MacBook Air vs Surface laptop 2

[LordVile]

Thinking about getting a laptop for light work paired with a desktop for gaming etc. So want a lightweight but capable machine.

Would be looking at the bottom spec for either, I am prepared to learn MacOS and I do have an iPhone + Apple Music which are obviously pluses for the MacBook. However I’m not overly stoked on the dongle life.

Any reasons or advice on which to get?

 

[jsmithepa]

I don't know what a "dongle life" is.

Everything else begin equal, MacBooks have the propensity for lower performance in exchange for slick factor, quiet, and longer battery life between charges.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=947op8yKJRY

 

[LordVile]

I don't know what a "dongle life" is.

Everything else begin equal, MacBooks have the propensity for lower performance in exchange for slick factor, quiet, and longer battery life between charges.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=947op8yKJRY

The only ports a MacBook Air has are thunderbolt so you need dongles.

Performance isn’t an issue as I have a full desktop for that, I literally just want a good laptop that’s portable and to do internet stuff with some admin, writing and maybe some presentation work to do. All laptops around the form factor I want seem to be MacBook priced so wondering which to get.

 

[jsmithepa]

Tough call. If I was on the market today, these 2 would be the ones I'd look and I don't see a clear winner, you will have to make decision based on your personal priority list.

Am currently using a 2011 Air and it has served me well, still on original battery, unbelievable @1200 cycles. Love OSX interface smoothness, love that smooth zoom, love the large touchpad. I've used IBM eraser head in the past and don't care much about it. Windows' interface is not as smooth as OSX but is more "mature" to me. Some aspect of OSX, and I specifically hate FINDER, Windows explorer equivalent. Finder seems like hold over from 90s MacOS and never overhauled. Windows automatically remembers where you left your display windows and re-opened them in the same position next time, how hard is this? well OSX can't handle this simple aspect well. OTOH, OSX fits smoothly with your other Apple devices (the famed devilish Apple ecosystem), so my photos, reminder, calendar etc goes back&forth automatically between my phone and my laptop. OSX updates at least once-a-year, and after a few iterations, some of your Apps may not work anymore and you have to pay to update them. Windows, not so much, dang am still using a 1995 era Photoshop 6, I have no need to update it, it works just fine for my modest home use. MacBooks 2015 and later is having this butterfly keyboard problem, read it, watch it on utubes. So those are some of the majors on top of my head. I like to keep on Mac hardware and OSX but there are certainly annoyances. Is the dumb blonde who annoys you with dumb questions but she's blonde! 😀

 

[LordVile]

Tough call. If I was on the market today, these 2 would be the ones I'd look and I don't see a clear winner, you will have to make decision based on your personal priority list.

Am currently using a 2011 Air and it has served me well, still on original battery, unbelievable @1200 cycles. Love OSX interface smoothness, love that smooth zoom, love the large touchpad. I've used IBM eraser head in the past and don't care much about it. Windows' interface is not as smooth as OSX but is more "mature" to me. Some aspect of OSX, and I specifically hate FINDER, Windows explorer equivalent. Finder seems like hold over from 90s MacOS and never overhauled. Windows automatically remembers where you left your display windows and re-opened them in the same position next time, how hard is this? well OSX can't handle this simple aspect well. OTOH, OSX fits smoothly with your other Apple devices (the famed devilish Apple ecosystem), so my photos, reminder, calendar etc goes back&forth automatically between my phone and my laptop. OSX updates at least once-a-year, and after a few iterations, some of your Apps may not work anymore and you have to pay to update them. Windows, not so much, dang am still using a 1995 era Photoshop 6, I have no need to update it, it works just fine for my modest home use. MacBooks 2015 and later is having this butterfly keyboard problem, read it, watch it on utubes. So those are some of the majors on top of my head. I like to keep on Mac hardware and OSX but there are certainly annoyances. Is the dumb blonde who annoys you with dumb questions but she's blonde! 😀

My issue is I’ll be sucked too much into the apple ecosystem. Already have the iPhone and swapped Spotify for Apple Music.

One thing that’s pushing me to the MacBook too is office 365. From what I know pages, keynote and numbers comes free on the MacBook rather than having to subscribe to a service?

 

[jsmithepa]

Ya, am not into subscription, no way, is like paying rent. Your other option is, get the Surface, then run Linux on a VM, there are free, and very capable Office Apps under Linux. Works for me as long as your office tasks are light. Work for a corporation? have friends who do? sometimes Microsoft make available software that are a few versions old to corporations employees for nothing. I got Office 2011 a few years ago for like $10, full suite, I don't need the latest.