Luke Larsen / Digital Trends
Apple’sMacBook Air M2is one of thebest laptops . It ’s been hold down the fort in the13 - inch laptopclass that ’s slowly being superseded by 14 - column inch machines . It ’s incredibly slender while still render solid performance , ranking battery life , and an excellent ocular and audio experience . It ’s a hard laptop computer to beat if you ’re OK with macOS .
But Windows rest the dominant platform , so anyone needing a Windows laptop has some excellent alternative . You ’ll drop around the same Leontyne Price , and you ’ll get excellent performance , nice battery life , and in some cases , even superior show . Here are six laptop that you should corrupt instead of the MacBook Air .
Luke Larsen / Digital Trends
Dell XPS 13 Plus
Dell ’s XPS batting order has undergo some sweeping change in the latest coevals . Several standout features , including a hidden haptic touchpad , a zero - lattice keyboard , and LED function buttons , all started with theXPS 13 Plusand made their room to new14- and 16 - column inch theoretical account . It ’s a little enough laptop thanks to the lowly video display bezels in the business , but it ’s a minute thicker than the dementedly fragile MacBook strain at 0.60 inches versus 0.44 inches while count around the same 2.7 pounds .
Those are some controversial feature film , but that does n’t mean they ’re bad . The keyboard has declamatory keycaps with light , precise switches , and it does n’t take long to get used to the lack of key spatial arrangement . It ’s an sharpness - to - edge design that take care keen as well , although the MacBook Air ’s Magic Keyboard is still the best on a laptop computer today . The haptic touchpad lick well , especially after several microcode update , and its secret nature is also easy enough to overlook given how futuristic the unseamed Methedrine palm ease appears . The LED function release are the least functional , specially given the lack of haptic feedback that would make them easy to employ .
Outside of its ultramodern appearance , the XPS 13 Plus is a substantial performer with an excellent OLED display option . Its bombardment living is somewhat less than medium , but its monetary value is attractive , start at $ 1,099 for a thirteenth - gen Core i7 - 1360P , 16 GB of RAM , a 512 GB SSD , and a Full HD+ ( 1920 x 1200 ) IPS exhibit .
The MacBook Air cost $ 1,099 for an 8 - meat CPU , 8 - essence GPU M2 chipset , 8 GB of RAM , and a 256 GB SSD , relieve oneself the Dell a deal based on RAM and store . For $ 200 more , you may upgrade the XPS 13 Plus to a UHD+ ( 3840 x 2160 ) OLED gore that ’s much better than the MacBook Air ’s 2560 x 1664 Liquid Retina IPS showing .
You might be wonder why we did n’t mentionthe new XPS 13 , which was announced earlier this twelvemonth . It ’s not yet usable and , aside from the new Core Ultra chip , is intimately monovular to the current XPS 13 Plus .
Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED
Asus has a history of producing cut - bound thin - and - light laptop at attractive toll . TheZenbook S 13 OLEDis a classic model . It boasts an attractive esthetic , with a geometric pattern on the lid and a variety - over - function intention that features an aggressive keyboard slant when the chapeau is open . This boosts airflow and provides a more prosperous angle for typing .
For $ 1,299 , you get a 14th - gen , 28 - watt Intel Core Ultra 7 155H chipset that boasts additional Low Power cores for increased efficiency and aNeural Processing Unit ( NPU)to manage AI tasks on - gimmick . It even includes a Windows Copilot button supporting Microsoft ’s AI implementation , albeit via the cloud ( for now ) . This configuration includes 32 GB of RAM ( more than the MacBook Air ’s $ 400 24 GB rising slope ) , a 1 TB SSD , and a 13.3 - column inch 2.8 K ( 2880 x 1800 ) OLED display .
The Zenbook S 13 organic light-emitting diode ’s 0.43 column inch is slightly narrower at the front than the MacBook Air ’s 0.44 inches and just more or less fatheaded at the rear at 0.46 inches . It ’s also just 2.2 pounds , lighter than the MacBook Air ’s 2.7 Irish pound . And yet , it ’s even more solidly establish with a lid that resists all bending and flexing . The chassis is made from a hard aluminium - magnesium metal , while the lid uses a “ plasm ceramic atomic number 13 ” material that feel like clay , but looks like Edward Durell Stone . Overall , the Zenbook has a great design to go with speedy functioning and a beautiful exhibit .
ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 3
On the other death of the spectrum is theThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 3 , the midget laptop for ThinkPad traditionalists . It retain all the standard ThinkPad pattern feature , include the black - on - black esthetic with a black carbon fiber lid and a magnesium - aluminum alloy in the chassis bottom . The keyboard is superposable to the ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 ’s , while the touchpad remains a mechanically skillful reading that still works well .
Most notably , the ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen is sparse at 0.58 inches but , more importantly , unmistakably dismount at 2.12 pounds . That make it one of the light 13 - inch laptop you’re able to buy . And it still packs in 13th - gen Intel central processing unit include vPro options that can punch into to enterprise security and direction systems . The optional 4 G WWAN reinforcement is another nod to business exploiter .
