt to describe how easily the 11" just "fits" as I am positively certain I cannot adequately express how well it conforms to my lifestyle. Suffice to say that it would fit you. Period. What often has not been conveyed, is the amazing balance that apple achieved on the 11". It feels like a perfectly weighted katana. Balancing it on one thigh while stretching the other, would make you believe that it is perhaps the perfect partner device while performing yoga. The kind of ergonomical magic apple pulled off in order to create this little masterpiece is simply astounding.
The lust factor of the 11 is undeniable, not just because of its sleek silver appearance, its petiteness but also because of its amazing power to weight/size ratio. Those who recollect yesteryears of ultraportables would clearly remember not only how much more costly they were, but also due to the size/thermal restrains, how crippled they were. Not with the macbook air 11. This time you can fully configure the 11 with as much power as its bigger brother while maintaining the much smaller footprint, and yet purchase it at a lower cost. For someone who had bought both a ULV 1ghz core solo and an a ULV 1ghz core2duo sony 11 TZ, this kind of power to weight/size ratio at this kind of price is quite simply drool worthy.
Does the 13 last longer on battery? Yes. (Hopefully most people know they can get a good 5 hours of casual surfing, and almost 8 hours while working on a simple document offline on the macbook air 11.) Does the 13 have a bigger/taller screen? Yes. ( Sure you can squint at 2 documents side by side on the 13 or you could use active desktop on the 11 and swipe to get from one to the other. Really if you must view 2 documents side by side, get a nice external monitor, it is worth it. Save your eyes while you are still young. No dont get mad with me, yes you can thank me later.) Is the 13 the better macbook air? I dont think so, for me I can confidently say that I most definitely prefer the 11 over the 13 and yes it is my main computer.
P.S. As you all can probably tell, I am completely in love with the 11 so do take everything I said with a whole casket of salt. I am such a basketcase!
some people pick the 11 inch macbook air for cost reasons. the 11 inch macbook air is the the entry level cheapest mac laptop. others pick the 11 inch for portability. i wonder how many pick the 11 over 13 mba when cost is not a factor.
Really well summed up Plucky. The 11" is so portable it goes with me almost everywhere. It's a new experience compared to the 13" which I used mostly hooked up to my dell 3008 WFP.
I notice that many people feel this way about the 13" compared to the 11", in the sense that it is automatically recommended as the more "sensible" choice when one is looking for a main/only computer. Two months ago I believe I would wholeheartedly agree, but the last month and a half solely using the 11" has really altered my perspective of this little mac.
Here are some of the things I noticed in these last few weeks that hopefully would alleviate the fear of going so small.
While using my macs connected to my 30" screen I never really use active desktop or fullscreen mode, in fact many of the nicety of Mac OSX was lost on me since I had so much screen real estate. To a smaller extend the 13" macbook air feels the same. As of OSX Lion, apple seems to be gearing towards enhancing the experience of it's main operating system on devices with smaller screens. This puts the 11" in a perfect position. On a 30" 2560x1600 screen, fullscreen mode feels kind of meaningless. On a 13" 1440x900 screen, its really great but not absolutely essential. On an 11" 1366x768 screen, it is nothing short of amazing. Suddenly all the effort that apple put into creating active desktops, fullscreen mode, easy swipe navigation, smooth zooming etc makes perfect sense. The macbook air 11" really exemplify apple's ability to recreate a perfect desktop experience, in spite of all the inherent shortcoming of a small screen. This is the perfect machine to showcase the perfect operation system.
The insane portability of the 11" cannot be explained, it needs to be experience. I will not attempt to describe how easily the 11" just "fits" as I am positively certain I cannot adequately express how well it conforms to my lifestyle. Suffice to say that it would “fit” you. Period. What often has not been conveyed, is the amazing balance that apple achieved on the 11". It feels like a perfectly weighted katana. Balancing it on one thigh while stretching the other, would make you believe that it is perhaps the perfect partner device while performing yoga. The kind of “ergonomical” magic apple pulled off in order to create this little masterpiece is simply astounding.
The lust factor of the 11” is undeniable, not just because of it’s sleek silver appearance, it’s petiteness but also because of it’s amazing “power” to weight/size ratio. Those who recollect yesteryears of ultraportables would clearly remember not only how much more costly they were, but also due to the size/thermal restrains, how crippled they were. Not with the macbook air 11”. This time you can fully configure the 11” with as much “power” as it’s bigger brother while maintaining the much smaller footprint, and yet purchase it at a lower cost. For someone who had bought both a ULV 1ghz core solo and an a ULV 1ghz core2duo sony 11” TZ, this kind of power to weight/size ratio at this kind of price is quite simply drool worthy.
