Would I be crazy to trade-in my 10.2" iPad for an 11" MBA?

[ish4y]

I'm a fun-sized university student: a skinny and short twink. As the main computer in my dorm, I use the 13-inch MacBook Air M1, which does everything I need. I seriously love the horsepower this device offers for my writing and content creation needs, but bringing it to university in a ruggedized Thule sleeve has been killing my back. It takes the largest amount of weight in my backpack and it's becoming cumbersome to lug around.

I kept my Mac at home and brought my 2021 10.2-inch iPad with Smart Keyboard to university. The problem: I keep buying and selling this particular iPad model (and now I'm considering to sell it, again). Even with it's ultra-portability, there's no way the iPad with it's software limitations and touch interface can replace a full-fledged computer for me. I don't know how students are using this device, but it doesn't fit my multitasking needs. There are times I have to skim through twenty PDF sources with multiple instances of Safari running next to each other and my lectures are too fast-paced to take handwritten notes. Besides that, I'm an amateur screenwriter and the iPad versions of Scrivener and Final Draft are not as feature-packed as their Mac counterparts.

Seeking the ultimate university computing device is driving me crazy. I tried a Windows convertible with a vast array of ports, but I was far too deep into the Apple ecosystem to combine it with my Mac, even when my university offers working in the cloud with a Microsoft 365 subscription. So I narrowed down my search to the now obsolete 11-inch MacBook Air models as a secondary computer. I can sell my iPad set-up for 300 EUR, and buy the Mac I want in like-new condition for the same price. I'm aware it's a severely outdated and underpowered notebook, but this particular model is still popular across office workers and writers for it's portability and feature-set - and I think I can get even more use out of it, when compared to my iPad, which has been sitting in my drawer ever since I worked my ass off to buy it two months ago.

Would this be a crazy decision? With a patcher, the 11-inch MacBook Air will probably outlast the iPad. There are no alternatives for those who seek MacOS on an affordable, ultra-portable machine. The 12-inch MacBook is still too expensive on the used market and is plagued with issues and the iPads with Stage Manager are nearing 600 EUR. And I cannot stress how tired I am of all the additional, expensive accessories I need to convert a tablet into a half-decent computer.

 

[kimjongbill]

What if you just buy a smaller case for your MacBook Air? I just don't think the trade offs of an 11 inch MacBook Air would be worth the less than half a pound weight loss

 

[GMShadow]

An 11" Air is neat.

Don't pay 300 euros for one at this point.

 

[Isamilis]

What if you just buy a smaller case for your MacBook Air? I just don't think the trade offs of an 11 inch MacBook Air would be worth the less than half a pound weight loss

Second this. Also, need to be aware to replace the battery and check the keyboard if OP decided to buy 11". Yes it's crazy decision, due to screen, CPU and RAM on 11" are very poor compared to existing 13" M1 MBA due to its low resolution and small size.

 

[ish4y]

Second this. Also, need to be aware to replace the battery and check the keyboard if OP decided to buy 11". Yes it's crazy decision, due to screen, CPU and RAM on 11" are very poor compared to existing 13" M1 MBA due to its low resolution and small size.

I'm pitting it against the base iPad, though. I won't notice the drawbacks, as I only have to use Office apps at university.

 

[ish4y]

What if you just buy a smaller case for your MacBook Air? I just don't think the trade offs of an 11 inch MacBook Air would be worth the less than half a pound weight loss

I absolutely need a rugged sleeve for my commute. It's also the size difference. I can drop a 10-11-inch notebook in a tote and forget about it.

 

[retta283]

I understand the desire for the smaller laptop, it's unfortunate that this category has been completely axed from Apple's lineup.

My biggest concerns wouldn't be pegged to performance necessarily, but battery life and screen. The battery life will likely take a noticeable hit, especially considering the age of the batteries at this point. If you don't mind having to charge it on every outing, this may not be a major issue however.

Since you'll be working in Office, the screen quality and size may be a rough downgrade. The screen is very hard to read unless you're right up close to it, and the optical quality of the display is probably the worst of any computer I've used, due to the TN panel's limited viewing angles. It may end up feeling much more cramped as well. I find that the 16:9 aspect ratio (especially at such a small size) for Office is massively inferior to the excellent 4:3 that the iPad offers, but I understand people are much more used to the widescreen these days.

If it wasn't for the faulty keyboards, I'd heartily recommend a 12" MacBook. These rectified many of the screen quality issues mentioned above and are more modern. Really a shame that those machines were cursed by that keyboard.

 

[Isamilis]

I'm pitting it against the base iPad, though. I won't notice the drawbacks, as I only have to use Office apps at university.

Even display on base iPad is still way better than MacBook Air 11”. Also need to consider the low cpu to run the new macOS which is requirement to run the new apps.

