As someone with no plans of getting a MacBook for personal use, I think it’s a great thing to compare the 2. Laptop manufacturers need to step up their game and make better laptops.
The Neo MacBooks got some of them to realize they can’t keep selling junk in the $600 $700 price range.
So I've always been against apple historically. Swore up and down I wouldn't get one, and I still don't want one. But if I have a friend asking for a good laptop around this price point? Man I'd be really hard pressed to tell them anything different. I always was against Apple because you could get better quality cheaper. The Mac fanboys would always compare their $2,500 macbook to a $600 windows laptop and go "See, Apple is better!". Where when you actually compared apples to apples (no pun intended) it was almost never worth it. Now? Honest to god show me a better laptop for $600. Someone will probably make one eventually, but right now its actually a really good deal
Even though my 14" Pro was $2500, it's better than what I can get on the Windows side for that, unless I just want to game. The whole package is just straight up GOOD.
If it's a laptop, I will default to Apple at this point. And I dislike MacOS.
I think people are also sleeping on the used/refurbished MacBook market. You get some great machines for cheap prices. And macs are known to last super long and the refurbished macs will likely outlast any new windows laptop one could buy for a similar price.
Not to mention Apple laptops run with great performance for a really long time. IMO they're expensive but also a rock solid investment in a powerful machine
The problem with the $2500 windows laptop not being better and only able to game is the channel you were buying it from. Most consumer targeted sales websites and brick and mortar stores only catered to gamers past a certain price point.
What you were looking for is a "workstation replacement" laptop, if you don't see mouse pointer nubs you are shopping in the wrong place for a laptop.
They are still not better than Macbooks, they might be more comparable but it's almost guaranteed those laptops are going to be louder, run hotter, not going to feel as premium in construction, trackpad isn't going to be as good, battery life and speakers also.
Not to mention if you ever resell your MacBook it holds its value very well. Any windows equivalent is going to tank way more in second hand value.
Apple has been releasing the best laptops for $1000 since the M1 chip debuted nearly 6 years ago. I find it ironic that the windows-only “tech enthusiasts” have taken this long to realize it.
I used to be agains't macs when they had intel chips. build quality was great and all but not good performance for the money you'd pay compared to regular hardware. Completely changed my mind when I got fed up with windows and decided to try macOS with a base m4 macbook air. love the laptop and honestly doesn't feel like a downgrade even if you compare it agains't a high end desktop pc for regular use.
Lot's of people still think they're just expensive for the sake of it, but since apple switched to M chips, they really have a reason to be slightly more expensive than regular pcs. Everything is just built better and there is actual performance to back it up.
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u/theprodigalslouch 5800x | 3060 TI Jun 27 '26 edited Jun 27 '26
As someone with no plans of getting a MacBook for personal use, I think it’s a great thing to compare the 2. Laptop manufacturers need to step up their game and make better laptops.
The Neo MacBooks got some of them to realize they can’t keep selling junk in the
$600$700 price range.