I’ve purchased a few things lately that I’d like to recommend.
11” MacBook Air
I recently switched from a 15” MacBook Pro to an 11” MacBook Air and I couldn’t be happier. The 11” Air is the best computer I’ve ever owned. Everything else is a distant second.
It’s my only computer. I do all my work on it. I code on it, I design on it, I browse on it, I run 37signals on it.
I originally purchased an external monitor because I thought I’d need the extra space, but I’ve found I like the smaller screen of the 11”. I don’t use the external screen at all. The smaller screen keeps me focused and it’s the right size to run full-screen apps.
If you’ve been considering an 11” Air, and you’ve been on the fence because you’re worried the screen is too small, take a chance and pick one up. You won’t regret it.
Defy Bags: Square
I’ve found a million bags I don’t like. This time I found one I love. It’s the Square from Defy Bags and it happens to be made by hand right here in Chicago.
It fits an 11” Air and an iPad perfectly. It’s small, light, and extremely durable (it’s made from recycled military tarps). The buckle is a AustriAlpin Cobra which is the best buckle I’ve ever used. So easy to confidently click open and close, the buckle is built like a tank, but with lightweight materials. I think these buckles wholesale for about $35 each, so you’ll rarely see bag makers use them. Defy Bags ponies up and uses them because they’re just that good.
So if you’re in the market for a new messenger-style bag, check out Defy Bags. They aren’t the cheapest, but they’re a great value.
Bialetti Brikka stovetop espresso maker
I’m a tea drinker who’s starting to learn to love espresso. And for just around $50 on Amazon, you can pick up a Bialetti Brikka and make some decent espresso right on your stovetop. No fancy or expensive machinery required. No electricity either.
Certainly you can get a better espresso, but if you want to make your own at home, and you don’t want to sink a ton of money into it, I haven’t found anything better than the Brikka. It’s simple, it’s durable, it’s absolutely worth $50. I’ve been enjoying it with Lavazza Super Crema Espresso Beans (ground at home with a Bodum Bistro burr grinder).
I hope these recommendations point you in the right direction. Support great products!
Nicolas
on 24 Aug 12Find kinda funny that your coffee grinder cost more than the machine itself.
Bags!
on 24 Aug 12I love learning about new bags. Thanks for the pointer. But the Defy web site needs serious help. Not much information about the bag on its product page, so I thought I’d try the compare function to see what differences would be highlighted.
http://www.defybags.com/compare/33/34/35
Brand: N/A Availability: N/A Other: N/A
There isn’t a row for product dimensions but there is a row for other?
Mat
on 24 Aug 12Is your old MacBook Pro for sale?
JF
on 24 Aug 12Mat: No – a friend is getting it.
EH
on 24 Aug 12Nothing about choosing between the 11” and 13” MBAs?
Jeff Porter
on 24 Aug 12Defy bag is a nice piece of kit. But proof, once again, that recycling doesn’t come cheap.
I’d buy for its hand-made quality if it would take my 15in MBP.
JF
on 24 Aug 12EH: I looked at a 13”, but the 11” was a true “Air” to me – super small, super light. The minor increase in screen real-estate on the 13” just wasn’t worth it to me. The smaller overall size of the 11” was where I saw the most value.
JF
on 24 Aug 12Jeff: Defy makes lots of bags that fit the 15”.
Radex
on 24 Aug 12You really got me interested about that MacBook Air. I remember DHH praising 11’’ MBA, intriguing to see you as well.
I never considering MBA as my next Mac (mine is getting old), now I do.
CC
on 24 Aug 12While I prefer the 13” over the 11”, I have to agree that the MacBook Air is probably the best computer I have ever owned.
Radex
on 24 Aug 12Let me ask, have you considered Retina MBP? What about it?
Is MBA really so good that you’d rather trade far better display and its “real estate” for being “super small, super light”?
Rob
on 24 Aug 12Have you joined the cool kid group and bought an aeropress yet?
If you can get great coffee from a local roaster, I bet it will be some of the best coffee you have ever experienced.
