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No offense, but 11 inch has too many compromises.
- Thread starter hcho3
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I cared enough to post here, as did a bunch of other posters. Sorry you are concerned about the necessity of the thread but it appears to me at least that you are in a decided minority on that score. I have seen a number of useful insights here about both the plusses and minuses of the 11 inch MBA. That alone was enough to establish the thread's bonafides in my estimation.
The Air is the perfect machine if you are looking for ultimate portability ... If people did not want small machines, there would be no netbooks.
The Air gives you so much more ... a Full computer and the size of a netbook
The 11" Air will probably be Apple's best selling Air ever.
The Air gives you so much more ... a Full computer and the size of a netbook
The 11" Air will probably be Apple's best selling Air ever.
My maxed out MBA 11 was a good choice for me! I wouldn't use the SB card, as it's easier for me to hook the camera to the 'Puter with the USB cable.
I was looking for a Mac computer with a small foot print for travel, the MBA fills that slot for me. I have an iMac 27" i7 desktop for anything that it will not handle.
(That said, I doubt that I will find many things I do that can't be handled with the MBA 11.)
IMO: The MGB 11 is the answer to a frequent travelers dreams! Before it came out I was looking at Windoze Net books. (Yuck!) I'm very glad I waited!
I had been using my iPod 2nd Gen. on Cruises, I can hardly wait to try my MBA 11 on the next cruise.
I was looking for a Mac computer with a small foot print for travel, the MBA fills that slot for me. I have an iMac 27" i7 desktop for anything that it will not handle.
(That said, I doubt that I will find many things I do that can't be handled with the MBA 11.)
IMO: The MGB 11 is the answer to a frequent travelers dreams! Before it came out I was looking at Windoze Net books. (Yuck!) I'm very glad I waited!
I had been using my iPod 2nd Gen. on Cruises, I can hardly wait to try my MBA 11 on the next cruise.
1. not a big deal.
2. not really its a core 2 duo , the one in 13" is not that different for most.
3. no, its equal? 2gb or 4gb?
4. yeah thank god its not, lol. oh and it has a much smaller footprint.
and by the way its more like 1300 for 11 ultimate
Great post. You can make a similar list of compromises when going from a Mac Pro to an iMac 27" to an iMac 21" to a MBP 17" to a MBP 15" to a MBP 13" to a MBA 13" to a MBA 11" to an iPad to an iPod Touch to an iPod Nano
Apple has you covered no matter how you want to compromise.
The kicker for me was the keyboard and the weight! It has the SAME size keyboard as the 13 but is nearly 30% lighter. So I can type on it just like the 13, but it is easier to carry around all day every day.
I owned the RevB 13 and the smaller screen on the 11.6 means very little since it has a 1366x768 vs the RevB's 1200x800. The pixel density is very close so very little is lost. Yes it is physically smaller and the text/icons are smaller, but they are crisper and look great. I do occasionally zoom a web page, but I did that on the 13 as well.
For me and my needs, the excellent keyboard and weight was the deciding factor.
I owned the RevB 13 and the smaller screen on the 11.6 means very little since it has a 1366x768 vs the RevB's 1200x800. The pixel density is very close so very little is lost. Yes it is physically smaller and the text/icons are smaller, but they are crisper and look great. I do occasionally zoom a web page, but I did that on the 13 as well.
For me and my needs, the excellent keyboard and weight was the deciding factor.
excellent value for the money? i love my macbook air 13", but in no way is it a good value for the money...it's definitely a premium product with a premium price tag.
I can't believe they call it an upgrade
The processor in the 11" is more of a downgrade then an upgrade in my opinion. And then the new 13" models are still the same pretty as the previous models except for a slightly better graphics processor and who cares about that? $999 plus tax for a laptop with ****** specs just because its thin just isn't practical for most people. I am using a Dell Inspiron 1525 with a 15" screen, 3GB RAM and a 2ghz Core 2 Duo that runs Snow Leopard perfectly and it only cost me $300 used on Ebay. And you can buy new for under $500 so these Macbook Airs are are overpriced by about $500 and that just sucks for most people. Its a lot smarter to buy the 13" Macbook Pro for $1200 and you can buy as low as $1100 refurbished directly from the Apple store online
The processor in the 11" is more of a downgrade then an upgrade in my opinion. And then the new 13" models are still the same pretty as the previous models except for a slightly better graphics processor and who cares about that? $999 plus tax for a laptop with ****** specs just because its thin just isn't practical for most people. I am using a Dell Inspiron 1525 with a 15" screen, 3GB RAM and a 2ghz Core 2 Duo that runs Snow Leopard perfectly and it only cost me $300 used on Ebay. And you can buy new for under $500 so these Macbook Airs are are overpriced by about $500 and that just sucks for most people. Its a lot smarter to buy the 13" Macbook Pro for $1200 and you can buy as low as $1100 refurbished directly from the Apple store online
So I can tell you actually used one instead of just looking at the specs? No? I thought not.
