Ristretto for 11" MacBook Air

[Fat Crip]

Hi Mav, another great new video, but where's the lip balm? I know it gets a mention, but we need to see it; it's not a proper Maverick video without it!

I was particularly pleased to see the still of it being worn. It gives a better idea of size than the dimensions do. What I would love to see is a comparison of the three different sizes, both side by side and on a model. My large Ristretto is perfect for carrying my MacBook Pro 13", but is, I feel, just a bit too big for just carrying my iPad and other junk day to day. I plan to get the iPad version after Christmas (too self indulgent before, I think), and will do a comparison video then (especially as I'm no longer dying with the cold as I was when I made my last, very hurried effort). But now, I'm thinking, would the '11' be a better compromise, particularly should I go for a MBA 11 instead of another iPad in a year or two. We'll see!

Eric

[maverick]

hi eric,

heh - i was thinking that as i was shooting the video. alas, my lip balm was in my car and not easily accessible when i was shooting the video. :)

the 11" macbook air is just wonderful! i got the ipad for portability, when i didn't want to carry my 15" macbook pro. but it was a compromise in features i need. the ipad is great for a lot of people, but a bit limiting for what i would like to be able to do.

the 11" macbook air is about the same wdith as the ipad, just longer. so you should be able to carry an ipad in the ristretto for the 11" macbook air - you'll just need to reach deeper in to get at it.

[Fat Crip]

I agre the iPad could be more capable, but I love its portability. The fact I can sit it on my knee and type on its great keyboard is excellent. But, a lack of flash is a real pain, much more that I thought it would be, and not likely to change. If the performance of the 11 could be packaged in the iPad format, I'd be sold!

Just thought, if the iPad and the 11 are the same width, why is the Ristretto 11 wider than the iPad version, and not just two inches longer? Proportion perhaps?

Anyway, some comparison pics, or better still video would be great. I'd do it, but I can't afford to buy all three. I've got one, and need to know which of the other two to get next! $40 postage each watt to the UK precludes buying both and returning one.

[maverick]

I agre the iPad could be more capable, but I love its portability. The fact I can sit it on my knee and type on its great keyboard is excellent. But, a lack of flash is a real pain, much more that I thought it would be, and not likely to change. If the performance of the 11 could be packaged in the iPad format, I'd be sold!

no doubt, it's a remarkable design! i thoroughly enjoyed using it while i had one. for me, i found myself preferring the ipad over the iphone for its larger screen and more capable apps. i preferred the iphone for its smaller, easier to grab size if you needed to quickly look at something. and i preferred my macbook pro when i was doing real work. the lack of flash didn't bother me. i just found myself not reaching for the ipad enough to justify keeping it. and when the macbook air 11" came out, it was the perfect compromise. i don't miss not having an optical drive. i did have to reach for my retiring macbook pro for its firewire port when i was importing the last two videos i've shot. but perhaps the thing i need to do here is to move to a video camera that writes to ssd or flash or something rather than to a hdv tape. or, i use my wife's macbook pro (which has firewire) for importing the video.

Just thought, if the iPad and the 11 are the same width, why is the Ristretto 11 wider than the iPad version, and not just two inches longer? Proportion perhaps?

hmm - good question. i can tell you that the ipad and 11" macbook air each fit wonderfully in their respective ristrettos. darcy, can you help answer this question?

here are the dimensions -

macbook air 11" dimensions: 11.8" x 7.56" x 0.11" - 0.68"

ristretto for 11" macbook dimensions: 13.25" x 10.5" x 4.75"

ipad dimensions: 9.56" x 7.47" x 0.5"

ristretto for ipad dimensions: 12" x 9.25" x 4.75"

Anyway, some comparison pics, or better still video would be great. I'd do it, but I can't afford to buy all three. I've got one, and need to know which of the other two to get next! $40 postage each watt to the UK precludes buying both and returning one.

let me see what we can do. :)

[adealarcon]

mav

how does it compare to using the copilot to carry the 11 inch air?

[maverick]

mav

how does it compare to using the copilot to carry the 11 inch air?

hi adealarcon!

i haven't tried carrying the 11" macbook air in the co-pilot yet, but i think the cache will be a tight squeeze in the co-pilot.

i've been using the co-pilot to transport my portable recording rig. i'll post a video of that soon. the microphone fits wonderfully in the water bottle pocket!

[adealarcon]

Thanks mav. Any thoughts to do a video showing how the new air fits into the different bihn bags like you did for the ipad?

[beck]

I just got my Ristretto this week and can't make any claims about using it, but I have photographed what I'm packing in it right now and filmed this video showing how it all goes together.





A note about using the FJN with the Ristretto: It's too snug in my opinion. I love being able to remove and reorganize sketches so much that I'm trying just the binder. It slides in and out of the bag easily and with the plastic divider and backing seems more protected than my sketchbook, which is cardboard on one side and cardstock on the other.

I'll revisit this thread once I've used the bag consistently for a month or so and update everyone on how I like it.

For those of you who want to see the bag on a person, I put it on towards the end of the video.

[maverick]

I just got my Ristretto this week and can't make any claims about using it, but I have photographed what I'm packing in it right now and filmed this video showing how it all goes together.

great picture and video!

[MtnMan]

For anyone who is interested, I started a different thread for late-model MacBook Air owners.

[Darcy]

Great photo and video, beck -- thank you!

[beck]

Today I needed to bring a textbook with me and so I filmed a video to see if it would fit. Now that I think about it, I could've fit the textbook and my Macbook Air in the Ristretto if I'd needed it. I imagine it would hold either textbook + MBA + cords + water bottle OR textbook + FJN + water bottle. Truth be told, I could've probably fit everything, but it'd've been really snug and hard to access stuff like my wallet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=-uuOFwbKgDg

[moriond]

Today I needed to bring a textbook with me and so I filmed a video to see if it would fit. Now that I think about it, I could've fit the textbook and my Macbook Air in the Ristretto if I'd needed it. I imagine it would hold either textbook + MBA + cords + water bottle OR textbook + FJN + water bottle. Truth be told, I could've probably fit everything, but it'd've been really snug and hard to access stuff like my wallet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=-uuOFwbKgDg

I liked both your videos, Beck, but what struck me while viewing them was the thought that you really need to get one of the pen/pencil sized clear organizer pouches.

Here are some photo links:

• Blog post originally announcing the pen/pencil organizer cases.
• Pocketblonde blog post about the pen/pencil organizer cases.
• ltsching's photo of the small cafe bag in navy/cayenne with pen/pencil case.

For reference comparion with your ristretto for 11" macbook dimensions: 13.25" x 10.5" x 4.75"

ltsching's small cafe bag dimensions: 7.5" x 11" x 3"

moriond

[beck]

Went shopping for wine today with my Ristretto and am happy to say it fit everything I needed to have with me. I could've fit another bottle in there, too.