JF
on 24 Aug 12Radex: Yes, I actually got the Retina first, but the bigger/better screen wasn’t more valuable for me than the substantially smaller and lighter 11” Air. Your mileage may very. John Chan, one of our designers, is using that 15” Retina now.
Michael
on 24 Aug 12Lavazza is delicious. Have you tried Intelligentsia’s Black Cat espresso beans? I found them to be a great everyday bean.
Nathan R
on 24 Aug 12I have tried three or four stovetop espresso makers, the Bialetti Brikka is my favorite.
If you’re on a budget, check out TJ Maxx – who often have a Brikka for sale at $20.
Sal Conigliaro
on 24 Aug 12I agree with Jason’s view on the 11”. It’s much more portable than the 13” (even though the physical size isn’t much different).
I also like the Waterfield bags (made by SFBags). Good quality stuff made in SF.
profesjonalne strony www
on 24 Aug 1211” is little too small for me. I tried some netbooks lately and can’t used to it. My asus transformer tablet is smaller but it has differnet usage – entertainment and music
Matt
on 24 Aug 12I had a Brikka for a while, I use an Aerobie Aeropress now. I think the coffee tastes better, and it’s much less cleanup than the brikka. (it’s also great for camping!) I also use a Zassenhaus hand burr grinder, which is super fun to use. I thought it would be a toy when I got it, but I’ve been using it for years now…
Ape
on 24 Aug 12I’m personally a tablet-pc fanatic, so anything that comes with a pen is up my alley. I’m really disapointed that apple hasn’t gone that direction. Wacom does a fantastic job at integrating their technology in some pretty lightweight displays.
I had a fun time with playing around with a new mba the other day after I had set it up. I really like the new direction they are going with hibernating apps or whatever they are doing to keep them always on. But for me the real draw of a mac is that they end up just being a glorified bash shell with unix/gnu compatibility.
To me, i’d rather get a Lenovo and just throw ubuntu or some other laptop friendly distro on it. I get a durable computer for cheap, and still have a great programming enviroment and simple gui.
Some of the new lenovo offerings in the 11 inch range are pretty fantastic as well.
The direction things are going though, i’d probably be happy with a chromebook and chrome remote desktop for when i need to access a proper desktop.
The only thing keeping me on windows are computer games and Office OneNote. Windows 8 might keep on it a little longer due to the tablet-pc support being so much easier to use.
Lots of computer games are now supporting linux (and even steam!).
So really all I need now proper vector-inking support in a browser so I can just recreate OneNote online, or use office online naively. Perhaps microsoft’s OneNote MX can be ported to a different platform since it is a metro app.
Rob
on 24 Aug 12@Matt, thanks for the tip about manual burr grinder, didn’t know such a thing existed.
Jeff
on 24 Aug 12My recommendations this year:
1. The all new Basecamp of course :)
2. Linchpin (book) from Seth Godin
3. TrackMyDrive great little app for tracking business miles.
Andrew
on 24 Aug 12What’s the spec on the Air please? Isn’t it too slow for real dev work?
brad
on 24 Aug 12I also use a manual burr grinder…the exercise helps me wake up even before I drink my first cup of coffee. ;-) Actually it’s not much work at all; I start grinding when I put the kettle on, and by the time the water’s ready the coffee is all ground…just a couple of minutes. Mine was made by Peugeot and it’s funny, the mechanism is guaranteed for life, but the wooden box that surrounds the mechanism is guaranteed for only 1 year. I’ve been using it for five years no, would never go back to electric.
Derek
on 24 Aug 12That’s not an espresso maker, it’s a Moka pot – big difference
Vincent
on 24 Aug 12I love my mba too. Definitely the best computer out there, especially for traveling.
There’s one thing I miss though: the ethernet port. Some hotels don’t have wifi, only wired internet which makes it impossible to use.
Besides tethering, do you know an alternative?
Jonnii
on 24 Aug 12I personally had better results with the capresso infinity grinder. It’s worth evaluating that as well as the bodum if you are in the market for a conical burr grinder.