I use Dells all day at work. You couldn't make me buy one if it was $1. I bet that Dell is really light too and never get hot.
How exactly would you get the same "value" for less money? Or more value for the same money?
these computers aren't meant to be a major workhorse. they definitely get the job done for sure. flash is super fast and my machine feels so much faster then my 2.4ghz aluminum macbook we had previously.
IMO, the way apple has priced things before, i'm still surprised this machine was only $999. same price as the white macbook which i think is $200 overpriced. they definitely could have started these out at $1,199 and people would still buy them.
they are definitely the best machines apple has produced to date.
Benchmarks
Well, the Geekbench bench marks don't show any significant speed increase. The website I got these benchmarks from only deals with Mac benchmarks so its not biased in any way. And don't get me wrong I love Apple computers and have bought 5 of them since 1998 and even now I own 3 of them not counting my 2 Hackintosh systems that I just did for something to do as a project. But your right, hardcore Mac fans with money would spend 1200 just to own an Apple computer that looks cool and is thin. Im just not one of those hardcore fans with a ton of money to burn, thats all. Below is the link to the Benchmarks and my Dell 1525 2ghz 3gb RAM Laptop Benchmarks are below also so anyone can compare
All Benchmarks: http://www.primatelabs.ca/geekbench/mac-benchmarks/
My Benchmarks: http://browse.geekbench.ca/geekbench2/view/319580
MacBook Air (13-inch Late 2010)
Intel Core 2 Duo L9400 1.86 GHz (2 cores) Score = 2698
MacBook Air (13-inch Late 2010)
Intel Core 2 Duo L9600 2.13 GHz (2 cores) Score = 3003
Hackintosh Dell 1525 2ghz core 2 Duo 3GB RAM score = 3116
Well, the Geekbench bench marks don't show any significant speed increase. The website I got these benchmarks from only deals with Mac benchmarks so its not biased in any way. And don't get me wrong I love Apple computers and have bought 5 of them since 1998 and even now I own 3 of them not counting my 2 Hackintosh systems that I just did for something to do as a project. But your right, hardcore Mac fans with money would spend 1200 just to own an Apple computer that looks cool and is thin. Im just not one of those hardcore fans with a ton of money to burn, thats all. Below is the link to the Benchmarks and my Dell 1525 2ghz 3gb RAM Laptop Benchmarks are below also so anyone can compare
All Benchmarks: http://www.primatelabs.ca/geekbench/mac-benchmarks/
My Benchmarks: http://browse.geekbench.ca/geekbench2/view/319580
MacBook Air (13-inch Late 2010)
Intel Core 2 Duo L9400 1.86 GHz (2 cores) Score = 2698
MacBook Air (13-inch Late 2010)
Intel Core 2 Duo L9600 2.13 GHz (2 cores) Score = 3003
Hackintosh Dell 1525 2ghz core 2 Duo 3GB RAM score = 3116
No offense to the original poster, but you're right and no this thread was not needed at all. The OP could have used the forum search function to understand why people buy the 11" instead of creating yet another thread to ask a question which could have been answered by searching & reading previous threads.
I chose it because I need something small that would fit in a small bag and I don't need a computer with the latest fastest processor since I have a desktop that's fast. I just want a portable computer that's as small as a netbook but not a netbook because those suck. I like my macbook air 11". It's the best laptop I've ever owned and I won't get rid of it for anything.
For needing something small and light weight its perfect. If I had a job that required me to travel a lot and own a laptop Id get a Macbook Air because it makes your job easier in that the sense. And Netbooks do suck and your way better off with the Macbook Air. Apple is heading in the right direction though with the New Macbook Air lineup. So as soon as they get larger flash drives and faster processors at a more reasonable price I'll consider buying one.
Is this website even needed? Most people posting in this thread are having a great time posting and reading others opinion on the 11" Macbook Air so whats the problem in that? I know there might be a similar thread somewhere on this website but for whatever reason the original poster started a new thread. I don't know why some people get all stressed and upset over it though. If you don't like the the thread then just ignore it and don't post anything. Its easy!
My wife has just bought me a standard 11" Air for Xmas, but unfortunately in the UK we pay in pounds what you pay in dollars. However we can get a student discount, so she bought it in my daughters name who is at Uni, £720 instead of £850, a useful saving.
