The starting prices of Apple’s MacBooks aren’t exactly cheap, but you’re paying for a premium experience. The devices are elegant and solidly designed. Still, what if you don’t want to use MacOS? What if the Mac doesn’t support your favorite software? That’s where this guide comes in.
The best alternative to a Macbook is Dell’s XPS 13. It may not be as sleek as the Macbook, but it delivers speed and performance while staying relatively lightweight. You’ll find other alternatives on our list as well from Asus, Lenovo, and Microsoft.
The best MacBook alternatives
The best
Dell XPS 13
Dell’s latest XPS 13 model is based on 10th- and 11th-generation Core i5 and i7 processors. Apple’s MacBook Pro 13, meanwhile, features Apple’s new in-house M1 processor on the lower price tiers and up to a 10th-generation Intel Core i7 processor on the higher price tiers. The MacBook Air now includes the M1 chip as well with no Intel-based configurations.
Design-wise, the latest XPS 13 measures 0.58 inches thick and weighs around 2.64 pounds. The 13-inch MacBook Pro is slightly thicker and heavier at 0.61 inches and 3.1 pounds while the MacBook Air is 0.63 inches thick and weighs 2.8 pounds. These are all just numbers, however, as you won’t notice any significant differences when toting them from place to place.
Under the hood, the Dell XPS 13 offers up to 32GB of system memory and up to 2TB of storage. The 13-inch MacBook Pro offers the same amount of system memory but up to 4TB of storage, depending on the CPU. The MacBook Air can be configured up to 16GB of memory and 2TB of storage.
Of the three, the Dell XPS 13 provides more connectivity with two Thunderbolt 3 ports, a MicroSD card slot, and a 3.5mm audio jack. It even ships with a USB-C to USB-A adapter so you can connect an external keyboard or mouse. Some configurations include touch-based screens with a UHD+ resolution as well.
If you want an alternative to Apple’s larger 16-inch MacBook Pro, Dell’s XPS 15 is a good match. Starting at $1,149, it features 10th-generation Intel core i5 and i7 processors, up to a GeForce GTX 1650 Ti discrete graphics chip, up to 32GB of system memory, and up to a 1TB on PCIe-based SSD. Apple’s 16-inch MacBook Pro starts at $2,399.
The rest
Asus Zenbook UX334
Another good alternative to the 13.3-inch MacBook Pro is this laptop from Asus. Available in Royal Blue and Icicle Silver finishes, configurations include up to a 10th-generation Core i7 processor and up to a discrete Nvidia GeForce MX250 graphics chip. Meanwhile, Apple’s MacBook Pro doesn’t offer a stand-alone GPU, but there are configurations with Apple’s new in-house M1 chip, resulting in three processor choices across all 13-inch MacBooks.
Unlike the MacBooks, the ZenBook 13 UX334 has a lower Full HD resolution. To compensate, it packs more ports including two USB-A ports, HDMI output, a USB-C port, a MicroSD card slot, and a 3.5mm audio jack. It also sports an interesting “screenpad” that combines a touchscreen with the traditional touchpad. The military-grade chassis makes it highly durable against accidental drops.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Gen 8)
Here’s another MacBook Pro alternative with a slightly larger screen than Apple’s current 13-inch models. With the Gen 8 Lenovo ThinkPad, you’ll find seven set configurations based on tenth generation Intel CPUs along with IPS screens with Full HD or 4K resolutions. By comparison, the current 13.3-inch MacBook Pro locks configurations down to a maximum 2880 x 1800 resolution.
Like the others on this list, connectivity is a major difference. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon provides two Thunderbolt 3 ports, two USB-A ports, an HDMI 1.4 port, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a WWAN slot on specific models. The MacBook Pro only supplies a single 3.5mm audio jack and either two or four Thunderbolt 3 ports, requiring adapters or a dock for HDMI and peripheral compatibility.
Both the MacBook Pro and Lenovo’s alternative measures 0.59 inches thin.
Surface Laptop 3
The 13.5-inch Surface Laptop 3 is Microsoft’s answer to the MacBook Air. Microsoft’s super-slim notebook measures 0.57 inches versus the MacBook Air’s 0.63 inches. In contrast, the MacBook Air weighs in at 2.8 pounds while the Surface ranks at either 2.79 or 2.84 pounds, depending on the configuration.
The Surface Laptop 3 relies on 10th-generation Core i5 and i7 processors. Meanwhile, the latest MacBook Air ignores Intel altogether and uses Apple’s new in-house M1 chip. That means better support for apps originally designed for iOS and iPadOS but at the cost of running traditional desktop software on an integrated emulator (Rosetta 2).
Compared to the MacBook Air, with only two Thunderbolt 3 ports and a 3.5mm audio jack, the Laptop 3 includes one USB-C port, one USB-A port, one Surface Connect port, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
Microsoft also offers a 15-inch version based on AMD’s Ryzen 3000 mobile processors and “Vega” graphics. It supports a higher resolution at 2496 x 1664, holds up to 16GB of memory, and up to 1TB of removable storage.
Our top picks list provides tons of options to replace a Macbook that work well as a business tool or for personal pleasure.
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