JF
on 24 Aug 12Jonnii, we have a Capresso at the office.
Gason
on 25 Aug 12Im looking forward to buy an 11’ air myself as my only computer too… Great to kmow that it has worked well for you!
@Vincent: Apple sells a thunderbolt to ethernet adapter sells a wifi to ethernet adapter for 30 bucks http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD463ZM/A/thunderbolt-to-gigabit-ethernet-adapter
You could also travel with a small wireless router like the airport express to get wifi from any cable!
Dave
on 25 Aug 12Thanks Jason. I just got done exchanging email with Chris at defybags.com and they’re cooking up a custom bag for my laptop. Awesome service. Can’t wait to see the finished product.
Gaurav Sharma
on 25 Aug 12I always find your updates on hardware interesting. I was first surprised when you dropped the desktop setup entirely for the 15” Pro. You seem to have given it a lot of thought and now taken the simplification further. I’m reaching broadly similar conclusions with regards to setup too, so it’s encouraging.
One thing I want to mention is that you might want to give the ThinkPad X230 a look too. It’s 50% heavier than the MacBook Air 11” and has the same resolution display. That said:
+ Higher quality IPS display. I had the 11” Air and found the display reasonable, but backlighting isn’t great – you can see small spotlights going along the bottom of the display, for example. The backlight on the X230 is flawlessly consistent and the colors/contrast are much better.
+ Better keyboard. The Apple keyboards are good. You might say 8/10 good. No one makes better notebook keyboards. Except Lenovo. The keyboard on the X230 is 9/10 good. The shape/size of keys and tactile feedback is just that one notch better, especially in the latest models, despite questionable layout changes. Like color, above, feel is important too.
+ Battery. The X230 has a 94WHr battery. This gives around 12 hours of real-world battery life. I can use pretty much all day with no battery life anxiety. This is important, as it allows more freedom to move around, so you’re less influenced by having need to be around power sources.
+ Ruggedness. The X230 feels unbreakable, and previous ThinkPads I’ve had have proven themselves in this regard – I just chuck it in a regular bag, no sleeve, and over time it might accumulate scratches, but the thing never stops ticking. The Air is comparatively fragile, and I wouldn’t be as comfortable being as careless with it.
I love Apple, and do have an MacBook as well, but prefer the X230 as my primary mobile notebook for the reasons above. Unless you’re dependent on Apple, I’d strongly urge checking it out. I might fall back on the Air 11” and iPad combination (which John Gruber also seems to be using), but think the extra stamina on the X230 and much improved display are very real and useful benefits.
Gaurav Sharma
on 25 Aug 12I’d like to add – if Apple were to make an Air 11” that’s twice as thick with a 2-3x the battery capacity, it would still be thinner/lighter than the X230, and really would be the ultimate notebook. It’s unfortunate that they’re unlikely to do this.
Allan Ebdrup
on 25 Aug 12Great that you’ve found great products. I’m saving up for a MBA myself. One word of caution though, several studies have shown that the ergonomics of laptops are bad, if you work all day at a laptop you might end up with serious problems with your hands, arms or neck… Be carefull.
Peter Cooper
on 25 Aug 12I bought an 11” Air a year ago as a secondary machine and also love it. I use it for anything I do outside of the office. While I love the form factor and the performance is more than adequate, the paltry resolution keeps me from ever even considering using it as a primary work computer. You have to context switch way too much because of the lack of space.. but I imagine this comes down to what sort of work you do. For general e-mail, admin, writing.. great. For the sort of publishing work I do, I go nuts within 10 minutes ;-)
SW
on 25 Aug 12@Jason
I absolutely love the form factor of the MBA 11 but the sole reason why I havent bought one is because when I rest my hands on the keyboard to type, the edge of the MBA cuts into my wrists.
Do you have this issue?
Dave Davis
on 25 Aug 12I switched from the 15MBP to the 11MBA about a month ago. Not looking back at all. Connectivity is all I needed. Not computing horsepower or disk space. Much easier to travel.