 

[B S Magnet]

I'm a fun-sized university student: a skinny and short twink. As the main computer in my dorm, I use the 13-inch MacBook Air M1, which does everything I need. I seriously love the horsepower this device offers for my writing and content creation needs, but bringing it to university in a ruggedized Thule sleeve has been killing my back. It takes the largest amount of weight in my backpack and it's becoming cumbersome to lug around.

I kept my Mac at home and brought my 2021 10.2-inch iPad with Smart Keyboard to university. The problem: I keep buying and selling this particular iPad model (and now I'm considering to sell it, again). Even with it's ultra-portability, there's no way the iPad with it's software limitations and touch interface can replace a full-fledged computer for me. I don't know how students are using this device, but it doesn't fit my multitasking needs. There are times I have to skim through twenty PDF sources with multiple instances of Safari running next to each other and my lectures are too fast-paced to take handwritten notes. Besides that, I'm an amateur screenwriter and the iPad versions of Scrivener and Final Draft are not as feature-packed as their Mac counterparts.

Seeking the ultimate university computing device is driving me crazy. I tried a Windows convertible with a vast array of ports, but I was far too deep into the Apple ecosystem to combine it with my Mac, even when my university offers working in the cloud with a Microsoft 365 subscription. So I narrowed down my search to the now obsolete 11-inch MacBook Air models as a secondary computer. I can sell my iPad set-up for 300 EUR, and buy the Mac I want in like-new condition for the same price. I'm aware it's a severely outdated and underpowered notebook, but this particular model is still popular across office workers and writers for it's portability and feature-set - and I think I can get even more use out of it, when compared to my iPad, which has been sitting in my drawer ever since I worked my ass off to buy it two months ago.

Would this be a crazy decision? With a patcher, the 11-inch MacBook Air will probably outlast the iPad. There are no alternatives for those who seek MacOS on an affordable, ultra-portable machine. The 12-inch MacBook is still too expensive on the used market and is plagued with issues and the iPads with Stage Manager are nearing 600 EUR. And I cannot stress how tired I am of all the additional, expensive accessories I need to convert a tablet into a half-decent computer.

I’m on team “I don’t think it would be a crazy decision for what you need right now.”

You would want to keep your eye out for the 2015 A1465 models, as these had the quickest and latest (Broadwell) CPUs to ship with the 11-inch form factor. Your biggest trade-off, as @retta283 noted, will be the quality of the display. Its colour rendering isn’t very vivid. If this isn’t a sticking point for your needs, especially if you’re working principally with text (lecture notes, writing papers, searching for PDFs of research papers, etc.), then you ought to be just fine.

This final series of the 11-inch models are kind of entering their highly affordable price point on the used market, as first-hand folks are off-loading their MBAs for something more recent (and most aren’t aware of being able or willing to go past Monterey). The biggest things to be mindful of here, as you’re shopping for one, are:

a) making sure you spring for the i7 2.2GHz model (which will be able to handle Monterey natively, the quickest and, with the OCLP patch, Ventura and later);
b) making sure the one you’re looking at has the maximum-orderable 8GB capacity (which was as high a capacity as Apple offered at time of purchase);
c) making sure the SSD is in good shape (something which, unfortunately, you can’t really know until after you’ve bought and received it, but unlike the RAM, is something you can upgrade… and with even faster SSD storage); and
d) expecting that the unit you buy has an exhausted battery which will need replacing. You also might luck out and get an example with very low battery cycle usage and lots of life left. If it doesn’t, and you’re also willing to do a little light repair work on it, options for replacing the battery are still available, as are the steps you’ll need to follow to give you the peace of mind that you can get through an entire day of lectures, assignments, and so on with a single battery charge.

Bearing all this in mind, you should be set to go with a plan. For the prices that the used, 2015 11-inch, 2.2GHz i7 models with 8GB RAM are selling these days, that, plus a new battery, for at or just under €300, ought to be manageable. Throwing in a faster, fresh SSD will add to that, but in the long run will well be worth it, especially if you need to save a lot of stuff or will be throwing together video-related content.

Good luck!

 

[NewUsername]

I think there should be better solutions to this problem. The 11" MacBook Air was fantastic in 2015, but it’s pretty slow for using it in 2023, not to mention the display, which pales compared to any modern MacBook. macOS support will also be axed pretty soon. It cannot run macOS 13 (I forgot about this). The difference in weight is also rather minimal: 1.08 kg for the 11" Air, 1.29 kg for the M1 Air, 1.24 kg for the M2 Air.

You could consider the 12" MacBook (ideally the 2017 model), which is quite a bit lighter (0.92 kg) and a lot more modern than the MacBook Air. The only thing to keep in mind is the much-criticized butterfly keyboard, and prices likely won’t be as low for this model.

