Macbook Air 11 and Macbook Air 13 (Any actual differences?)

Question

Level 1

4 points

Macbook Air 11 and Macbook Air 13 (Any actual differences?)

Between and i7 8GB 11" Macbook Air and i7 8GB Macbook Air

Are there any actually differences other then the noted ones(such as no SD Card, Smaller Screen, etc)

Do they run the exact same? Same GPU clocks/ram speeds etc? I figure since the 11" is smaller it's thermal properies might possibly be lacking.

Or are they the exact same when running?

Thanks guys, just a ranom question thar poped in my head.

MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2012), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2)

Posted on Dec 17, 2012 9:50 PM

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Answer 1

Tgara

Level 4

3,597 points

Dec 18, 2012 1:11 AM in response to AnimalMother

Stream of consciousness questions are not usually well received here because they have usually already been asked and answered thousands of times, or the info can be easily found elsewhere. In your case, its the latter. Read the spec sheets.

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Answer 2

Jon P D

Level 4

1,522 points

Dec 18, 2012 7:10 AM in response to AnimalMother

Well they both have exactly the same power but the 11 inch has less pixels to drive with the same amount of power, so I guess with some graphic intensive activities the 11 inch will come on top.

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Answer 3

Dec 18, 2012 8:54 AM in response to AnimalMother

Don't underestimate the significance of the screen size. I have both and the difference is demonstrable in use. The only advantage the 11" Air has is a greater measure portability that will only seem worth it to a small segment of users. The 13" is a far better rounded unit for general use.

The 13" is capable of a greater capacity SSD and 40% more battery charge life. Both of these can be significant factors for some users.

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Answer 4

AnimalMother Author

Level 1

4 points

Dec 19, 2012 12:25 PM in response to SP Forsythe

The sound on the 11" is nowhere newr as good as it is on the 13"

I know this now because was able to handle both for a good period of time.

Ill just post this for refference to justify this thread i know you get allot of these posts but not one i saw mentioned the sound quality comparison.

Macbook Air 11"

1366 x 768

Higher PPI (135)

5 hour Battery

Smaller, slightly lighter

Macbook Air 13"

1440 x 900

Lower PPI (128)

7 hour Battery

Better Sound Quality

Bigger, slightly heavier

I am debating going with the 11" i7 8gb 128gb ssd. And using a external monitor.

Do you guys think there will be after market upgrade battiers later?

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Answer 5

Jon P D

Level 4

1,522 points

Dec 19, 2012 3:39 PM in response to AnimalMother

You could get an external battery for it

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Answer 6

JasonFear

Level 5

4,965 points

Dec 19, 2012 6:36 PM in response to AnimalMother

There is a company called HyperJuice that makes external batteries -

http://www.hypershop.com/HyperJuice-External-Battery-for-MacBook-iPad-iPhone-USB -s/91.htm

They're not cheap but I know a few of my users (that frequently travel overseas) use one and they've very happy with them. The ability to use your machine for 12+ hours without a charge can be fantastic for in the field work or on a long flight.

I agree with SP, the screen size is not a trivial factor to consider. When I worked at the Apple Store it was a nearly daily occurence that people would bring back the 11" MacBook Air because they regretted having to deal with that little screen.

So while the 11" MacBook Air might work just fine for you, just make sure to give it a thorough demo at an Apple Store to make sure you're completely satisfied.

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