11 vs 13 - Buying advice

[djhomeless]

It seems I'm catching a trend here. Maybe I should go for the MBA 11 Ultimate and sell my 15" MBP for a good monitor? I didn't think about that use case: having a nice and big monitor @ home to hook the MBA up to.

I still have a Mac Mini as well, so in theory I could have the best of both worlds: decent desktop (mini) + an ultra portable mba....

Thanks all...

 

[barebackbadger8]

this is doing my nut in
first as soon as i saw the 11 MBA i wanted one, but then i saw the new specs of the MBP's i then wanted one of them.

but reading the reviews of the fan noise/heat then also thinking i down need that power that the icore cpu will provide, i have gone back to the MBA!
been to bestbuy again tonight and i used the MBA 11/13 for about 20 minutes each, they are more than powerful enough for me, but for future usage ill get the ultimate....

but heres my dilemma, i know i can put up with the 11.6" screen because my netbook is only 10" and find it ok, perhaps put up is the wrong word.
then there is the 13" MBA which obviously has the bigger screen, better cpu but for me doesnt seem to have the wow factor the 11" MBA does.
But in the uk the ultimate 11" is only £20 less than the base 13" but with 4gb ram, so im thinking from a price point of view then.

upon leaving bestbuy i stood back at looked at both of them and i seriously could not choose which one. if went to the apple store armed with my money i could not seriously decide i think i would just stay there and stare at look at them!

never had this with a computer/tv etc before i am seriously struggling to decide

 

[untype]

My own experience

Hi,
I have owned both. I now have the 13 inch base with the 4gb upgrade. Of note, I bought the refurbished model. Here's a quick comparison **Based on my own experience and usage needs** which highlights why I kept the 13 inch and sent back the 11 ultimate:

11 Inch Ultimate
----------
Pros:
- Great Pixel Density
- Great Portability
- The "Cool Factor"
- Fast enough to deal with most tasks
Cons:
- Unless you have a monitor, the screen can be a little constraining (this really depends on your own experience/what you're used to...a person can get used to anything)
- Less Volume than the 13
- Less CPU power by .3ghz

13 Inch Base + 4gb
-----------
Pros:
- Better battery (7 hours instead of 5)
- You can fit more on your screen & there's enough room to compare documents (again, this depends on your usage type)
- Better CPU by .3ghz
- Bus speed (I have heard but have not checked on this)
- Slightly bigger trackpad which is easier to click
Cons:
- While portable, it's still a noticeable weight.
- Seems to run slightly hotter/louder

Overall, at the same price refurbished, I preferred the experience on the 13 inch base + 4gb ram over the 11 inch ultimate. This may vary for others as I do not take my notebook with me everywhere. Of note, if I was going to bring my computer with me EVERYWHERE and EVERDAY...I would have probably kept the 11, but to be honest, I don't live on the net and try not to be glued to the computer all the time...it's this years resolution at least.

I hope that helps.

 

[IconicM]

11 vs 13

Most people get the 13 because:
1. they want the extra screen space
2. want faster processor
3. want more disk space

Since only #1 might possibly apply to you, I think think the 11 is best compromise. Since you only work a few hours at a time, fatigue from looking at the smaller fonts won't be much of an issue, if it even bothers you.

So yeah, get the 11 inch. It's amazing how much more portable the 11 is compared to the 13. Even thought its only about 2 inches difference, the 11 is in a class of it's own in terms of portability. I think your back will rejoice.

Even if you find the 11 too small, you can sell it and get most of your money back. Good luck.

 

[drmalan]

I had similar concerns with Keynote and dilemma regarding size. I did ask the nice young man at the apple store to let me demo keynote which he had no issue installing on the floor model. The 11" in my opinion just didn't have the screen space I needed to have two presentations open side by side which I frequently do to move slides from one to the other. This was the determining factor. Happy as can be with the 13". Then again I am now 44yo and the vision isn't what it used to be. I haven't turned on my 15"MBP since. Even with it's superior processor and it's faster SSD it seems much slower than the MBA?

 

[stockscalper]

I had similar concerns with Keynote and dilemma regarding size. I did ask the nice young man at the apple store to let me demo keynote which he had no issue installing on the floor model. The 11" in my opinion just didn't have the screen space I needed to have two presentations open side by side which I frequently do to move slides from one to the other. This was the determining factor. Happy as can be with the 13". Then again I am now 44yo and the vision isn't what it used to be. I haven't turned on my 15"MBP since. Even with it's superior processor and it's faster SSD it seems much slower than the MBA?

