Deciding between MacBook Air M2 and Surface Laptop 5

[f-ma]

I'm looking for a portable laptop to replace an outgoing Lenovo ThinkPad E480 from 2019.

 

The E480 is a dreary machine with a sub-par 1080p IPS screen with loads of colour bleed, a CPU which died after 2 years of use and had to be replaced along with the motherboard, as well as a truly horrendous webcam and microphone which are completely unacceptable on any device.

 

i5 8250U

16GB RAM

128GB SSD + 500GB HDD

Radeon 550 dedicated graphics ever since the motherboard was replaced by independent repair shop.

 

I'm looking to replace it with a machine which has the following:

• bright screen without colour bleed
• MagSafe-like charging port (nice-to-have)
• high quality webcam and microphone
• dependable
• good battery life

What's my budget? Well, considering I paid around 800 USD for the E480 and I was extremely disappointed in the long-run, I'm happy to spend more.

What's my typical usage? The laptop will be used for regular home use as well as translating (think dozens of tabs open), so 16GB RAM is really a minimum, but the CPU won't be doing any heavy lifting. Last I checked, there are no problems regarding software compatibility and macOS. The microphone and camera have to be excellent for video conferencing and online teaching from time-to-time.

 

The following are configurations and prices for devices bought in Poland, European Union.

 

1) 9999 PLN (2309 USD)

MacBook Air M2
8-core CPU; 10-core GPU

16GB RAM

512GB SSD

 

2) 8499 PLN (1962 USD)

Surface Laptop 5

i5 1235U

16GB RAM

512GB SSD

 

3) 1184 EUR (1287 USD)

Framework DIY

i5 1240P

16GB RAM

512GB SSD

No OS

 

I know that this MagSafe-like charging port requirement is restricting my options, but my wife and I are fairly clumsy and we have animals.

 

Yes, the third option doesn't have the MagSafe-like charging port, but it is something I'm considering because I enjoy tinkering, upgrading and repairing. I have concerns about the build quality as well as the microphone and camera, though. If users here have a bit of experience, I'd love to hear it.

 

Sadly, to my knowledge, the Surface Laptop 5 doesn't come with an ISO keyboard and that's a downer for me; I'm not a fan of ANSI. With both the Apple and Framework machines, I can choose ISO.

 

Why not other brands? Aside from the MagSafe question, I've been burnt by Lenovo twice in four machines and I previously used a Dell XPS at work and wasn't a fan at all.

 

I also have a desktop machine (i7 5820k) which is beginning to show its age, so if I save money here, I'll be more inclined to upgrade that sooner.

[Darkseth]

All your Apps run on MacOS? --> Macbook. Simple choice. Might even consider the M1 Air, if you can accept a slightly worse (but still good) Webcam. 720p instead 1080p on the M2.

 

But M2 Air gives you every good thing you want:

best Efficiency (high performance, yet very high batterylife), no fannoise, 1080p webcam, very good speakers, good bright display, best trackpad. And high resale value.

And MacOS tends to run more stable with fewer problems than Windows. At least from my experience. Usually, you shouldn't face any issues on any modern System.

 

Surface 5: Surprisingly solid: 

 

 

Despite "only" -u series Intel chip, somewhat solid Performance in Multicore.

He claims, Fans stay silent unless very high load. Good built quality.
But in the End, he recommends the Dell XPS 13 over the Laptop 5.

 

Framework: Well, you kinda know, if the Framework is for you. customize the Ports, even with additional Storage, you can repair and replace all parts almost better than on any other Laptop. This is the device for you, if you like to tinker with it yourself.

 

 

Why i'd get the Macbook Air over Surface Laptop 5: I don't see a single thing the Surface Laptop 5 does better, aside from having Windows over MacOS (preference), or a tall 3:2 ratio.

Macbook Air probably lasts longer, better Trackpad, better speaekrs, higher quality Webcam, better resale value.

And Surface you should maybe stay away from those Alcantara options. I've seen Images of that after a few years, looked like someone pulled it through his asscrack. Take metal that can be wiped and cleaned.

Oh yea, and ISO Keyboard seems to be important for you.

 

Framework: Interesting device tbh, but i can't see it as a nobrainer. Would be more interesting with Ryzen 6000 and full USB4. And i personally prefer Macbooks over Windows machines on Laptops. Apple kinda nails the overall package and User experience since the M1.

[Qyygle]

To be fair, the E480 is an entry level business machine. It was meant to be issued to office workers and is focused more on running easily in a business environment rather than being an actual good value. Your original might even have had a hardware issue straight from the factory if the CPU actually just died, but that's very rare without some kind of water/physical damage.

 

I would not recommend the surface laptop. If you run into issues with that machine, tough luck getting it fixed. At least the lenovo was repairable, I'd have lots of doubts of that being easily done with the surface. The only reason to get a surface laptop is if you really dig the look. There's almost nothing the surface laptop offers that's better than other devices. The price you pay for a mediocre device with all of 2 ports is absurd. Even more critical is you're relying on Microsoft's surface division for BIOS and firmware updates, and having used surface devices since the surface pro 1... cannot recommend.

 

The mac is the much better choice for the price. It crushes the surface in every metric, it's not even in the same level in my opinion.

The framework is a bit of a dark horse. If you really want to tinker, I can see it being a more fullfilling project device than the mac, but that comes down to how you plan to use this. It's definately not built as well as the surface or mac, but with the flexibility to change out basically everything on the device, I think that matters less.