Thank you for sharing.
Jeff
on 25 Aug 12Agreed on 11” @JF. Bought it for travel, but I find myself carrying it everywhere, even replacing a 13” MBP and Cinema a room away. As far as bags: brilliantly well made and fits the Air perfectly:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/MariForssell
Not inexpensive per se, but a stylish and functional companion to the Air.
As far as espresso… La Colombe is too close to pass up, and a perfect second office with the Air.
Sri Kadimisetty
on 26 Aug 12I absolutely agree about the 11 inch. Ive always been finicky about laptops but the 11” Air hits the sweetspot. The only con would be the battery life which is abysmal( when compared to the pro line), but then again mine is the previous core 2 duo and doesnt have the battery saving features of new Intels. I wonder if it has improved.
@Jason: Do you carry it commando or do you use a case before putting it into the bag.
Grigore
on 26 Aug 12I don’t understand why defy bags says they hand craft those bags… because in their story video you clearly see that they use sewing machines.
Anonymous Coward
on 26 Aug 12Now you made miss my 11” MacBook Air :(
Chris Sparno
on 26 Aug 12Jason, I could not agree with you more regarding the MacBook Air 11”. I too have recently purchased the latest model and use it for both business and personal use. I have an external monitor at work but I too find myself using it less and less. I had a bunch of folks tell me prior to purchase that the screen would be too small for serious work, but in practice I have found the screen size to be just right and the small size of the laptop to be perfect for moving from desk to conference room to sofa.
idont
on 26 Aug 12@Jason: 3 tips for your Italian coffee machine: 1.- The temperature should be the minimum (but it should boil). Make tests with your equipment. If you put the temperature too hot, the coffee burns and/or gets too bitter. 2.- The best coffee I found is from Illy, Italy (http://www.illy.com) and Illy, Switzerland (http://www.illycafe.ch). Be carefull, these are 2 different (old) companies! 3.- For Cappucino, buy the Aeroccino from Nespresso. Milk froth is pretty good!
Darren
on 27 Aug 12Now truthfully…
Do you find that the Bodum actually grinds those beans down to a fine enough ground for the moka pot?
Honestly, I’ve been looking for a grinder at a reasonable price that does, and this is the first time I’ve heard that the Bodum will, in fact grind fine enough for Espresso.
I haven’t had much luck with grinders under $200, that seem to work well with Moka Pots…
Oh and as a side note, I’ve used the Aluminium type Bialetti Moka Pots before, I personally switched to a 4 cup Stainless Steel version (still Bialetti) a few years back and highly recommend them over the Aluminum versions…
Nic
on 27 Aug 12I’ve never thought we’d see the day that Jason recommended getting an MBA!
Will
on 27 Aug 12I use a MBA as my main computer, but usually revert to using an external display when I’m doing development for more than a couple of hours.
I’d be interested in seeing a screencast of a developer using a 11” MBA. It sounds like I’m missing a few shortcuts to make it work for me (besides the 3-finger swipe to the next desktop).
Matthew
on 27 Aug 12Props for being able to design work on an 11” screen. It’s something I just can’t do. I even struggle with it on a 15” screen.
I will say though, that I’ve been without a permanent desktop system for years now. Currently, my rMBP is my primary (and only) computer.
Eric Marden
on 27 Aug 12I had a 12” powerbook and when I switched to an intel MBP, I missed the form factor of the powerbook everyday. Once that machine died (just a few months ago) I went with the 11” and couldn’t be happier. It’s PLENTY for any development task—and I have some apps with 6-8 processes that need to be started to run the app, and that’s not counting Adobe, Chrome and the other programs I use in my workflow outside of what’s in my Procfile.
Personally, I’ll never get a bigger laptop again in my life.
Andrew
on 27 Aug 12Was 4gb ram enough for you? Or did you upgrade to 8gb?