Agreed. If you're going to be running heavy Keynote I think you'll need the extra power and screen space of the 13" MBA. I tried out both models in a store before buying and found that not only was the limited screen space on the 11" model annoying, but everything was just too tiny. The 13" model is small enough to fit nicely on your lap or on trays on airlines and it just seems to me to be the perfect size and power combination.

 

[ZipZap]

Hows your vision?
It was the deciding factor for me to go 13.

 

[nomad01]

The 13" model is small enough to fit nicely on your lap or on trays on airlines and it just seems to me to be the perfect size and power combination.

Whereas for me, the 11" was the perfect size. Everyone needs to take time to use these machines and decide for themselves.

Just because one of us finds a particular model to be perfect won't mean it's the right choice for everyone.

I bought the 11" assuming it'd be used occasionally for travelling when I didn't want to lug around my 15" MBP. However my 15 incher is history and the 11" is now all I use.

Also I notcied that the fans would fire up quite often on the 13" I used at work but this is something I've never heard on the 11". Not really an issue but it seems to irritate some people.

 

[IconicM]

Whereas for me, the 11" was the perfect size. Everyone needs to take time to use these machines and decide for themselves.

Just because one of us finds a particular model to be perfect won't mean it's the right choice for everyone.

I bought the 11" assuming it'd be used occasionally for travelling when I didn't want to lug around my 15" MBP. However my 15 incher is history and the 11" is now all I use.

Also I notcied that the fans would fire up quite often on the 13" I used at work but this is something I've never heard on the 11". Not really an issue but it seems to irritate some people.

^^^+1

Only the user can determine his/her preferences and best assess their requirements. Too often on this forum there are people that criticize others if they have different preferences. Plain immature.

 

[kappaknight]

I would upgrade the ram from 2GB to 4GB as well. If nothing else, you will be able to find more buyers down the road to sell to when you want to upgrade. Hopefully, 4GB will also become the standard configuration then.

 

[boymom75]

someone mentioned vision - I have old tired eyes, and I'm still loving my 11" in part because I finally mastered the few simple trackpad gestures that let me squeeze the screen and/or font bigger/smaller whenever I need to. Which isn't often, because the screen is so much brighter than my old MBP. I don't even have it al the way bright.

I would suggest this, IF you're leaning toward 11": pick up the 11", take it home and test drive it for the 14 days. You probably won't even need that long, but you'll know quickly if you want the bigger one. It took me one day to know I didn't. If you're leaning toward the 13" you may need to start with that one.

 

[firewood]

Hows your vision?
It was the deciding factor for me to go 13.

I wear prescription reading glasses. They work great with the 11.

 

[MrXiro]

Hi,
I have owned both. I now have the 13 inch base with the 4gb upgrade. Of note, I bought the refurbished model. Here's a quick comparison **Based on my own experience and usage needs** which highlights why I kept the 13 inch and sent back the 11 ultimate:

11 Inch Ultimate
----------
Pros:
- Great Pixel Density
- Great Portability
- The "Cool Factor"
- Fast enough to deal with most tasks
Cons:
- Unless you have a monitor, the screen can be a little constraining (this really depends on your own experience/what you're used to...a person can get used to anything)
- Less Volume than the 13
- Less CPU power by .3ghz

13 Inch Base + 4gb
-----------
Pros:
- Better battery (7 hours instead of 5)
- You can fit more on your screen & there's enough room to compare documents (again, this depends on your usage type)
- Better CPU by .3ghz
- Bus speed (I have heard but have not checked on this)
- Slightly bigger trackpad which is easier to click
Cons:
- While portable, it's still a noticeable weight.
- Seems to run slightly hotter/louder

Overall, at the same price refurbished, I preferred the experience on the 13 inch base + 4gb ram over the 11 inch ultimate. This may vary for others as I do not take my notebook with me everywhere. Of note, if I was going to bring my computer with me EVERYWHERE and EVERDAY...I would have probably kept the 11, but to be honest, I don't live on the net and try not to be glued to the computer all the time...it's this years resolution at least.

I hope that helps.

This is my exact scenario! I want the power of the 13 inch as well... BUT while at home i know my macbook air will be used in clamshell mode on my 40 inch TV in my bedroom with the BT Keyboard and Magic Mouse...

So the tiny screen doesn't make much of a difference to me... the bang for the buck seems better on the 13 inch though... it has a larger screen that contains more pixels... though slightly less density. An SDXC card slot and longer battery life.

If you were planning to keep the MBA plugged into a 40 inch TV 90% of the time but take it on the go once in a while... which would you get?

 

[PeckhamBog]

Just do what I did and buy both.

So which one do you use LEAST?

 

[gwsat]

someone mentioned vision - I have old tired eyes, and I'm still loving my 11" in part because I finally mastered the few simple trackpad gestures that let me squeeze the screen and/or font bigger/smaller whenever I need to. Which isn't often, because the screen is so much brighter than my old MBP. I don't even have it al the way bright.

