Macbook Air 11" vs. 13"

I cannot decide on which model to buy....I am merely buying this laptop for student use, so the ultra-portability is key to me. I do not require extra RAM and the upgraded CPU means little to me (from the 11" to 13").....all I really need to know is if the size upgrade is that much better in terms of the keyboard and the screen size (for moderate internet browsing and lots of online homework/typing)?

Thanks!

 

I prefer the 13" but also reccomend getting the 4 GB version as it is imposible to upgrade later.

 

I know the memory can't be upgrade later, but is it necessary to get 4GB of RAM to utilize OSX properly?
All I will be doing is Internet use, Itunes video playback, and some interactive features (such as Google Earth)....will 4GB make any of those tasks noticeably faster?

 

I have the 11.6" and I love it.

But if I were buying one for your situation, I would go with the 13.3"
You may find the smaller one a bit too limiting if it is your "one and only".
It's not just the size of the screen, but I sometimes wish it had the SD reader.

 

Do you have 2Gb or 4Gb of RAM in your 11.6"?

 

Nevermind, I see that you have the 4Gb configuration........is 4Gb recommended?

 

If you are going to run Windows and/or do some extensive media work or gaming, yes. It'll definitely make it more future-proof.

 

I went with 4 Gb for two principle reasons:

1) For resale value. If the time ever comes, a few years off, that I want to sell my unit, the investment in memory will make it much more marketable. Hardware requirements are always on the rise, never the other way.

2) I will have to worry less about what I might want to use the MBA for in the future. I don't now use another OS on this particular system, but that might not always be the case. I've seen how well (pretty good) OS X works with 2 Gb (on my old MB) with all my existing Apps, but that may be something that would change as I buy new apps and upgrade OS X. Again, hardware requirements always rise with time and "futureproofing" is a consideration.

 

Oh boy...this is becoming a hard decision.

As my other thread has said, it is basically come down to the 11.6" w/4Gb or the 13" w/2Gb.
I am going to Best Buy to see if the 11.6" will even be an option once I see it in person, but if it isn't and I decide on the 13" I can't help but wonder if 2Gb is enough for light usage of OSX. I guess that's all I am really interested in.

 

As a primary machine, 4gb is critical.

I would consider an 11" Air as a portable on the road machine only.

 

11", easily lugged around uni, pick up a cheap 22" - 24" LCD for the dorm room, laughing.

 

At the same time, the 11" isn't powerful enough for primary desktop usage.

 

There's no need to upgrade ram to meet the needs you've outlined above.....none. Both are solid machines, but you get a slight price break with the 13" if you plan to upgrade. I prefer the form factor of the 11".

 

The 13" also has 1-2 hours more battery life.

While the 11" is truly unique and a really fun and portable device - I think the 13" is a lot more reasonable, in my opinion. The 13" is still more portable than 99% of other notebooks.

 

I prefer the 11" size. Its probably the best 11" you will find in terms of comfort in use. Nice big touchpad. But the 13" has two more hours of battery life. 5 hours is fine, but as the battery degrades over time, the additional two hours may come in handy.

 

There's no display problems.

As for keyboard, their keyboard sizes are almost identical. No real difference except the size of the top row keys.

If you don't care about performance and battery life, buying the 11" would save you a lot of money.

But if it's your only computer, I think you should really go for performance, with the 13" 2.13 Ghz + 4 Gb. Also the longer battery life is very obviously useful.

 

Since I have such a love affair with my alienware m11x I would say get the MBA 11in. Much more portable and still packs enough punch for just about anything.

 

Honestly the 11" Air could very well be replaced by the next iPad 2 if it sports all the missing features we were looking for. Grab a foldable dock/keyboard for it and it'll probably do most of what you need a computer to do on the go. With 10+ hours of battery life and 1lb weight and slightly smaller screen.

 

Yeah but nothing beats a full OS. While the ipad works for some a full OS for gaming or coding cant be replaced.

 

OP, I would recommend 13" MBA for your with 2 GB RAM, or 4 GB if you can afford it (for better resale value, better future-proofing). To be honest, you're unlikely to feel any slower performance with 2 GB RAM since the SSD is so fast anyway, so 13"/2 GB is a very good option.

I would not recommend you get get a 11" as your primary machine.

Keep in mind you will get an extra 128 GB SSD with 13" over 11". But the main reason for you to go 13" is the bigger screen, making it easier to work on homework for long periods of time.

 

I wouldn't want to do any gaming or coding whatsoever on a 11" screen to be honest.

 

I worried about that at first, but after using it (and previously an M11x) for a while I realized that the screen size was perfect for me, even for some light gaming. I have really come to love the versatility the 11” offers. It is light, has a small footprint and the battery holds a decent charge, yet it is powerful enough to meet all my requirements on the go (a full OS is a necessity) and even get in a game here and there.

That being said, I got this as a secondary machine, and if I were the OP I would go with a maxed out 13” as well. It has more power, storage, battery life and a bigger screen, which all comes in handy if it’s the only computer you have.

 

I thought the same thing until I got my m11x. Sure trying to have more then just an IDE up can be a pita, but on the go being able to code for 8+ hours on a super thin and light pc is pretty nice. I do admit that having to swap between windows is a pain at first when I was used to 1080p and WUXGA screens, but you get used to it. The only issue is vertical pixels (the old 16:9 dilemma again...) and making me scroll alot more then Im used to.

As for gaming I play WoW from time to time and the m11x does it great. The 11in screen size doesnt hinder raiding or pvp, but of course it pales in comparison to the setup I have at home. In fact since getting the m11x I probably do 90% of my computing on it rather then my multi monitor setup in my office. Why? I dont understand why to be honest, I guess there is just something about the 11in platform that makes me happy almost enough to want a MBA 11in.

I too got my 11in (m11x) as a secondary computer, but I seem to use it more though. I guess when I get home and settled I just lose motivation to hide in my office most days. When Im sitting in my easy chair and the wife and I are watching a show Id rather just grab the m11x for a quick ssh/vnc session or to do whatever computer task I need then go to the office. Lazy? maybe. I honestly think that is an inherent trait of all computer scientists. Obviously sometimes running away to my office is nice, but so is grabbing the ultraportable...

 

I know exactly what you mean. I have an Envy 14 hooked up to a nice setup at home, but lately I've been using my MBA more. Even though I have it hooked up to a 24" monitor, the only time I've used the Envy in the past month is to game and do a few heavy encoding projects. There's something so liberating about working in whatever room I'm in, and it's so much more relaxing to work on the couch when I'm at home instead of my desk. Sure, the 11" is small, but I've really grown to love the form factor. And the 11" MBA is so light and small that it is quickly becoming my favorite computer.

 

Do you mind telling me a little more about the portability of your Envy 14? Did you find that it was difficult to lug the Envy around?

I just ordered a new Envy 14 after my Sony Z died. I loved my Sony but thought it would be worth giving up a little portability to save $1000. Now I'm eagerly awaiting my Envy 14 with radiance screen, but afraid that it won't be portable enough for my needs as a student. When I had the Sony Z I carried it around with me everywhere. It seemed to be a great balance of portability and power. Now I'm starting to envy how portable the MBA is and starting to believe that it might be a better replacement for my Z. (or maybe i should get another Z? argh I have a love/hate relationship with tech shopping)