Macbook Air with Windows? But why when there are better computers?

After the recent premiere of Macbook Air computers, there were many voices of users who would like to have such a device but equipped with the Windows system. It turns out that there is no big problem with this, and in fact you can have even better specifications.

Macbook Air is not as beautiful as it seems

The new Macbook Air with the M3 processor has stormed into the minds of users as a small but very efficient computer that can handle any task. Apple’s marketing works very well, so it’s no wonder that many users have started to consider buying a model with the M2 processor, which has significantly dropped in price and can be purchased for less than PLN 5,000. But is it really worth choosing an Apple computer at this price? I decided to check it out and look for computers with similar capabilities and price. The main criteria are a high-resolution screen, a small weight of less than 1.5 kg and a long battery life.

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Alternatives to Macbook Air

Among the computers I managed to find, and there were quite a few of them, I chose three different models from ASUS, HP and Lenovo. It turns out that in many respects they have nothing to be ashamed of compared to the Macbook. This is largely due to the latest AMD and Intel processors, which can not only be economical, but also offer more than decent performance. The only thing they cannot offer is work without any noise, because each of them has an active cooling system. On the other hand, in many respects they are simply better. All of them are equipped with 16 GB of RAM, while Apple charges a lot more for this amount of memory (+ PLN 1,200) and larger SSD drives (for Apple it is another PLN 1,200 to the price). There are simply no comparable models, i.e. 8/256 GB, in the offer. The sarcastic will probably say that Windows is simply more resource-hungry, but this argument falls into the category of half-truth.

Someone might argue that Apple offers a beautiful, high-brightness Liquid Retina display. But Windows computers have nothing to be ashamed of. All three devices, the specifications of which can be found in the table below, have an even better 14-inch OLED screen with a resolution of 2800 x 1800 pixels. As if that were not enough, it also has a refresh rate of 90 or 120 Hz, which significantly improves the pleasure of using the computer. Only the brightness is lower, although 400 nits (500 in the case of Apple) is sufficient in 95% of cases. Windows computers also fare better in terms of the number of available ports (the presence of HDMI), support WiFi 6E and have a longer warranty (24-36 months). In what are they worse?

Macbook Air still has some advantages

The Macbook Air may be better if we care most about battery life. Despite the fact that it is shorter than in the Windows computers I have chosen for the comparison, it allows for longer work without power. On average, it is about 14-15 hours, while, for example, the ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED offers about 12 hours. The other two models are even slightly worse (8-10 hours), so everyone has to answer the question for themselves whether this is enough. The Macbook Air also has slightly better speakers (subjective feeling) and a better camera for video calls than, for example, the HP Pavilion Plus 14. However, it is not the lightest, because this title is held by the Zenbook 14 OLED, but it can boast the smallest thickness, just over 11 mm. I have collected all the important specifications in the table below.

There is no shortage of alternatives to the Macbook Air

To sum up, the Macbook Air 13 with the M2 processor is quite an interesting proposition, but it is not at all the case that there is no alternative to it with Windows on board. The best in this respect is the ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED, which turns out to be a very competitive computer with great specifications, build quality and great possibilities. So if macOS does not appeal to you, you do not have to despair, because Apple’s competition is not sleeping and is also making great progress.