INTRODUCTION
When it arrived in the mail a few weeks ago, I joked about how much I was enjoying my new MacBook 11-inch iPad Pro on Twitter. The joke, in the end, was only semi-amusing. This Mac was made to be utilized as a tablet and keyboard in a professional setting. It features a strong battery, weighs only 1.08 kg, and is comparatively slim for a computer in 2018. It turns on instantly and runs silently (the fan actually works).MacBook Air 11 inch
Since it was an eBay purchase, I was wary. However, the seller had an extremely high ratio of transactions to positive feedback, the photographs used in the auction were of the actual goods (I still called them to confirm), and the seller offered a 30-day, no-questions-asked refund policy in addition to a 3-month warranty. I decided to move further after a fruitful exchange of messages. On December 13, that day arrived. The Mac arrived on December 18, which is incredibly fast for an overseas shipment right before the Christmas holidays. It was also a great surprise to see that the Mac looked much better in person than it had in the description.
Facts quickly: This model from the middle of 2013 features a Core i5 processor running at 1.3 GHz (with turbo boost to 2.6 GHz), 4 GB of RAM, and a 128 GB SSD. Thunderbolt, two USB 3 ports, an enhanced graphics chip (Intel HD 5000), and compatibility with the most recent version of Mac OS all indicate that it was manufactured in 2013. I also managed to track down a well-cared-for model with a battery that is still functional after 800+ charge cycles, 94% overall health, and 8+ hours of use. Not bad for a Mac that’s five years old.
Aiming for the skies I decided to stop using Apple computers when it was time to replace my primary Mac in July. I hate the new flattened keyboard with the butterfly mechanism that Apple introduced in 2015 for no discernible purpose other than to make the device thinner. I had hoped it was something made just for the 12-inch retina MacBook to help keep it as slim and portable as possible. However, I was really dissatisfied to find the same keyboard design on the 2016 MacBook Pros.
Instead, in the middle of July I decided to buy a 21.5-inch 4K retina iMac, and I haven’t looked back since. The plan was to use my 15-inch 2009 MacBook Pro as my mobile office, syncing all of my critical files and inspiration from my iMac and using it anytime I needed to get some work done away from the office.
However, the MacBook Pro displayed even more signs of age and underperformed on my recent trip to Italy[1]. After figuring out how much it would cost to fix the MacBook Pro, I decided it wasn’t worth it. With that amount of money, I could get a secondhand MacBook that’s a few years newer. I might as well look for a more portable 13-inch version at the same time.
equivalent to a MacBook Pro 13-inch in size. A MacBook Air with a 13-inch screen would be ideal.
You know, initially I hadn’t even considered the 11-inch version. I remember trying it out at a few different stores when it initially came out in 2010. but ultimately deciding against purchasing it. My first impression was that Apple had gone too far in the direction of minimalism. The screen’s quality wasn’t bad, but I couldn’t stand how cluttered Mac OS X’s menus were. There was an error in my judgment.
I’m not sure why it didn’t excite me back then; maybe it was because I was used to using a 12-inch PowerBook G4 as my primary Mac for five years and switching back and forth between them.
For my current needs, though, I said, “What the heck, let’s just get the smallest Mac Apple has produced that is still fitted with a respectable keyboard.” If the 11-inch MacBook Air proves too small, I’ll simply have it returned and replaced with a 13-inch model.
After using this little Mac for about 48 hours, I was taken aback in the most pleasant way possible. There is no better laptop on the market than the 11-inch MacBook Air.
I don’t feel like a hypocrite for buying a ‘new’ Mac since it’s thin and light. The thinness and light weight of the 11-inch MacBook Air are great, but they weren’t my main priorities when shopping for a new laptop. I began by looking for the smallest possible size. A Mac with sufficient ports so I don’t feel hemmed in, a good enough keyboard to make typing comfortable, and the ability to recapture the magic of my 12-inch PowerBook G4. All of this is accomplished on a shoestring.
SEE ALSO : MACBOOK 11 Everything You Need To Know About Crumbl Cookies Recipe
Given these specifications, it’s clear that Apple’s 12-inch retina MacBook was not an option. Indeed, compact. Incredible performance? Oh yes. Not the ports, no. Keyboard? That won’t happen. Price? Don’t even bring me up as a topic.
After two weeks of use, I can say with confidence that Apple has produced the best “Thin & Light” device to date with the 11-inch MacBook Air. A side-by-side comparison of the 11-inch MacBook Air and its purported spiritual successor, the 12-inch retina MacBook, reveals that the only element that can be deemed a “compromise” in the 11-inch MacBook Air is the display, whereas the display is the one feature that isn’t in the 12-inch MacBook.
Michael Tsai has put it far more succinctly than I could ever hope to: When compard to current Apple products, no other combination of price, power, ports, and size comes close.
Defusing some common misconceptions
When I was studying the 11-inch MacBook Air, I came across numerous evaluations and YouTube videos, with a few noticeable exceptions. These testimonials did a terrible job of selling me on this Mac, and I almost didn’t buy it because of them. Some of the worst urban legends are as follows:
This performance stinks. not enough horizontal space, not enough vertical height, not enough retinal real estate
It’s true that we’ve all been accustomed to the “retina everywhere” experience, but the 11-inch Air’s screen is stunning. In fact, after a few days of use, I noticed that the brightness setting was at approximately 70%, and it seemed plenty bright to me. The screen isn’t retina, but the combination of its small size and relatively low resolution of 1366 by 768 pixels produces a more dense image than, say, a 15-inch screen with a resolution of 1440 by 900 pixels. The result is a somewhat crisper appearance across the board for UI elements, icons, and fonts. Even though I have bad eyesight and love the retina display on my 21.5-inch iMac, I have no issue reading text at a size of 9 points on my MacBook Air. The closer distance between your eyes and the screen is a definite plus.
