New Macbook Air 11.6 or 13.3 screen size Advice needed

Well, one way to think about it without seeing it in person is to compare an iPad to your Macbook.
The iPad is a 9.7" screen, so if you're ok with surfing the web and watching movies on an iPad, then you should have no issues with the 11.6" screen

Well, only you can make that decision. Since the iPad has been out for awhile, I though that you may have a friend with one (which is why I gave the iPad<->11" comparison). Some folks love the display of the 11", others think the additional real estate on the 13" is better. I was unsure myself until I went to an Apple Store to see for myself. Only then did I place my order.

I myself am trading in my ipad for the Mac Air.. I was torn between the 11/13 screen size.. But after a visit to the store last weekend after playing around with them for 20mins or so it was pretty clear to me that the 13inch made more sense.. for me!
the main reason i was getting rid of the ipad is because of the limitations and I find it severely underpowered.
the decision to go w the 13inch screen was that it felt much more natural. the 11inch screen felt stunted and limited especially the vertical length..
good luck w the decision. either way make sure you opt for the 4GB ram upgrade.

There is a significant difference between the 13.3 and 11.6 screens. The 13.3 is 16 X 10 (1440X 900 res), and the 11.6 is 16 X 9(1366 X 768 res). For media consumption, the 16 X 9 is a natural, but you will miss a little vertical resolution when web surfing. I have the 11.6, and have not really noticed the lack of vertical display being a problem. The 11.6 is also lighter and runs cooler, but at the expense of some computing horsepower. I also have other systems to choose from when more serious task need to be handled, so the 11.6 was the best choice for me.

I travel with an 11.6 and an iPad. The combination covers everything I need on the road.

In my case I decided on the maxed out Macbook air 11". I was looking for a 'Netbook' type computer to use when on trips and especially on cruises, etc. I was trying to decide if I wanted to use an iPad for this, but decided that the new Air covered it better for an all-around device.

I have been using an iPod 2nd Gen. to do e-mail and other things on cruises in the past and it worked to a degree; however, I really didn't want to write long messages or do any surfing, etc.

I have a G-4 Macbook 12" screen I use on some trips now and I like it because it will still run OS 9x and many other applications that only run of 9x that I still use. I'll keep using it until it breaks down. etc.

I have an iMac i7 for most other computer work I might do at home. The 11" screen on the Air should be a major improvement over the iPod.

Went 13", as I was using the 15" and the resolution is the same. I much prefer a physical 15" screen. That's really the minimum I like, but I loved the Air so much I went down to 13". I could never go below that.

Bryan

In my opinion, screen size should be the least of your worries.
What I would pay most attention to is CPU and memory. Get the fastest CPU and max out your memory (4Gb). You have to think how the MBA will work when MAC Lion comes out next year. The screen size, while it is important, you will get accustomed to it, no matter what you choose.

In the end, its YOUR decision.

Yes, I won't do a computer less than 4GB RAM these days. Especially as I run virtual machines occasionally, and Photoshop often, I just need that extra RAM. So I maxed-out the 13" and I'm very impressed and happy with the performance. I don't miss my 15" MBP. It will be going on eBay quite soon.

Bryan

I've used both the 11 and 13" MacBook Air during the last two weeks. Though I regularly use an iPad (smaller screen than 11") and MacBook Pro 17", I prefer the 13" MacBook Air.

I found myself squinting at the 11" screen. It actually has more pixels per inch than the 13" (or any other Mac screen). That makes everything appear smaller. But if you do get the 11", I recommend the 4G RAM option and the 128G storage.

Message was edited by: rob_ART

Even the 13" inch took me a few hours to get used to, and that's going from a 15". If you are used to large displays, the 11" to me would be much to small. My eyes are now pretty much adjusted to the 13". I played with the 11" at the store, but with the 13", I at least have the option to do some work/content creation without straining my eyes. I can't see myself doing much creation with the 11", although it would be great for doing most other things.

Bryan

If the OP is mainly going to be using this at home, I think the 13" would be better. I've been trying the 11" for the last day and I do agree it feels a tiny bit harder on the eyes. But the form factor is just phenomenal. I need to choose just one but right now I'm leaning towards returning the 13".

I have a 15" MBP I have been using for travel and as my main computer. I nearly got a Netbook last year but I thought I'd wait to see if a new "Air" would come out. I was surprised to see the 11" as an option as I was all set to get the 13".

As you, I could not put my hands on them, so I ordered both and then cancelled both. I eventually drove a good ways to try them out. I chose the 11" as it was not nearly as small as I envisioned, however this will primarily be used for travel. It is small, light, fast and has a great screen.

If you will rarely use it for travel, I'd go for the 13" for sure. I have been forcing myself to use the 11" MBA and have not only gotten used to it, but really enjoy it. However, if it were my only computer, I would be displeased. If I was using it at home for your purposes I still doubt I'd be happy with the 11".

I wear cheater glasses for fine print, but I can enlarge the font on the 11" and can read just fine. I watch movies on the 11" just fine too.

I vacillate b/t getting an iMac or an upgraded MBP to compliment this MBA, But for your purposes, again, I'd get the 13" MBA.

Goodd luck

I have a 17" i7 macpro and an ipad, i wanted something light to read in bed and take out with me for simple stuff, my 17" monster is too heavy and serious for this stuff, so i went with the 11", i had lots of guilt at first thinking that i should exchange it with the 13", BUT it had grown on me and i now LOVE its screen and size, remember WHY are you getting this computer? if its your only toy then go 13" but if you have something else more bulky and powerful then the 11 is it.

Get the 13". When you look at them side by side, the 13" seems gigantic compared to the 11". When opening a word document, on the 11" I only got 4" of vertical visibility on the document, but on the 13" I got just over 6" (using Microsoft's rulers)...I don't like scrolling, so 13" is the smallest I could go.

I watched a couple movies on a flight home this week and all three of us were able to watch it comfortably (with subtitles) without squinting too bad.

I'd still get the iPad if you can afford it though. There's nothing that compares to laying in bed surfing the web or reading a magazine without having to balance a laptop.