Apple's MacBook Air vs. Microsoft's Surface Laptop 2

[MacRumors]

The MacBook Air, last updated in 2018, is Apple's most affordable notebook machine, with pricing that starts at $1,199 for the newest hardware. Microsoft also makes a comparable machine, the Surface Laptop 2, which came out right around the same time Apple released its 2018 MacBook Air update.

In our latest video, we decided to pit the MacBook Air against Microsoft's Surface Laptop 2 to determine which machine is the better value and the best buy.

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Both the MacBook Air and the Surface Laptop 2 are thin, light machines, with each one weighing in right around 2.75 pounds. The Surface Laptop 2 has a 13.5-inch display with a 2256 x 1504 resolution, while the MacBook Air has a 13.3-inch display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600, so all in all, design wise, these two machines are quite similar, though the Surface Laptop 2 offers a 3:2 display.

The Surface Laptop 2 comes in a matte black color (it's also in burgundy and blue) that we were a fan of because it's a nice deviation from the standard gold, silver, and space gray shades Apple uses for its notebooks. Inside, the MacBook Air is all aluminum, but the Surface Laptop 2 uses an Alcantara fabric design, which has become a key feature of the Surface lineup.

When it comes to key feel, the MacBook Air wins out, though those who are not fans of the butterfly key design might not agree. The MacBook Air also has a better trackpad, which is unsurprising because most PCs can't match the feel of the Force Touch trackpad with its haptic feedback.

Both laptops have a questionable port situation, with the MacBook Air limited to two USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports and Surface Laptop 2 featuring a USB-A port, a proprietary charging port, and, inexplicably, a Mini DisplayPort, an odd choice for a modern laptop. It has no USB-C ports, which is disappointing given that USB-C is the standard device and accessory makers alike are transitioning to.

The MacBook Air uses Touch ID in lieu of a password to make logging in faster, while the Surface Laptop 2 uses Windows Hello for facial recognition. Future Macs might adopt Face ID, but for now Touch ID is just as useful. Each of these laptops features a 720p webcam, which are both terrible, and while both have decent sound, the MacBook Air's speakers are crisper and clearer at max volume.

Each of these machines features similar internal specs, and both are designed for simple tasks rather than heavy duty video editing or 3D work. You can do light editing or use Photoshop on these machines, but that's not their primary purpose.

With these thin, light laptops with low-powered processors, battery life is impressive. Both the MacBook Air and the Surface Laptop 2 offer somewhere around 10 to 12 hour battery life for everyday tasks like using email and browsing the web.

Price is the major differentiator between the Surface Laptop 2 and the MacBook Air, and could push some to choose the Surface Laptop 2 instead of the MacBook Air.

The base model Surface Laptop 2 features a 1.6GHz 8th-Gen dual-core Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage all for $999, while the base 2018 MacBook Air, offering similar specifications with less storage -- a 1.6GHz 8th-Gen dual-core Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM, and a 128GB SSD -- is priced starting at $1,199.

The Surface Laptop 2 and the MacBook Air are similar enough that choosing one over the other ultimately comes down to ecosystem and operating system preference. Microsoft's machines, of course, run Windows, which an Apple product user might not prefer, while Windows users won't want a machine running macOS.

What do you think of Microsoft's Surface Laptop 2? Let us know in the comments.

Article Link: Apple's MacBook Air vs. Microsoft's Surface Laptop 2

 

[dannyyankou]

The MacBook Air, last updated in 2018, is Apple's most affordable notebook machine, with pricing that starts at $1,199

This is a sad sentence

 

[Jack Burton]

I read somewhere that someone at Microsoft is very resistant to adding USB-C to their hardware. And now their whole line gets dinged for it in reviews.

 

[Lightning Cable]

Doesn't the Surface Laptop 2 have a quad-core CPU?

 

[chucker23n1]

I read somewhere that someone at Microsoft is very resistant to adding USB-C to their hardware. And now their whole line gets dinged for it in reviews.

But oddly enough, the Surface Go does have USB-C.

 

[PlayUltimate]

IMO, non-Pro MacBooks are too expensive. Apple always seemed to have a current laptop in the $1000 range. Now the lowest current non-Pro MacBook is the Air at $1199. Would be more competitive at $1099.

 

[MacFather]

Deleted.

 

[CWallace]

IMO, non-Pro MacBooks are too expensive. Apple always seemed to have a current laptop in the $1000 range. Now the lowest current non-Pro MacBook is the Air at $1199. Would be more competitive at $1099.

The old (and I do mean "old") MBA is still available and still at $999.

 

[magicschoolbus]

Never thought I would say this, but that windows PC is sexier then the Mac. What a fine looking machine.

 

[ChrisMoBro]

Why didn’t you compare the Surface with the same spec MacBook Air in terms of storage? Oh wait, that’s because it’s $400 more expensive so you purposefully chose the 128GB model instead to make it appear like the price is similar.

 

[chucker23n1]

Doesn't the Surface Laptop 2 have a quad-core CPU?

Yup. Microsoft kind of screwed itself on its own marketing here. Both the MacBook Air and the Surface Laptop 2 have a Core i5, but one is a Y-series chip, and the other a U.

MacRumors should amend the article accordingly. The Surface Laptop's CPU is only 2% faster in single-core, but 69% (nice) in multi-core.

