Everyone seems to agree that the new MacBook Air represents a significant step forward in laptop design and execution, with the 13” model earning nearly universal acclaim.

But the 11” model is a strange beast. Is it an under-powered, over-priced netbook? Or is it a viable primary computing device with a tiny footprint? Answering these questions requires more than benchmarks. It means giving it an extended audition in the real world, and that’s exactly what I’ve done. One month ago I purchased an 11” Air and I’ve been using it every day since then.

The gear

My 11” Air is the maxed-out model, with a 1.6 GHz CPU, 4 GB of RAM, and 128GB of SSD storage. It replaces my previous daily use machine, a first-generation 13” Air (1.6 GHz, 2GB RAM, and 80GB magnetic hard drive).

The user

Despite my use of decidedly non “power user” gear, I’m what could reasonably be described as a power user. I run a number of applications (10+) at all times, including at least one browser with a large number of open tabs. I do development work using an IDE and test my code within a Linux virtual machine that mirrors the BlockChalk production environment.

When I’m at home or at work, my laptop is usually connected to an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse. But I also commute by train every day for a total of roughly two hours, during which time I operate within a rather space-constrained environment (i.e. elbow-to-elbow). This daily commute is the primary reason why I decided to give the 11” model a try instead of the new 13”.

The test

For the past 30 days I’ve been using the 11” Air as my primary computing device at home, at work, and on the train. Instead of collecting benchmarks and other quantitative metrics, I’ve instead focused on testing the ins and outs of everyday usage, looking for those instances where the device shines, those where it frustrates me, and all the moments in-between where it simply gets the job done.

Where it shines

Size and weight: The 11” Air is impossibly small and light, yet still feels solid and substantial when held and operated. In my bag it essentially disappears; I occasionally have to double-check that it’s still there. After using the 11” Air, the 13” Air feels like a behemoth.

Of particular note is that the shorter screen height (compared to 13” laptops) makes a huge difference on the train: the top of my screen no longer hits the back of the next seat as the train bounces around. This is an under-appreciated advantage, and for air travelers in particular it may be the killer feature.

Ergonomics: If this thing is a “netbook” then it is the first one I’ve ever used that isn’t an ergonomically crippled mess. The keyboard is full-size, the trackpad is big enough, the wrist rest space is sufficient, and the screen resolution is actually pretty good. And you get all of this in an impossibly small package. It’s quite an achievement.

Battery life: I’m consistently getting over 5 hours of life with sustained usage. While this is less than what is possible with the 13” Air, it certainly doesn’t seem like a reason to pick the larger laptop over its smaller sibling.

Where it gets the job done

Performance: In daily usage the maxed-out 11” Air feels dramatically faster than my prior-gen 13” Air. Part of this is no doubt due to the SSD drive, while the rest probably comes from having faster RAM, and more of it. On my old Air, simple tasks like streaming YouTube videos or reloading JavaScript-heavy pages could be agonizingly slow and uneven. And the 2GB RAM limit was a major drawback that I ran into every day. VM-based development was torture. Even spinning up the VM would lead to leg-searing heat levels and leaf-blower noise levels. With the 11” Air, it’s all a breeze.

The 11” Air is by no means a speed demon, but the maxed-out model feels a lot faster than you would probably expect. After four weeks I have yet to encounter a situation where the machine has felt underpowered.

Where it frustrates

The main issue with the 11” Air is screen size. While the resolution of the screen is surprisingly high and quite sufficient for most uses, the screen’s actual physical size is small. If you’re at all like me, you may experience eye strain particularly when using the Air on your lap. Under those conditions, the screen is just small enough and just distant enough from one’s eyes to be a bit uncomfortable.

On the positive side I seem to have adjusted to this issue over the past few weeks and now feel considerably less discomfort. But I also have 20/20 vision, so YMMV. Regardless, for me this compromise has proven acceptable. The portability benefits of the smaller screen are worth it, and using an external monitor at home and at work minimizes my exposure.

I’ve also run into a few random minor issues:

Half-height function keys: While the keyboard is full-size, the top row of keys are half has high as the rest. Like me, your response might be, “who cares, I never use those keys.” Turns out we do, particularly the Escape and tilde keys. The reduced height of these keys makes misfires common, but it’s something I’ve gotten used to.

Weird UI lag: At home, I use Synergy to share a single keyboard and mouse across multiple monitors and computers. With the 11” Air running as a Synergy client, I’ve noticed intermittent UI lag that I’ve never seen with other client computers (like my previous Air). Stranger still, this lag sometimes persists after disconnecting from Synergy and can only be resolved with a reboot. I’m a long way from saying this reflects an issue with the Air, but I mention it for completeness and on the off-chance that someone else out there has seen this.

The verdict

The 11” Air strikes a near-perfect balance between the compromises required of such a small portable computer. It meets the bar for performance and surpasses it in ergonomics and portability.

The one downside of the 11” Air is also one of its greatest features: the small screen. Whether you find it a benefit or a hinderance will likely determine if the 11” Air is right for you. For me, it most definitely is!