As I have an Asus 8.9" 901 Netbook, the Air will be a massive upgrade, and as I do not download films or music, the 64gb will be fine, as will 2gb of memory. Big selling point for me is size, weight, and resolution as I am disabled and will be using it mostly in a chair or in bed. Plus it is an object of beauty and engineering and will be a pleasure to work with and look at. I have never used a Mac before, used to Windows O/S and been using 7 for a while now, so it will be interesting to move over to Snow Leopard. However I have to run a couple of programs under Windows, ie my Accounts, so I hope Bootcamp does the job.
Your Forum has been a fount of knowledge for me in the past few days, I always research before I buy, so have been ploughing through your posts to get lots of valuable info and tips, and am happy that I have made the correct choice.
As for this thread for me it is simple, if you want the smallest and lightest with almost the same performance get the 11", if the extra size and weight do not matter and you want a higher resolution and more storage space, plus of course have the extra money, then go for the 13".
There is nor right or wrong.
Cheers
tut
As I have an Asus 8.9" 901 Netbook, the Air will be a massive upgrade, and as I do not download films or music, the 64gb will be fine, as will 2gb of memory. Big selling point for me is size, weight, and resolution as I am disabled and will be using it mostly in a chair or in bed. Plus it is an object of beauty and engineering and will be a pleasure to work with and look at. I have never used a Mac before, used to Windows O/S and been using 7 for a while now, so it will be interesting to move over to Snow Leopard. However I have to run a couple of programs under Windows, ie my Accounts, so I hope Bootcamp does the job.
Your Forum has been a fount of knowledge for me in the past few days, I always research before I buy, so have been ploughing through your posts to get lots of valuable info and tips, and am happy that I have made the correct choice.
As for this thread for me it is simple, if you want the smallest and lightest with almost the same performance get the 11", if the extra size and weight do not matter and you want a higher resolution and more storage space, plus of course have the extra money, then go for the 13".
There is nor right or wrong.
Cheers
tut
Absolutely it was needed. How else would the OP get to show their 'remarkable' insight into the MBA11, present their opinion as as the only valid one and present opinion as fact?
I'm using mine in bed right now (Saturday morning) and it's perfect. I sold my 13" Macbook to buy my 11.6/2/128 Air, and it was the right decision, for me. No intensive tasks, primarily mail and web, some movies on holiday. The 11" is just great for travel.
Welcome tut to the wonderful world of owning a Mac computer. I switched 3 years ago, and would never go back to Windows. I still use one for my employer, and it's hell!
It's 5 weeks 'till Christmas tut, bet you can't wait.... when you get it, you'll love it! Enjoy!
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It sort of rubs me the wrong way that each time someone mentions how happy they are with their 11" Air, they always need to mention "because I have a powerful desktop machine as well..."
I replaced my MBP with the 11" Air because of its weight. I studied and tried it out in store and it does everything I ever did with the MBP. Some things a little slower, but most things WAY faster - thanks to the Flash memory. I use Photoshop for web-design, Netbeans for coding, MAMP pro as a test server for my web projects, Illustrator for logo design, Parallells with Win7 for testing my sites in IE, Reason 5 to make music... They all perform better than on my MBP (probably because I rarely use any CPU-intense filters or HUGE files in Photoshop - it's mostly gradients, drawing lines, putting in photos, dropshadowing, using patterns, text etc).
In two weeks of doing my job, I've only ever experienced this computer to be slower than the 2.5GHz MBP when I test out some really Database-intense PHP tools that I'm building. And even that is not THAT much slower (2.8 seconds loading time, compared to 2.2 or so). All other tasks are as fast or faster, so even for my "relatively" computer intense tasks, the 11" Air is quite enough.
I replaced my MBP with the 11" Air because of its weight. I studied and tried it out in store and it does everything I ever did with the MBP. Some things a little slower, but most things WAY faster - thanks to the Flash memory. I use Photoshop for web-design, Netbeans for coding, MAMP pro as a test server for my web projects, Illustrator for logo design, Parallells with Win7 for testing my sites in IE, Reason 5 to make music... They all perform better than on my MBP (probably because I rarely use any CPU-intense filters or HUGE files in Photoshop - it's mostly gradients, drawing lines, putting in photos, dropshadowing, using patterns, text etc).
In two weeks of doing my job, I've only ever experienced this computer to be slower than the 2.5GHz MBP when I test out some really Database-intense PHP tools that I'm building. And even that is not THAT much slower (2.8 seconds loading time, compared to 2.2 or so). All other tasks are as fast or faster, so even for my "relatively" computer intense tasks, the 11" Air is quite enough.
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I paid $2400 for a Sony 11" Vaio TX about5 years ago. This 11" MBA seems like a bargain compared to that!
hcho3 said:
I paid $2400 for a Sony 11" Vaio TX about5 years ago. This 11" MBA seems like a bargain compared to that!