Aaron H.
on 27 Aug 12Last year I added an 11” Air based on David’s ongoing recommendations. I figured if he could use it for his Rails dev, I should be able to as well. Like so many here, I love it. I hardly ever use the 27” iMac anymore.
I tried looking at the 15” Retina MBP when they were introduced and it just felt so HUGE. I just can’t go back from this form factor. That said, when they finally introduce an 11” Retina MBA, I’ll be first in line.
Also, I would like to second the recommendation for Waterfield (SFBags.com). I own several in various materials and configurations and they are the best bags I’ve ever had. My oldest one is at least 6 years old and still looks brand new.
JF
on 27 Aug 12Andrew: I have 8 GB in the 11”. I’ve always found more RAM worth the investment.
steven taylor
on 27 Aug 12Well, crap. I just bought a 15” macbook pro! lol
Rick
on 27 Aug 12A couple of weeks ago I bought an 8GB RAM + 256GB HDD 11” Air and have similarly enjoyed it. It’s magnitudes faster than my MacBook Pro from 2 years ago. I am disappointed, though, in how hot it gets. It isn’t as hot as my MacBook Pro, but once I start developing and/or running multiple programs it starts to get uncomfortably hot. Retina displays, touch screens, better cameras, etc are cool features, but what I’d like most from Apple is a laptop that never gets hot.
Libo
on 27 Aug 12Lavazza is industrial coffe. If you wanna taste good coffe first thing is to look at the roasting date. It should not be more than 14 days. Max 30. It really makes a difference. Try.
Second. Express: adjective. Operating at high speed. Fast. This means that a good espresso is done in no more then 30 seconds. That one is a moka coffe machine and what she does is moka coffe. If you wanna drink espresso buy a Rancillo Silva.
Just Me
on 28 Aug 12You code & design on a MBA? Wow, I can’t imagine how difficult that would get with large images and an IDE.
Anonymous Coward
on 28 Aug 12Did you get all that RAM from Apple or pop it open and upgrade it yourself?
Anonymous Coward
on 28 Aug 12square by defy is a manly looking bag for sure – thanks for sharing
Gian Carlo Pace
on 29 Aug 12Some Italian tips for a great espresso:
- when you fill up the filter with coffee don’t press it too much but just use a small pressure with the teaspoon. - to fill the filter you may want to drop the teaspoon of coffe in the center and then move the dropped coffe on one side of the filter: in that way you’ll avoid spreading coffee around the stove. - when the filter is completely full make a small hole with the teaspoon in the center of the coffe - when heating the ‘caffettiera’ (coffee maker) just lower the heat when the coffee is popping out the superior part so that it is filtered slowly - Lavazza is a good and very common brand of coffee in Italy. Another brand really good and appreciated by Italians is Illy (http://www.illy.com). - last but not least: use a great water!
Priit
on 30 Aug 12Bought myself a 11” Air yesterday and I must say that you’re right. It’s just the right size and full screen apps make sense :) They don’t on my “design computer”, 15,4” MBP.
Tom G
on 30 Aug 12After programming for 34 years, my old eyes need the 13” model :-) But I totally agree – these products are like somebody sent them back in time to us – they are very good.
I really wish I could have gotten 8GB in my Air; the max was (is?) 4GB and since I need parallels sometimes the extra ram would be nice. Upgrade-able would be nice too.
The Apple site even says the max is 4GB: http://store.apple.com/us/question/answers/mac?tqid=Q2FY2PDUKKJ2TJJJATC4FUT9DX7FTTCUF
How did you get 8GB?
Tom G
on 30 Aug 12Oh, in case somebody from Apple is reading this…
I like two monitors. I wish my iPad could be the second monitor for my Macbook.
Mat
on 31 Aug 12A little patience, and I’ll be in the 13” Retina space. I can wait for that. BTW, if anyone is looking for a more rugged bag that looks great, GoRuck.com has gear you just can’t beat. I own a GR1, but a RadioRuck and an Air would make a solid match.
JF
on 31 Aug 12Tom: You can order the new Airs with 8 GB. Go to the online store and configure one.
This discussion is closed.