To be honest, I think you’d do better with another sleeve, because your current MacBook Air is already very light and you cannot win much weight by changing to another laptop.

 

[B S Magnet]

You could consider the 12" MacBook (ideally the 2017 model), which is quite a bit lighter (0.92 kg) and a lot more modern than the MacBook Air. The only thing to keep in mind is the much-criticized butterfly keyboard, and prices likely won’t be as low for this model.

And woe if the soldered SSD on it fails, as the Apple OEM SSD on my 2015 MBP did three years ago.

Nah. I can’t recommend the 2015–17 MacBook at all here. Moreover, the battery is a lot more of a challenge to extract and replace if the example you get used is exhausted. Apple deliberately engineered and designed the MacBook of that era to be a disposable appliance. A dechets move, really.

 

[kitenski]

why can't you just take your existing M1 MBA to lectures? has enough power and battery life and weighs less than a iPad and magic keyboard!

 

[B S Magnet]

why can't you just take your existing M1 MBA to lectures? has enough power and battery life and weighs less than a iPad and magic keyboard!

Last half of the first paragraph answers your question:

but bringing it to university in a ruggedized Thule sleeve has been killing my back. It takes the largest amount of weight in my backpack and it's becoming cumbersome to lug around

Ed note: all emphasis mine.

 

[BanjoDudeAhoy]

I'm pitting it against the base iPad, though. I won't notice the drawbacks, as I only have to use Office apps at university.

Depends on what config of the 11" MBA you'd get, I guess.

Multi-tasking is, of course, a concern on iPad - especially when you want multiple windows next to each other. But multi-tasking on the 11" MBA at 1366x768?
A lot of web content is not optimized for that small a resolution, either - I already noticed that with the 1440x900 of my old 2014 13" MBA.

As for a comparison between the 11" MBA and the current 13" MBA, here are the specs as per Apple's website. Top is 11", bottom 13".
Is it the rugged case for the MBA that's the heavy thing? Because the weight difference between the MBAs is less than the weight of an iPad mini.
Would you not use a rugged case for the 11"?

I get the appeal of the 11" MBA - for a long time I was tempted to get one as well. It just doesn't strike me as particularly useful anymore.
Maybe a 2020 13" Intel MBA would be a better option? I've seen those quite cheap - not 300 cheap, but not massively more expensive.

 

[kitenski]

Oh well, what was your longest outdoor activity with WOD?
8:40 h yesterday, start with 98% at the end 15%.

Last half of the first paragraph answers your question:



Ed note: all emphasis mine.

yes I saw that, but ain't nothing out there that'll be much lighter or thinner with enough performance and battery life! Just trying to get the OP to re-assess!

iPad 10.2 weighs 487g plus Magic Keyboard Folio for iPad (10th generation) about 400g so total just under 1kg, MBA M1 is 1.2kg

 

[sifpilsen]

I'd say keep looking for options, or slim down the 13 MBA by stripping the cover. The newest 11-inch MacBook Air is a 2015 Mac with Mac OS 12 as the latest system it can run, Mac OS 13 Ventura is about a year old by now. The 11-inch i5 1.6ghz dual core will struggle to keep up. The 2.2 Ghz i7 will let you know it is there with the fan noise if you ask for more than basic productivity.

Not sure about your apps, but if you need to video editing, I'd prefer M1 of some sort or later for finless operation. My iPad Air 4th gen with Magic Keyboard is a hefty piece of hardware weightwise, so I would try to keep in the MBA range and look for lightness other places. Maybe the new MBA ranges 13-inch will be getting from the 2.7lbs towards the 2.38 lbs of the 11-inch?

 

[Larsvonhier]

Just my 2ct.

Got my M1 Air back in Nov. 2020, bought a light textile sleeve wrapper to carry it around with me on a daily basis and to vacations, business trips etc.
This kept it in almost factory new shape because whenever I take it out of the sleeve and work on it, I take great care to not drop or bump it around. Of course, mishaps can always happen any time, but I have never considered a plastic or other shield to be attached permanently. Too bulky, to much spoiling the design, and additional weight.

And as others pointed out: The crappy intel in the 11" Airs does in no way reach the performance of the M1. Let alone the ridiculous battery on time of 3.5h if you´re lucky. Ventura on the other hand could be installed with OCLP, but further drags down the lil intel performance.

 

[Isamilis]

Maybe the solution is as simple take out / change the sleeve. I brought my mba naked, just store it in sleeve/pocket in my backpack. I only use additional sleeve when I went out of town.