[Commodus]

23 hours ago, f-ma said:

I'm looking for a portable laptop to replace an outgoing Lenovo ThinkPad E480 from 2019.

 

The E480 is a dreary machine with a sub-par 1080p IPS screen with loads of colour bleed, a CPU which died after 2 years of use and had to be replaced along with the motherboard, as well as a truly horrendous webcam and microphone which are completely unacceptable on any device.

 

i5 8250U

16GB RAM

128GB SSD + 500GB HDD

Radeon 550 dedicated graphics ever since the motherboard was replaced by independent repair shop.

 

I'm looking to replace it with a machine which has the following:

• bright screen without colour bleed
• MagSafe-like charging port (nice-to-have)
• high quality webcam and microphone
• dependable
• good battery life

What's my budget? Well, considering I paid around 800 USD for the E480 and I was extremely disappointed in the long-run, I'm happy to spend more.

What's my typical usage? The laptop will be used for regular home use as well as translating (think dozens of tabs open), so 16GB RAM is really a minimum, but the CPU won't be doing any heavy lifting. Last I checked, there are no problems regarding software compatibility and macOS. The microphone and camera have to be excellent for video conferencing and online teaching from time-to-time.

 

The following are configurations and prices for devices bought in Poland, European Union.

 

1) 9999 PLN (2309 USD)

MacBook Air M2
8-core CPU; 10-core GPU

16GB RAM

512GB SSD

 

2) 8499 PLN (1962 USD)

Surface Laptop 5

i5 1235U

16GB RAM

512GB SSD

 

3) 1184 EUR (1287 USD)

Framework DIY

i5 1240P

16GB RAM

512GB SSD

No OS

 

I know that this MagSafe-like charging port requirement is restricting my options, but my wife and I are fairly clumsy and we have animals.

 

Yes, the third option doesn't have the MagSafe-like charging port, but it is something I'm considering because I enjoy tinkering, upgrading and repairing. I have concerns about the build quality as well as the microphone and camera, though. If users here have a bit of experience, I'd love to hear it.

 

Sadly, to my knowledge, the Surface Laptop 5 doesn't come with an ISO keyboard and that's a downer for me; I'm not a fan of ANSI. With both the Apple and Framework machines, I can choose ISO.

 

Why not other brands? Aside from the MagSafe question, I've been burnt by Lenovo twice in four machines and I previously used a Dell XPS at work and wasn't a fan at all.

 

I also have a desktop machine (i7 5820k) which is beginning to show its age, so if I save money here, I'll be more inclined to upgrade that sooner.

I'll join others in leaning toward the MacBook Air M2. For a few reasons:

 

It'll not only be faster in general tasks, but won't take a performance hit when on battery. That could be important if you have to work away from a wall outlet.

 

The support network is also a concern. I can't vouch for Apple's Polish support network, but it'll be better than Microsoft's, which isn't that good even in the US. That and Macs are typically more reliable than Surface PCs. And Framework? It's a good company, but it's a startup with a tiny infrastructure. It can only do so much to help.

 

My only tip at the moment is to buy the Air in a colour other than Midnight. It looks cool, but it's a fingerprint magnet. 

 

 

[rikitikitavi]

Since you are not dependent on windows or a touch sensitive screen - get a mac. M2 Air sounds like a good choice, given your criteria, you might not even need 16GB RAM - 'dozens tabs open' does not necessarily mean high RAM usage (at least if Safari is used), but if you can afford it - go for it. Storage is expensive, so it might be cheaper to buy a usbC drive (like Samsung T7) instead of upgrading to 512GB. Otherwise 16GB/512GB is a solid tier.

 

Also if you decide to buy a mac - get used to the touchpad, it is the best way to navigate macOS. Do not use a mouse, it is a transitioning crutch, unless you actually need it (gaming for example).

 

 

 

[f-ma]

@QyygleYou are right about the E480. I was very happy with it at the start. Yeah the screen wasn't perfect, but coming from a TN panel, it was an upgrade. The bad CPU? I'm not sure. My wife was using it at work and it crashed while plugged in to an outlet. Either way, it broke and we just got it fixed. It cost around $200 for the fix; the repair shop installed a motherboard from an E580 with a dedicated GPU. It functions fine now, but some of the Lenovo Vantage features and keyboard function row have become very wonky.

 

@Darkseth @Commodus @rikitikitavi While I did suspect that the Surface Laptop 5 just simply wasn't as good, I think I needed to hear it from someone else to tip me away from that device. The appearance is secondary. The MacBook Air M2 16GB/512GB is what I'm fairly certain I'll go for. I've seen a few people at work use them and they can't praise them enough, but they've all got the Midnight colour. Aside from the fingerprints, I'd wager with time the MagSafe port will get scuffed scuffed and it'll look far worse on that colour. I asked my wife what colour she'd like and she wanted the Starlight colour 

 

I'm under no illusions about repairability; I think Apple in Poland are similar to the UK, US or anywhere else. If there's a problem and I don't have AppleCare, I'll likely have to fork out a new machine's worth to get it fixed. Oh well... Good tip about Surface support, though.

 

As for Framework, I think perhaps it best not to purchase it as a main machine for both me and my wife; perhaps I'll get one down the line for myself.

 

For 1500PLN more (350USD) I could get the 14" M2 Pro 16GB/512GB...

 

For a mere 1500PLN on top of that, I could get the 16"...

 

This is getting out of hand 

 

I'll go for the M2 Air.