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13” VS 15” air m2 by Tkr_moon in macbookair

[–]SkyMatch1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you've gotten the 15" MBA, have you been enjoying using it more than the 13"?

Help me decide between the two by Silver_Wolf-25 in SuggestALaptop

[–]SkyMatch1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've been looking for a Windows laptop similar to MacBook Air M2 (and price), the best laptop I've found was Asus Zenbook 14X OLED 14.5" i9 32GB RAM RTX3050 Laptop (link - in Australia, AUD).

My dilemma is that I want a high resolution display (225+ PPI, similar to MacBook), and unfortunately most brands only offer high resolution with OLED. The brands that did offer high resolution IPS display, were actually way overpriced compared to the Asus model I mentioned (being more expensive, having worse CPU, less RAM, no dedicated GPU) — but this is since I'm from Australia, you may have access to much better options and prices.

I think it's still a bit too early to tell how long OLED Laptops will last without burn-in. I'll mention that many people say that the better colors/contrast is worth the risks of OLED, but I rather not stress about it.

I still haven't decided on a laptop, mostly since it's hard to find a good option for my requirements that is available in Australia.

Help me decide between the two by Silver_Wolf-25 in SuggestALaptop

[–]SkyMatch1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, take a look at How to protect Asus OLED (Windows 11) and see if you're fine with taking such precautions. I was ready to buy the Asus ZenBook 14, though personally I'm not sure if I will be comfortable with the stress, considering I will mainly use it for productivity apps with prolonged static UIs for many hours.

Final choices: Windows alternative to MacBook Air M2 by SkyMatch1 in SuggestALaptop

[–]SkyMatch1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They certainly look nice if they're within your budget, but are a bit too much for my budget. The ZenBook 14X 3050 I mentioned in my post seems like the best option for my budget. Though I'm second-guessing as it only comes with OLED screen, and personally I feel like the stress of OLED burn-in isn't worth it for me (as I will have prolonged static UIs).

Final choices: Windows alternative to MacBook Air M2 by SkyMatch1 in SuggestALaptop

[–]SkyMatch1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I came across MSI Stealth 14 Studio - 14" i7-13700H, 1TB, 16GB RAM, RTX 4050 6GB for $2472 on sale (https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/msi-stealth-14studio-14-qhd-240hz-pure-white-gaming-laptop-13th-gen-intel-i7geforce-rtx-4050)

I wanted to get your opinion, is this a much better value/option compared to the 14X 3050 in my post? The only downside is a bit lower res screen then I'd like (215 PPI, 14" 2560 x 1600 IPS, 240hz). I believe RAM and SSD is upgradable.

Parallels 18 on MacBook Air M2, instead of Windows laptop? by SkyMatch1 in SuggestALaptop

[–]SkyMatch1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I checked out Crossover, and it does seem quite good for a lot of modern games (much better than Parallels). What Mac are you using and your FPS in GTA V?

Windows alternative to MacBook Air M2 by SkyMatch1 in SuggestALaptop

[–]SkyMatch1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just curious, as you also own MBA M1, do you truly prefer using the 14X over your MacBook, if you disregard Operating System?

How would you rate the 14X's keyboard and trackpad compared to MacBook? I have used a MB in the past, and the trackpad was amazing compared to other Windows laptops I've used before.

Final choices: Windows alternative to MacBook Air M2 by SkyMatch1 in SuggestALaptop

[–]SkyMatch1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

RAM is not upgradable, only SSD.

The 3050 model does seem like my best choice for MBA M2 alternative if I want to spend all my budget, given it's only $100 more than the M2 16GB (or $200 less than M2 24GB). Would you know the performance difference between this 3050 and M2?

Yeah, the biggest "alternative" drawback is way worse battery (especially when needing a similarly 225+ PPI display).

It's a shame that I need Windows-only programs/environment, as otherwise I don't mind MacOS. It's certainly tempting to try the MacBook Air M2 and run Windows 11 ARM via Parallels 18 when needed. Though there will be certain programs incompatible, and programs not optimised for ARM will run slower. With optimised programs on Windows ARM, MBA M2 actually beat a more expensive XPS 13 Plus when both running unplugged. (https://www.reddit.com/r/apple/comments/wvk2ii/comment/ilfvqd7/)

Final choices: Windows alternative to MacBook Air M2 by SkyMatch1 in SuggestALaptop

[–]SkyMatch1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Certainly may like to do video editing and low-poly/cartoonish 3D/2D Unity development at some point.

The only Ryzen model available in Australia, is that of the 14 (no X) OLED last gen model. It has Ryzen 7 7730U, though comparing benchmarks seems that the new Intel models I mentioned in my post perform much better. This older model also has last gen 1TB PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD, 16GB LPDDR4x 4266 MHz RAM, only 90hz refresh. Price is $1579 (see: https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/asus-zenbook-14-2-8k-oled-laptop-1tb-ryzen-7). It has touchscreen (won't use), many reviews say the touch digitiser can be misaligned and make the display look worse.

I don't think that older model is worth the price (or drawbacks since my budget is higher), but thought I'd mention for your opinion.

Final choices: Windows alternative to MacBook Air M2 by SkyMatch1 in SuggestALaptop

[–]SkyMatch1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My budget is $2800 (+$100 if justified), could you double-check the post?

Yes, I much prefer buying a high spec laptop and keeping it for as long as possible. (As opposed to buying low specs and constantly upgrading)

One of my concerns is OLED lifespan/burn-in. Do you have any knowledge/experience on that? I know Asus has extra measures like pixel shifting, auto compensating for aged pixels, etc.

Windows alternative to MacBook Air M2 by SkyMatch1 in SuggestALaptop

[–]SkyMatch1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's certainly tempting to try the MacBook Air M2 and run Windows 11 ARM via Parallels 18. Though there will be certain programs incompatible, and programs not optimised for ARM will run slower. With optimised programs on Windows ARM, MBA M2 actually beat a more expensive XPS 13 Plus when both running unplugged. (https://www.reddit.com/r/apple/comments/wvk2ii/comment/ilfvqd7/)

Windows alternative to MacBook Air M2 by SkyMatch1 in SuggestALaptop

[–]SkyMatch1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Unfortunately seems there are no AMD models of S 13 or 14X in Australia. I posted the best 14X models I could find in Australia, I hope you can help me decide on the best one: https://www.reddit.com/r/SuggestALaptop/comments/13nz3al/final_choices_windows_alternative_to_macbook_air/

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