Just because the ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 3 is a concern laptop computer , that does n’t mean it ’s expensive . It costs $ 1,181 for a Core i5 - 1340P , 16 GB of RAM , a 512 GB SSD , and a 2 K ( 2160 x 1350 ) IPS display . For $ 1,539 , you’re able to upgrade to a Core i7 - 1370P vPro , 16 GB of RAM , a 1 TB SSD , and a touch showing .
HP Dragonfly G4
HP ’s Dragonfly G4 is the one laptop on this list that ’s squarely calculate at occupation . We reviewed the former - generationElite Dragonfly G3and the newer generation offer update to 13th - gen CPUs . The Dragonfly G4 features an refined aesthetic , a tenuous and clean chassis at 0.64 inches and 2.2 pounds , and an splendid keyboard just one notch below the MacBook Air ’s . It does n’t put up a haptic touchpad like Apple ’s excellent Force Touch version , but its mechanically skillful interlingual rendition is comfortable enough .
But where the Dragonfly G4 excels is in put up the features that businesses want the most . First , it might still be on the premature multiplication of chipsets , but there ’s an Intel vPro option that offers the best compatibility with enterprise direction and security system systems . In addition , the Dragonfly corroborate the near - playing area communications ( NFC ) and WWAN cellular connectivity that line of work need . HP offers a host of extra security features such as its Secure Erase BIOS , Sure Admin , and others that can meet clientele surety concerns .
If you ’re a business user , the Dragonfly G4 is an attractive laptop that postulate no compromises . That ’s something that the consumer - focused MacBook Air ca n’t match . The HP is more expensive , even though it ’s currently on cut-rate sale for a massive $ 1,274 or more off of the inclination cost . The Dragonfly G4 costs $ 1,274 for a Core i5 - 1335U , 16 GB of RAM , a 256 GB SSD , and a 13.5 - in FHD+ IPS display . If you dial in all the available alternative from the very tenacious list , you ’ll spend $ 2,331 ( again , half - cost ) for a Core i7 - 1365U vPro , 32 GB of RAM , a 2 TB SSD , and a 13.5 - inch FHD+ privacy sieve . That compares to the highest - destruction MacBook Air form , which cost $ 2,399 for an 8 - core CPU/10 - magnetic core GPU M2 , 24 GB of RAM , and a 2 TB SSD .
Surface Laptop 5
Microsoft ’s answer to the MacBook Air is the Surface Laptop . In its fifth contemporaries , theSurface Laptop 5sports a gorgeous thin - and - sparkle soma that ’s just 0.58 inches thick and weighs 2.8 pounds . It ’s not as thin as the MacBook Air , but it ’s just as well - constructed . Microsoft also offers a mix of spectacular color , including a Pt choice with Alcantara fabric covering the palm sleep .
The Surface Laptop 5 still run with 12th - gen Intel CPUs , but it ’s a solid performer with dear bombardment life . It enjoys an excellent keyboard that ’s precise and comfy , along with a mechanically skillful touchpad that ’s very good for the type . Surface showing are always splendid , and the Surface Laptop 5 continues the trend with a 13.5 - inch 2256 x 1504 IPS touch- and penitentiary - enabled display in the productiveness - friendly 3:2 aspect ratio .
you may buy a Surface Laptop 5 for less than a MacBook Air , with a starting price of $ 1,000 for a Core i5 , 8 GB of RAM , and a 256 GB SSD . That includes the well-situated Alcantara material . The most you ’ll spend is $ 1,700 for a Core i7 , 16 GB of RAM , and a 512 GB SSD , which is well less than the equivalent MacBook Pro .
ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2
Lenovo ’s ThinkPad line has long been one of the most iconic brand , with a decided look and sense that ’s placeable from a distance . But Lenovo has been modernise the esthetical and overall blueprint , epitomized by theThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 . This laptop tone away from the black - on - black semblance outline and introduce a raw all - aluminum chassis and an optional Flax Fiber Bronze color cavort a eyelid cover made from sustainable woven flax fiber .
The ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 is more familiar inside , with a black keyboard with the communication channel ’s distinctive sculpted keycaps and tons of space . Its switches are light and spruce , making it one of the better keyboards outside of a MacBook . The haptic touchpad is splendid , with responsive haptics and virtual button support for the TrackPoint nubbin that does n’t take out from the swipeable aerofoil arena . The ThinkPad Z13 Gen 2 is very thin at 0.55 inch and weighs about the same as the MacBook Air at 2.78 pounds .
Inside , you ’ll find fast AMD Ryzen CPUs that might be a generation behind , but still provide speedy performance and good battery lifetime . Its starts at $ 1,241 for an AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 7540U processor with 16 GB of RAM , a 256 GB SSD , and a 13.3 - inch FHD+ IPS display . you could upgrade that to an excellent OLED display for just $ 179 more , while storage can be upgraded to 2 TB and 4 one thousand WWAN livelihood is also available . Even upgrade to 64 GB of RAM and a 2 TB SSD , the ThinkPad Z13 Gen is Mary Leontyne Price - competitive with the high - end MacBook Air at $ 2,064 .
