The MacBooks versus Windows laptops debate has been raging for decades, but never has it been this intense or important.
The MacBooks versus Windows laptops debate has been raging for decades, but never has it been this intense or important. New advances in chip technology are propelling even entry-level MacBooks to high-performance targets, and a shift in Windows laptops away from cheap plastics evens the playing field between these two platforms. Both Windows 11 and macOS are intuitive and clean operating systems. But where they differ comes down to one key element: their ecosystems.
What this means for you is that choosing an option from a list of the best laptops isn’t so simple. The laptop you choose today can greatly influence which accessories you buy, which apps you use, and even what kind of phone you carry. Your entire workflow will depend on the platform you go with, from how you manage windows to which keyboard shortcuts work best. It’s not a light decision.Build quality vs. variety
There’s no denying that Apple hits physical hardware out of the park. From a purely aesthetic (and subjective) viewpoint, MacBooks are gorgeous. They look great. They feel great. That boxy industrial-minimalist design feels as if it’s worth $2,000 or more. Ever since the debut of the M2 MacBook Air in June 2022, every MacBook except the low-end MacBook Air M1 has followed the same fastidious design.
Don’t forget the actual quality you’ll get with a Mac. Take the hinges as an example. You can open up any Mac with one hand. The screen opens up while the base sits as is. Also, the screen stays firmly in whichever position you left it in. There’s no wobble. There’s no dropping. Apple has nailed the hinges, and few Windows OEMs have come close. Dell’s dual-clutch hinges on its XPS lineup is one exception.
You’ll also get an amazing keyboard now that Apple has ditched those awful butterfly keys. You’ll appreciate the latest Magic Keyboard whether you’re a coder or a writer. There’s nothing else like it available on a laptop. The same goes with the Force Touch trackpad, hands-down the best haptic touchpad on any laptop. The haptic feedback, the swipe gestures, the Force Click feature … few Windows laptops have a touchpad as good as a MacBook’s. The HP Spectre x360 14 is one Windows laptop that comes close.
But Windows laptops have an ace up their sleeves regarding build quality: variety. The top Windows laptops share the same sort of industrial design language as MacBooks, whether that’s the Asus ZenBook, the Dell XPS line, or even Microsoft’s Surface Laptops. Taken together, you get a lot more choice in design and color than you do with MacBooks. And Windows laptops come in many more form factors, such as tablets, convertible 2-in-1s, dual-screen laptops, and more. MacBooks are limited to clamshells only, and only Windows laptops have touch- and pen-enabled displays.Internals
You need to consider what kind of computing power you want from your laptop when choosing between MacBooks and Windows laptops. MacBooks use Apple Silicon ARM chips, and these are getting more powerful by the day. They’re able to combine graphics and processing into one highly efficient chip, which gives you extraordinary battery life. And unless you’re pushing the fastest MacBook Pros with demanding creativity apps or games, you’ll barely hear the fans spool up — unless you’re using a completely silent, fanless MacBook Air.
Windows laptops, on the other hand, mostly use either Intel or AMD processors and Nvidia or AMD graphics cards. In the most powerful Windows laptops, this can mean a greater power draw and lower battery life while the fans constantly run. Some Windows laptops run cooler and quieter, and some are also fanless, but those are generally not as powerful.
Overall, Windows laptops provide more versatility, so you can play more games and download more programs, thanks to the x86 architecture and superfast discrete GPUs. Also, some Windows laptops are switching to ARM chips, so this field isn’t as divergent as it used to be.
Both MacBooks and Windows laptops offer incredible computing power. Generally speaking, the latest MacBook Pros are faster in creativity applications than all but the most powerful Windows machines, while Windows laptops are better for gaming.