 

[okkibs]

Drop the rugged shell - you simply won't find a more lightweight device that suits your needs especially when iPads with Stage Manager are too expensive for you - if money wasn't relevant I still would not have suggested such an iPad. Why? Once you add the iPad magic keyboard weight you're essentially back to what your Macbook weighs. So you'd have to be able to make do without a physical keyboard and from your explanation it seems just an Apple Pencil wouldn't be enough.

There really isn't much weight you can get off the Air (except for removing the rugged shell), because at this point every bit of weight saved you'll pay extra for, either in money or in case of that old Intel Air by buying a device that will have a shot battery likely requiring you to bring along a charger, and both display and performance are painful.

I have this weight issue with my Mac too, I got the weight down by using a backpack that has a padded sleeve and keeps the Mac off the bottom of the backpack so when you carelessly set it down the Mac won't hit the ground. I can throw the backpack through the air and the Mac will survive. Only fill the water bottle halfway and then fill it up at my destination. No longer bring a charger since it's a M1 model, or if necessary just bring something like a cheap 20W iPad USB-C charger that weighs next to nothing.

I know especially this tip will be ridiculous but I got fitter - from bicycling I learned that weight reduction on a bike beyond a certain point costs money in the quadruple digits, and taking that weight off my body or strenghtening my muscles is overall the better solution.

I absolutely need a rugged sleeve for my commute.

Put the Mac into your backpack with the display side facing away from your back, that should suffice to protect the display. Unless you use a jackhammer for the commute the Mac will be fine. Perhaps it won't be, but then I am curious what happens to your backpack that would damage the Mac? As long as you distribute the weight in the backpack so that the display doesn't get crushed in a particular spot, it should be fine.

 

[Wickintime]

Lots of interesting reasoning in this thread. I've been using may 11" MBA for about 5 years and it is my essential travelling companion. Yes there are better screens, and the screen is small, but it is rugged, and using OCLP I have mine on Ventura 13.4 though I preferred Monterey. If I want to use it with a larger screen then I hitch it up to my 31" tv. Mine is a 1.6 i5 with 8Gb RAM and I fitted a larger SSD and a new battery which certainly lasts all day. I keep looking at larger screens (I have a spare 2011 MBA 13" with a similar configuration) and iPads, but I always come back to the tough little 11" portable.

If you can accept the limitations, then go for it.

 

[SSD-GUY]

As someone that used the 11" MBA years ago at Uni, it was an amazing machine for portability (especially when you have heavy textbooks etc), however it just doesn't compare to modern standards. It's sub-par 720p screen would be annoying to use these days, as current Mac Operating systems have a lot more contrast and rounding out of the edges compared to previous versions.

My advice, if portability is your main concern, get the new or 1 or 2 gen older MacBook Airs (I'd recommend getting at least the M1 model)

 

[rgrainger]

The screen on the MBA 11" feels like looking at an old iPhone 4 with a magnifier on it. And I agree with the comments regarding performance and battery life. The weight savings is around 250g (0.5lbs) — a can of beans — small bottle of water.

I would suggest the MBA M1 without a case and AppleCare to cover accidental damage And looking at other ways to reduce weight: lighter backpack, smaller charger, lighter water bottle etc.

As mentioned already, you could probably get away with a much smaller charger or none at all with the M1 MBA.

• MBA 11 45W charger: 180g
• MBA M1 30W dual compact: 105g

 

[ignatius345]

I'm pitting it against the base iPad, though. I won't notice the drawbacks, as I only have to use Office apps at university.

You will notice the non-retina display. Apple removed sub-pixel rendering some years ago (not needed with retina displays) and text looks pretty rough on old displays like that now.

I'd come to terms with the little bit of extra weight/bulk your existing M1 Air has, and spend the $300 on something actually fun. Or maybe just invest in a decent backpack so you're not "killing your back"

 

[floral]

I'm a fun-sized university student: a skinny and short twink.

Perfect for my uses... /j

Anyways, I think you aren't crazy for thinking this, but if the smallest current Air is too nonportable, and the iPad is too constricting, then:

- MacBook Pro is too heavy for you
- Desktops aren't portable (or very little in the case of Mac mini)
- Every kind of iPad is not right for you

Therefore, your only option is a Windows laptop, or as you mentioned, an old MacBook Air. I think that's too weak for you, and you'll regret it. Even if your work isn't that heavy, the battery life and heat on that thing would be enough to drive me up the wall in one day ;-;

Also, not to get personal, but if your school offers a gym, you may want to toughen up in there to get strong enough to carry the bag. I don't mean ripped or anything, but getting a bit of bulk helps in many areas, carrying a MacBook included.

 

[flobach]

I get that you want to pare down on weight - but saving 230g going from a current to an 8yo computer imho isn’t the way to do it. I would consider looking in to why your back is hurting- get to the root cause, rather than fiddling around the fringes.
Hope that - whatever you do - it works out! 💪