 

[G5isAlive]

I kept waiting for this article to tell me something more than I could get off of Amazon. Not sure what the point was. I didn't read any conclusion other than the MacBook cost more. How do they perform in actual use?

 

[tjedora]

I like the surface laptop design a lot but I don't think I can ever go back to a normal trackpad for daily use.

 

[Jeff750]

Never thought I would say this, but that windows PC is sexier then the Mac. What a fine looking machine.

You're dreaming.

 

[icolove]

You're dreaming.

Sorry friend, Microsoft has passed Apple in the hardware game, and they're not the only ones.

 

[Lwyd]

I don't understand why people fixate on the sticker price of things. Consider all the money you'll spend over the entire time you intend to own the product, add it all up and then see which is the less expensive option. I know a lot of Mac owners will keep their MacBooks for many years longer than the vast majority of Windows laptop users. My MacBook Air lasted me 7 years before I decided to replace it. I would rather spend $1199 on another one that will likely last me another 7 years than spend $999 every one to two years.

 

[Rocketman]

Why didn’t you compare the Surface with the same spec MacBook Air in terms of storage? Oh wait, that’s because it’s $400 more expensive so you purposefully chose the 128GB model instead do make it appear like the price is similar.

On the other hand they chose a similar price configuration and admitted it has 1/2 the storage and also costs more. You pay a premium for a device that has better fit and finish, software integration and a longer useful life. Oh, and runs Windblows too.

 

[trusso]

Microsoft's machines, of course, run Windows, which an Apple product user might not prefer, while Windows users won't want a machine running macOS.

“People who like this sort of thing will find this the sort of thing they like.”

-Abraham Lincoln​

 

[alexandr]

how do they manage to make their sheet so damn ugly?

 

[Apple_Robert]

I kept waiting for this article to tell me something more than I could get off of Amazon. Not sure what the point was. I didn't read any conclusion other than the MacBook cost more. How do they perform in actual use?

View the video. It does what you are wanting.
[doublepost=1551220250][/doublepost]

IMO, non-Pro MacBooks are too expensive. Apple always seemed to have a current laptop in the $1000 range. Now the lowest current non-Pro MacBook is the Air at $1199. Would be more competitive at $1099.

I think the base Air should be $899. I would have bought one at that price. As is, I agree with you that it is overpriced.

 

[niun]

Alas my poor MacBook Air. What have they done to ye!

 

[kingtj]

I haven't used the new Surface Laptop 2 yet, but I have a Surface Laptop 1 that's my "daily driver" in the office, and I have plenty of experience with the Macbook Air lineup.

I guess it's true that this review didn't give a whole lot of information.... but it still manages to give a pretty accurate summary. Both of these computers are pretty comparable, except Windows users will want the Surface Laptop and Mac fans will want the Air, if they're shopping at this price-point and for this type of machine.

I think the Surface Laptop is the slightly more "feature-equipped" of the two machines, if only because it has a touch-screen display that works with a Microsoft pen stylus. On the downside, you can't fold its hinge all the way back to hold it and use it like a tablet, so the usefulness is rather limited.

For what it's worth, the "Microsoft Hello" facial recognition feature is superior to Touch ID, in my opinion, because you can log in or unlock a locked screen just by looking at it, even if you've got your hands full. (I'm not arguing the merits from a security standpoint though, because I wouldn't be surprised if it's easier to fool the camera on "Hello" than to fool the fingerprint reader on the Mac? Either way, I see these biometric features as more to add convenience than to serve as any big upgrade in security.)

I also think it merits noting that Microsoft sells the "Surface Dock" ... a brick-like adapter that makes it easy to attach just the one connector to the side of the computer to "dock" it, and thereby add several USB ports, dual Mini-Displayport video outputs, audio jack for your external speakers and gigabit wired Ethernet. (It also charges the laptop while it's attached.). Apple, by contrast, really sells no such product for the Air.

 

[triangletechie]

This is a sad sentence

I believe this is the "low cost" laptop that Kuo mentioned in rumors last year.

 

[cocoua]

3:2 for a 13” is wise, other resolutions are dumb
Windows 10 still being a mess, much better than other windows, still worst than any mac OS

 

[Rocketman]

I am curious about the folks complaining about Apple's new generationally lower prices on laptops. I have priced comparable HP and Dell laptops on several occasions for instrument control applications. The Mac as configured for the end use is always comparable to lower in cost. You have to factor in the OS and productivity licenses.

I remember like it was yesterday when an Apple laptop cost between $3-5k. And it was better than what you could buy elsewhere for that or higher. Apple has shifted to lower price points, but does not yet "bottom fish". If you want a low cost computing device, try a used Mini or an iPad. As for newish laptops they are comparably priced when similarly configured with typical minimally required software for the typical task.

For many of us the software cost well exceeds the device cost.

Rocketman

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=13-inch+MacBook+Air&rh=n:172282,n:541966,n:13896617011,p_89:Apple&s=price-asc-rank&dc&_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1523949321&fst=asff&imprToken=Vj9fK61RpDGsouHfntUxhQ&linkCode=ur2&linkId=652dfd561e949a1f508bddc77620dba6&qid=1523949321&slotNum=23&tag=12358132108-20&ref=sr_st_price-asc-rank

This one might be "better".

https://www.amazon.com/Apple-13-inc...Num=23&sr=1-25-spons&tag=12358132108-20&psc=1