Does the 13” last longer on battery? Yes. (Hopefully most people know they can get a good 5 hours of casual surfing, and almost 8 hours while working on a simple document offline on the macbook air 11”.) Does the 13” have a bigger/taller screen? Yes. ( Sure you can squint at 2 documents side by side on the 13” or you could use active desktop on the 11” and swipe to get from one to the other. Really if you must view 2 documents side by side, get a nice external monitor, it is worth it. Save your eyes while you are still young. No don’t get mad with me, yes you can thank me later.) Is the 13” the better macbook air? I don’t think so, for me I can confidently say that I most definitely prefer the 11” over the 13” and yes it is my main computer.
P.S. As you all can probably tell, I am completely in love with the 11” so do take everything I said with a whole casket of salt. I am such a basketcase!
Thanks for that informative post. It was a pleasure reading it as you cover everything that I have been thinking about these last couple of weeks. I'm in the process of deciding between the 11" and 13" for my main computer, and everyone i've asked (with the exception of one person) has recommended the 13" due to its screen size, longer battery time and the SD slot and because the 11" is "too small" or might make my eyes hurt. Despite all of this, I have been longing for the 11" ever since I saw one of my friends using it. The logical and practical choice would be the 13", but just like you mention there is something undeniable about the 11" which makes me want it more than the 13". Maybe it's because i'm going from a MBP 13" from 2011 and just want something different - a nicer form factor and something more portable.
Your post reassured me that I can use the 11" as my main computer, especially with the new options given in Lion/ML as the active desktops etc. I can't wait to order mine in these coming days, and finally receive it!
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It is really amazing how apple managed to flipflop the whole industry with the macbook air.
Just 3 years ago, getting a "real" ultraportable was such a costly affair. Think sony’s TZ series.
With the rise of the netbook, price went downhill but so did everything else, we are talking horrid screen, poor build quality, bare minimum specs, slow performance etc all at a really good price. Every PC maker was fighting to make the cheapest laptop. Think acer aspire one.
Then apple came in with the late 2010 macbook air, and everything changed. Remember this is not the first macbook air launch. The 13” had been around for a couple of years but it never got the kind of traction that apple desired. The 11” is the epitome of everything that apple believed in. With it apple showed the entire industry that it is possible to produce a laptop that performs not just mediocrely but exceptionally well, while maintaining a small footprint, all at a reasonable price. This really went against the prevailing tread of the pc world during that time(ultraportable/netbook era). Of course today we see everyone trying to copying apple and we begin to think that it is because they have no originality. This is absolutely not true. Rather they copy apple because apple’s vision of the future is so much brighter than what they had perviously envisioned with dreary ultraportables and netbooks. That they drop all their plans and steal apple’s design, is really an indication of what a game changer the macbook air was. Specifically the 11”.
Today's macbook air, is
- crazy fast. Think instant on. 12-15 secs boot up.
- amazingly well specced (Up to - ULV Core i7, 2 physical cores with an addition 2 virtual cores through hyper threading, 8GB of DDR3L SDRAM, 512Gb Flash Storage)
- supremely versatile through thunderbolt and 2 USB 3.0 ports. (we are talking multiple display options ranging from VGA to DUAL LINK DVI, high speed external hard disk options, external thunderbolt chassis that support specialize cards like the Red Rocket for video editing and yes even a firewire adapter! Heck it is now ever possible to hook not one but two 27” cinema display up to a macbook air.)
- insanely well build machine with immaculate fit and finish (Unibody chassis, beautiful screen, clear and loud build in speakers, full size backlit keyboard, fluid trackpad, generally silent operation, well controlled temperatures.)
The 11” is priced lower than the 13” today but it was not so long ago that “ultraportables” commanded a lucrative premium over bigger machines. Remember, “ultraportables” were synonymous with CEOs and CFOs. That apple chose to lower the price of a premium product and place it within reach of the common man is testament of how customer orientated the company truly is. That the 11” fits the same amount of power of a much larger machine in such a compact form is testament of apple’s engineering marvel and how dedicated they are to producing awesome products. That each new iteration of OSX improves the user experience on smaller screen machines is testament that small footprint is very much a part of apple’s envisioned future. What a bright future it is!
