XPS 13 7390 vs MacBook Air 2020

[NoNameGLHF]

Hey guys,
I'm looking for a lightweight, 13,3' laptop with great battery life for college. It's going to be used for taking notes, excel, some netflix and programming as I'm a computer science student. 
Currently I have my eyes on Dell XPS 13 7390 with i5, 8 gb RAM and 256 GB SSD and on new MacBook Air 2020, both i3 and i5 versions. Since I have a great deal on the XPS it actually costs around the same as Mac Air i3 (with student discount).
Which one of them would be the best choice? Or maybe I should look for something else? I have a budget of around 1000$  

[seanondemand]

If it were me buying the MacBook Air... I'd definitely custom order online with the quad core processor. It'd be a good upgrade for nearly everyone but for you in particular, you'll definitely notice the better performance both on the everyday stuff, and your compiles. It'll easily be worth the $100.

 

Other than that, Windows or Mac OS, pick whichever one you prefer.

[DrMacintosh]

7 minutes ago, NoNameGLHF said:

some netflix and programming as I'm a computer science student. 

MacBook Air with the Quad-Core i5 specifically because of this. Use your student email and get the Student Discount which will bring the i5 model down to $999

 

The MacBook Air gets a 16:10 display so you can see more lines of code, has a sharp 2560x1600 resolution, the MacBook Air can run Windows 10 naively with Bootcamp so you can program in any language on the same computer, has a best-in-class trackpad, and the MacBook Air has amazing speakers for watching your movies. 

 

I don't think you can go wrong with the Air. Its a fantastic machine now that it has the Magic Keyboard. 

[Darkseth]

I would lean towards the Macbook Air with i5 too.

Getting the i3 base model is a huge Mistake. You get double the Cores for almost only 10% higher Price, which will benefit you every day for many years.

 

If you think about a Dell XPS, the new 9300 Model has the advantage of a 16:10 Display (1920x1200), but it will most likely cost more. And you have no access to MacOS developing.

[Rallen_0]

In a very similar situation looking for a laptop, i think the Macbook air is the obvious choice as i just don't trust windows laptops yet, they have never impressed me and most manufacturers especially Dell have poor quality control with many laptops having a multitude of problems within the first year. Apple although they may be stubborn cunts they make a damn good laptop. If you have your heart set on windows id also check out the surface 3 laptop it beats the xps in nearly all aspects besides battery it seems. 

 

I'm just holding out on one thing, they new air has a passive cooler and i want to wait another week or so to make sure that the thermals are ok with the i5 if it looks ok i think im going to get it. 

[Azura Lightfeilt]

For me, I think the main consideration is whether you like Windows or MacOS more. Both are just as good (hardware wise), but Apple has better costumer service, but Windows has more flexibility when it comes to apps. So, it's up to you to choose. Also, always get the i5, the extra 2 core will make a world of a difference. 

[Darkseth]

I really wouldn't say, that Apple has a better Customer Service - or a good one in first place.
There are way more than enough cases, where Apple literaly screwed the customer over, and makes THEM pay for a Mistake, Apple themself did.

 

Or course, that's not always the case. But well, when it comes to Customer service, i would never blindly trust any Company. Just hope for the Best, if you need their Service.

[Azura Lightfeilt]

5 hours ago, Darkseth said:

I really wouldn't say, that Apple has a better Customer Service - or a good one in first place.
There are way more than enough cases, where Apple literaly screwed the customer over, and makes THEM pay for a Mistake, Apple themself did.

 

Or course, that's not always the case. But well, when it comes to Customer service, i would never blindly trust any Company. Just hope for the Best, if you need their Service.

Thank you! 

I assume this is a response to my post eariler. 

 

I apologize for not clarifying erailer that Apple does not has the perfect customer service. But, as for the information that I currently have, it is safe to assume that Apple does has some of the better customer service compared to other similar companies.

 

And, I should have clarified this earlier, that by "better customer service" is about they having many retail stores and "engineers" that can make the service process a lot easier and faster than company like Razer, or Dell.

 

Althrough Apple is very well-known for Keyboard issues, expensive service cost, and some questionable strategies, they are (service wise, excluding prices) better than some other company. And it should be noted that the 2020 MacBook Air hasn't been known to have the same keyboard issues as the older MacBooks has.

 

Note: This information is based on most people's experience from various feedbacks on the internet. Your personal experience may differ, and I do not state that your experience will be perfectly smooth, or completely bad in the posts.

 

Sincerely,

Azura Lightfeilt

[Lord Vile]

On 4/1/2020 at 11:29 PM, NoNameGLHF said:

Hey guys,
I'm looking for a lightweight, 13,3' laptop with great battery life for college. It's going to be used for taking notes, excel, some netflix and programming as I'm a computer science student. 
Currently I have my eyes on Dell XPS 13 7390 with i5, 8 gb RAM and 256 GB SSD and on new MacBook Air 2020, both i3 and i5 versions. Since I have a great deal on the XPS it actually costs around the same as Mac Air i3 (with student discount).
Which one of them would be the best choice? Or maybe I should look for something else? I have a budget of around 1000$  

MacBook easily. Can use MacOS to code for it and Linux or windows if you need it. Plus trackpad + new keyboard and MacOS dominating windows in literally every way in terms of general usability. 
 

Also if you don’t need something specific from Excel MacOS ships with numbers which is apples version of Excel.