Although I have a 13 inch MBA rather than the 11 inch model, I, too, frequently use OS X's zoom feature to increase the size of uncomfortably small fonts. Zooming can be done either with the trackpad or keyboard shortcuts; it is easy to learn to do and works very well. Since I do this with a 13 inch MBA maybe its a sign my eyes are even older and tireder than yours.

 

[iNotion]

For myself, I actually prefer the look of the 11" before I even bought the 13" ultimate. Then I start weighing both and I need the extra SD slot, the extra power, the extra screen resolution and the extra battery life, so I go for the 13" ultimate instead.

 

[mutsaers-vr.nl]

Today I tried the 11.6 and 13.3 side by side at the shop. They are both fine. However if you type with 10 fingers go for the 13.3 " since the palm rests are to undeep on the 11.6 inch (your palms are always resting on the edge and I have even small hands). I type with 2 fingers so 11.6" suits me as well.

I will wait till the update since the CPu power is just not powerfull enough for my purposes. Hope the upgrade will come this Summer.

 

[Bakari45]

I have the basic 11" Air which is more than adequate for me, but if I were working in it four or more hours per day, I'd definitely get the 13" for the extra real eastate. iWork apps work fine in the Air but the 11" doesn't provide of course enough room for open panels and such.

 

[treynolds]

We Have Both

The 11.6" Basic and an 13.3" Ultimate.

My wife uses the 11" and loves it. She's coming from two 15" Windows notebooks. She got the basic because she only uses it for basic, web-based stuff.

I got the 13" Ultimate because I needed more screen real estate for apps, the SD slot for interface with my cameras and higher capacity SDD and CPU for running all of my regular apps.

The MBA has replaced my 17", 8 pound HP DTR notebook and I couldn't be more pleased. I run Windows XP Pro under Parallels 6 with no problem for ACAD. Run Mac CS4 for Photoshop and Illustrator as well as MS Office 2011 Mac and Aperture. No problems handling any of these. As it turns out, the best machine for Windows has turned out to be a Mac!

Getting a bigger monitor for intensive use at home is a great way to go. I have an Asus 25.5" that I run at 1920x1200 no problems at all with the MBA.

I also wanted the greater battery life the 13" affords.

Sounds like (for the OP), the 11.6" might be the best way to go.

Tony

 

[gwsat]

I will wait till the update since the CPu power is just not powerfull enough for my purposes. Hope the upgrade will come this Summer.

How would you use an MBA that makes you fear the current version would be inadequate for your purposes?

 

[treynolds]

How would you use an MBA that makes you fear the current version would be inadequate for your purposes?

I would echo this comment. Indeed, how would an updated CPU make that much difference? In my experience, the nearly 'instant-on' mode using the SSD has more than made up for any apparent lack of speed on the part of the processor. Had I waited for a 'perfectly spec'd' MBA, I'd still be waiting and would have missed out on months of using this marvelous machine.

Dive in already...

 

[nomad01]

How would you use an MBA that makes you fear the current version would be inadequate for your purposes?

I'm curious of this too. My 11inch basic model actually feels faster than my i7 Macbook Pro. Side by side left to handle some CPU intensive video processing, the Macbook Air would wilt but for day to day stuff, it's amazing.

 

[boymom75]

Today I tried the 11.6 and 13.3 side by side at the shop. They are both fine. However if you type with 10 fingers go for the 13.3 " since the palm rests are to undeep on the 11.6 inch (your palms are always resting on the edge and I have even small hands). I type with 2 fingers so 11.6" suits me as well.

Not sure what you mean. I type with 10 fingers and the 11.6 is just fine. I type in the basic normal typing position, don't need any more "palm rest" space and the keyboard is standard size (one of the genius things about the 11" Air.)

 

[57004]

The 13" is very light. The trackpad involves less effort to click, especially the lower part. When I had the 11", I set it to tap to click but that was annoying sometimes because it would open links unexpectedly. The sound is much better on the 13" too and goes much louder than the 11". Either way though; both are excellent. Expect a good 8 hrs plus of light usage on the 13" too.

Is the trackpad on the 11" really harder to click? I don't have one yet (waiting for the right model in the Irish refurb store, the 11" base + 4GB are rare). But I didn't notice any difference when I checked both of them out in store.

 

[YMark]

I traded in my 11" for a 13" after using it for one week. I just found the 11" to be too small. The trackpad was kind of annoying because it is small.

I haven't measured, but I can't believe the 13" has a trackpad much larger than the 11". In fact, I'll bet they're the same size (or damn close).