To be honest I really like what apple is doing, therefor I vote for apple by buying a mac, therefor I vote for the future by buying an 11” macbook air.
P.S. While I am so mesmerized by the 11” at the moment, I do think that the 13” is also a really fantastic mac. Having used both of them, I think I could be happy with either.
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I am so glad for you. You will love it.
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I'm using an 11" Air right now and it's pretty fantastic. It handles most tasks pretty easily... even some light gaming. You get used to the smaller screen size and find that it's actually useable thanks to the larger resolution display. It's a very solid, quality ultrabook and I have nothing bad to say about it. For what it is... it's great.
I already tried the 11'' and 13'' and I must say beforehand that I do not like at all the screen color range and sharpness on the MBA.
Stating this I must say that the screen imperfections are most visible on the 13''.
I consider the 11'' a true piece of engineering. It is very solid and I tend to love 16:9 screens. However my eyes aren't as good as 30 years ago (perhaps due to spending to much time on those VAX/VMS green or orange terminals doing endless limes of coding......)
My advise is : can your eye site keep with the 11" ? Go for it !!!
Stating this I must say that the screen imperfections are most visible on the 13''.
I consider the 11'' a true piece of engineering. It is very solid and I tend to love 16:9 screens. However my eyes aren't as good as 30 years ago (perhaps due to spending to much time on those VAX/VMS green or orange terminals doing endless limes of coding......)
My advise is : can your eye site keep with the 11" ? Go for it !!!
MacBook Air 11 user here... From 15" MacBook Pro and 13" White MacBook...
It's not small. It's now my main computer. At the first week, it may seem small, but as the time passes by, you'll see it's the perfect computer. Even my 13" MacBook looks so large right now. My 15" MacBook Pro looks like it doesn't deserve the name "Portable"
TL;DR:
You will eventually adapt to screen sizes. Nothing is too big or too small, unless we're talking about 9" screens or 35" screens.
I just sold my iPad 3 for an 11" MBA.
I just could not get used to the virtual KB. Size is the same, but I think I can do more with a proper PC.
The 13 is awesome too. But like Blackberryroid after playing around with one again (I briefly had an 11" C2D when they first came out) 13" look big and especially 15" notebooks look like DTR laptops.
I just could not get used to the virtual KB. Size is the same, but I think I can do more with a proper PC.
The 13 is awesome too. But like Blackberryroid after playing around with one again (I briefly had an 11" C2D when they first came out) 13" look big and especially 15" notebooks look like DTR laptops.
I know what you are talking about - its true.
I started with a 2010 11" and later upgraded to a 2011 13" ultimate. On paper, the size and weight differences look insignificant, but the 11" really seems so much smaller. Although the 13" is more usable for me, I do miss the cool factor of the 11".
However, if you travel a lot (I do) there are many ways the 13" is actually better. Because of the longer battery life, I can leave the power supply in my check-in bag. When I travel, I don't have a remote monitor so working all day on the 11" I found to be really tiring.
But I do agree with the OP - even though the 13" checks all the boxes, from the design point of view, the 11" seems to be a pinnacle of Apple design, whereas the 13" looks more like a mainstream laptop. When the next upgrade cycle comes (Haswell) - it will again be a tough choice but I just may forget the rational thought and go back to the 11" simply because it is so cool.
I started with a 2010 11" and later upgraded to a 2011 13" ultimate. On paper, the size and weight differences look insignificant, but the 11" really seems so much smaller. Although the 13" is more usable for me, I do miss the cool factor of the 11".
However, if you travel a lot (I do) there are many ways the 13" is actually better. Because of the longer battery life, I can leave the power supply in my check-in bag. When I travel, I don't have a remote monitor so working all day on the 11" I found to be really tiring.
But I do agree with the OP - even though the 13" checks all the boxes, from the design point of view, the 11" seems to be a pinnacle of Apple design, whereas the 13" looks more like a mainstream laptop. When the next upgrade cycle comes (Haswell) - it will again be a tough choice but I just may forget the rational thought and go back to the 11" simply because it is so cool.
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well sure
Thats why I have 3 2010 11" MBA, once they release them with a Retina screen, I'll have another 3
Thats why I have 3 2010 11" MBA, once they release them with a Retina screen, I'll have another 3