Finally, many people complain that while having enough horizontal pixels, there isn’t enough room on the vertical axis; you have to scroll a lot; web browsing is tough, etc. when using a 16:9 aspect ratio. Even though the 13-inch MacBook Air has a larger and more proportional display, I still find myself working on this Mac with the Dock open at all times. I use the apps in full-screen mode whenever I need the extra vertical real estate for anything, be it web browsing,
writing, emailing, or image editing. It’s not a deal-breaker, and it’s not nearly as bad as people say it is.
This is a weak machine.
If you do the research and check the benchmarks, you’ll see that the device you bought with only 4 GB of RAM (and which cannot be upgraded) is not up to par with the competition. You think you can get away with only a couple of programs open at once before the PC starts to slow down, etc. This 11-inch MacBook Air may not be able to compete with the quad-core or more-core CPUs of modern Macs, but it has handled the many tasks I’ve assigned it over the past few days with relative ease, especially considering that I opted for the 8 GB model. There’s no denying the benefits of switching to an internal SSD from a traditional hard drive.
A side from the brief time of upgrading from Mac OS Sierra to High Sierra, I have not heard its fan in normal use, and it is quite snappy; it does not lag even with 6-7 applications open and several tabs open in Safari. Its handling is noticeably better than my MacBook Pro from 2009, and it feels no slower than my much newer iMac with a quad-core 3 GHz CPU in any daily work.
Its current worth is minimal.|
The hip YouTube generation of technologists advises you to look elsewhere for your ultraportable needs. Invest in a 12-inch retina MacBook Pro. Invest in an iPad Pro with a typing accessory. They’re not terrible pieces of advice, but I find them divisive because so much hinges on the nature of the work that will be done on an ultraportable. It’s clear that a gadget like this isn’t being sought out for its professional workstation capabilities. As I’ve already mentioned, the internals and display of a 12-inch retina MacBook will be upgraded. If you don’t like the keyboard and require more than one USB-C port, the 11-inch MacBook Air is starting to look like a better option. A used retina MacBook from 2015 can cost as much as twice as much as a used 11-inch MacBook Air from 2014 or 2015.
Again, personal taste will dictate whether this tablet or an iPad Pro is used. If your mobile needs can be met by an iOS device, by all means, do so. If you, like me, prefer Mac OS for productivity, you may want to reconsider the 11-inch MacBook Air. You get a small and unremarkable 16:9 display, but you also get a lightweight, portable machine that you can carry anywhere [2], a backlit keyboard with the superior “inverted T” key layout, a machine that can still run for hours on a charge (provided you find one with a good battery, but you could also buy and install a new one without breaking the bank), and a Mac that still offers a respectable amount of connectivity. My package cost as much as a regular iPad in total, including shipping.
I’ll repeat that defining “good value” in the modern day is a purely subjective endeavor; nonetheless, if you consider the aforementioned characteristics, you’ll have a good idea of what “good value” means to me. The problem is that too many people in the field of information technology are quick to dismiss tools and equipment that are older than a year or two. Many people say it’s a bad idea to have a laptop like the 11-inch MacBook Air because it can’t run the newest games, doesn’t have a retina display, and has a “old and unbalanced design”[3]. The problem is that they are approaching the 11-inch Air in the wrong way; this has never been the MacBook Air’s role in its history.
SEE ALSO : MacBook Air 11 inch
Conclusion
The third picture caught my eye in AnandTech’s review of the 2013 11-inch MacBook Air because it shows how similar the footprints of the two machines are. The reviews on AnandTech are consistently excellent in both quality and objectivity. My decision to buy this specific model of MacBook Air was heavily influenced by the reviewers at AnandTech, taherefore I’ve shared the image above as a token of my appreciation for their work.
After using the method for over two weeks, I can say without a doubt that I found exactly what I was looking for and more. It’s incredible how quickly the 11-inch MacBook Air won me over.
Those who know me well understand that I function best when working on massive monitors, preferably with retina displays. The 11-inch Air doesn’t have either, but I’m actually rather happy with it. Is it something I could work on all day without any other tools? It’s not always the case; no. After two long sessions, though, I didn’t feel as constrained as I had feared. The high-quality mouse and keyboard were of great assistance. When I made the transfer from my laptop to the iPad, I didn’t have to consciously stop and evaluate my workflows. My MacBook Air lets me do anything I can on my home Macs while I’m out and about. similar means of moving around and using the keyboard, etc.
After utilizing both the 13-inch MacBook Pro and the 11-inch MacBook Air. I came to the conclusion that I had essentially gotten the best of all worlds. This product brings together the portability of an iPad with the power and customization of a Mac. Since I can charge my MacBook Air when I get home from work, I usually forego bringing the charger along. It’s just as portable as an iPad and feels just as natural to use in day-to-day life.
The iPad Pro 11-inch I just got is incredible.