what size laptop do I need
What size laptop do I need?
You don't pick a laptop size from the name alone. On the MacBook Air, the name says 13-inch or 15-inch, and Apple's spec page prints a larger diagonal because the corners are rounded. If the laptop has to live on a tray table, start with the smaller diagonal. If it stays on a desk, the larger one is more screen. Neither number is a score.
Is a 13-inch laptop 13 inches across?
Not on the Air. Apple's spec page lists the 13-inch MacBook Air as a 13.6-inch diagonal. The corners are rounded, so a rectangle around the screen is larger than what you actually see.
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The MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) is that smaller model. Apple's reason to separate it from the 15-inch Air is the 13.6-inch diagonal.
Apple lists a 13.6-inch diagonal on the 13-inch Air.
What does 15-inch mean on the MacBook Air?
Apple lists the 15-inch MacBook Air as a 15.3-inch diagonal, on the same page. The name and the diagonal aren't the same number.
The MacBook Air 15-inch (M5) is the larger Air we list. Same spec page, different diagonal.
Apple lists a 15.3-inch diagonal on the 15-inch Air.
Is the MacBook Neo the 13-inch Air?
No. It's a different Mac. Lisa Gade describes the Neo as a 13-inch aluminum Mac.
That line is from her MacBook Neo review. The MacBook Neo is the 13-inch aluminum Mac in that video. It isn't the Air, so don't copy the Air's 13.6-inch figure onto it.
Lisa Gade describes it as a 13-inch aluminum Mac.
What if you want that larger screen on Windows?
Lisa Gade's IdeaPad Slim 3x review names a 15.3-inch matte touch screen. That's the size note. It doesn't make the IdeaPad and the 15-inch Air the same laptop. The IdeaPad Slim 3x is the Windows machine in that review.
Lisa Gade notes a 15.3-inch matte touch screen.
Where the laptop goes next
Once you have the machine, set up a small desk covers the stand and the charger. If you want another screen without a larger laptop, Aura portable monitors is the size list for those. Reviews sit on laptops.
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