MacBook Air 11" Screen Size

For all you Mac users, is the 11" MBA too small?

I am in middle school and am looking to buy a Mac. Trying to decide between 11" MBA or 13" MBP. I won't go for 13" MBA because it is $100 more than the 13" MBP with less ports. Eyes strain is not a problem. I have great eyesight and am young. But I use a computer for word processing, power points, and basic internet use. Please help me decide! It would save me a couple hundred bucks!

The Pro
The air is a great secondary computer, but it lacks an optical drive and enough storage for a dedicated machine.

Go for the macbook pro, it is more powerful and in general you will just like it more. The macbook air was made more for businessmen who just want to do powerpoints and basic word processing. The Macbook Pro will be able to play games and do way more.

I've been thinking of what Mac to get for ages, and I am a Sophmore in high school. I've been seriously considering the 11" Air, all I really do is browse, with some Word work. But there are the obvious limitations- Because the specs are low (despite it being fast, it may become very quickly outdated. I'd recommend the Pro. In my opinion, I find it a much more convenient device, with a full array of ports, and an optical drive. I think you could make do with an 11" screen, but getting a Pro is more bang for your buck (+2").
But in the end, it's up to you.

Westoak said:

Go for the macbook pro, it is more powerful and in general you will just like it more. The macbook air was made more for businessmen who just want to do powerpoints and basic word processing. The Macbook Pro will be able to play games and do way more.

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I don't completely agree with you on that point, if you look at youtube videos or whatever of the MBA you'll see the performance is great and on par if not better than other macs due to its graphics card. Plays games flawlessly as well as 1080p video, just as well as the 3.x iCore iMacs.

Don't just look at the processor and brand a computer based on that, there's so much more to put into the equation.

Concerning the topic, I'd suggest a Pro if you're planning on keeping it for a longer period of time. Personally I have a BlackBook with upgraded parts and I'm getting all that I need out of it; it's basically the same as the standard MBP you'd buy today.

But yea, the MBP will have more harddrive space, an optical drive, and a longer battery. I also think that 13.3 inches is a great ratio for portability and usability. I'm thinking of selling my BlackBook right now and getting an 11 inch Air.