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Comment by replete | Hacker News Reader

The MacBook air 11" in 2012 was my favorite laptop by far. Maxed out with an i7 and 8GB RAM it handled everything I needed to including multiple InteliJ projects. The resolution today seems obscenely low, but it was completely usable and the compactness was of great utility, practical for use while traveling.

I've bought tablets multiple times thinking it could replace it, it just isn't the same. It's a real shame that particular form factor has been lost, as we could probably easily have an m4 air in that size. I'd buy one in a heart beat now that Apple has remembered how to make good keyboards again.

Even though it was tiny,

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The 12" MacBook (not air, not pro) from 2017 was my dream machine... Except for the thermals limiting the performance. That issue could easily be solved with an M-series machine in a similar chassis, but alas.

The current 13" M-series Airs seem a little confusing to me -- the two largest dimensions are practically the same as the current MBP, so for my use-case (i.e.: not carrying a backpack) I basically have to carry a bag the exact same size as if I were going to carry the MBP, and the extra 300g (or 0.7 lb) is meaningless in terms of portability.

It feels like the Air is no longer really so Air-y, which is a shame.

I agree that the 12" MacBook form factor is what I'd go for. I have a 13" M1 but it's a bit heavy as I carry it around all day. 12" with a M processor and at least 2 usb ports.

Really was a brilliant machine. I still have one on a desk paired with a Cinema Display. Weighed nothing when out and about and turns into an iMac at home. Mine is in its dotage now because the battery only lasts about an hour so it never leaves the house or does much heavy lifting, and it’s been replaced with a 14 inch MacBook Pro M3 alongside an 11 inch iPad Air. So pleased that Apple got rid of that pointless Touch Bar and returned to function keys. My M3 is like a platonically good laptop even though I wish it was a touch lighter. I managed to type out a 140,000 word book on my iPad when travelling. Having started on 8-bit home computers I’ll never stop being amazed by the world of computing hardware perfection we now live in.

Why not just go for the MBA instead of the MBP? The MBA is lightning fast and can have 32 gb RAM. It seems like exactly what you want - a touch lighter (.7 lbs lighter!) and smaller but still crazy good.

I had one, and I really liked it, but the 13" MBA just edged it out for me due to the added comfort and visibility. I've had various MBPs, but I continue to prefer a 13" MBA over a decade later. Any other laptop I try just feels inferior.

The bezel size on the 2011 11" air vs the current 13" air with its Retina display makes that upgrade a no-brainer. 2011 11" was my prior fav, but 2024 13" air is the new king.

I recently spent 2 hours working on an airplane in economy class on a 16" pro, and all those extra specs didn't help me ssh to a cloud instance, and that large size made it extra tough. Air is the best.

The new 13” Air isn’t quite a replacement for the old 11”. It’s just enough bigger and heavier that I notice and it affects the handiness of it. The center of balance isn’t as good either, it was close to the hinge on the old wedge shaped Air which was perfect for carrying it.

I miss that little computer. It was just about perfect and I wish they had kept that form factor.

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