Historically macs generally last longer than window pcs because the software and hardware both r made by apple. Especially with the recent switch to apple silicon where even the CPU/GPU in macs r now made by apple. Basically apple has total quality control on their macs.

The issue with window pcs r that different components r made by different companies. For example for a typical window gaming laptop like rog zephyrus g15. The CPU is by AMD, GPU by nividia, Asus which design the hardware like motherboard and thermal system around the CPU and GPU. And finally the software comes from Microsoft again a different company. See? Here u have different companies working on a single product so on a long term it’s easier for bugs like incompatibility issues to arise. Like window drivers incompatibility issues since the software and hardware r manufacture by different companies.

When Microsoft releases an window update they have to account for the myriad of different pcs/laptops out there since there r many different pc companies Asus, dell, HP, Lenovo all using the same software for different classes of pcs ranging from gaming ones to business/ casual ones. Microsoft also need to make sure window is able to take advantage of the various type of CPUs/GPUs made by Intel/AMD/Nividia. Basically it’s rly complicated. Furthermore these semi conductor companies won’t tell Microsoft the full detail of their silicon tech so I doubt window is able to squeeze every last drop of performance from the CPU/GPU.

But for apple? Simple just macs so it’s easier to maintain the quality and control bugs. Plus since the CPU/GPU r also designed by apple they can easily design the software to take full advantage of it. This is why u see why old macs r still able to run buttery smooth and still be used for casual task like office work. One of my friend is still using a 2006 MacBook Air till these day. Which is why I am amore than happy to splurge $5k on a MacBook but hesitate to spend it on a window laptop.

Btw the same can be said for android phone and iPhones too. This is why apple products can last so long.

My mac has lasted ten years and Im only in the market bc I want to game, so ill let that speak for itself

Different laptops for different market segments and use cases. You can't really compare them.

depends on how you use it and how you handle it.

In my experience it's 100% on the person using it. I have a 2009 windows laptop that still works and I've seen people bricking macbooks in less than 2 years. Apple does some awesome work with their hardware but it still can suffer from someone that doesn't know how to take care of it.

The perception of Apple lasting longer is a mix of 3 things. Hardware quality (Apple tends to use high quality components), OS speed (MacOS tends to remain speedy over time, windows is subject to 'rot') and windows quality (layering windows os and driver updates on top of each other over time tends to make windows seem less and less stable).

Hardware wise, any equivalent quality PC to a MacBook Pro should last just as long. ThinkPads especially the true business grade, for example, last forever.

Software wise, windows has gotten better at avoiding 'rot' and slowdown over time. And while kind of a big pain , wiping and reinstalling windows and apps can make an old windows laptop feel new again.

Windows is a better os for me (engineer) but I grew up in an apple family. MacBooks simply cannot be beaten for battery life and os stability.

Any Windows laptop with the same build quality, reliability, battery life and longevity as a MacBook would cost the same or more than a MacBook. I prefer to use Windows but I have to admit that, sadly, Windows laptops are way inferior than MacBooks.

I just got a used macbook air m1 for 500$

Then perhaps M1 MacBook Air, even refurbished might be a good option.

These new Apple processors are pretty fast and efficient, with an unparalleled battery life compared to almost any Windows laptop. It stays silent, cold, is thin and light, great keyboard, nice screen.

Heck, even just the trackpad would make it worth it over PCs', which aren't that great.

Get the new M2 Macbook Air. You don't need the pro. The Air will last you longer (battery life), is lighter, has no fans, so no annoying fan noise, and stays very cool during use. Seems like the perfect laptop for your use case.

Hello, this is very helpful. I'm not sure if they'll be available also i assume these are all i7 processors?

>Why do y'all keep you macbooks for so long?

Because they cost a shit ton so you better use it for a long time. The other thing I would say is that, they also have nice feel to them. The parts don't wear out the same way. The chassis hold up really well. A lot of Windows laptop are made out of plastic and the cheaper ones are loaded with crapware.

Instead if you look at something like a Surface, you will find a lot of them old ones are still in use just like Macs. You oughta, with those prices on dem Surface, right? 😆

In theory, your Windows laptop should last longer than your Mac, because you aren't beholden to just Apple for OS support. Sure, you can use opencore or something, but Windows generally just work except for the latest Windows 11 with TPM requirement. Like opencore, the community stepped up and removed the TPM requirement too.

> What about the Macbook ecosystem makes it last longer? Is it because you don't game on macs therefore the gap in technology isn't as noticeable because you don't need a up to date chip for word processing?

Bingo. If all you do is basic web browsing, word processing and etc. Those thing will work on a 10-15 year old laptop if not older.

That's the thing about macbooks. Apple support them for a long enough time so you have software support and won't have to worry about it slowing down too much or security patches. I just sold my series 3 watch i bought 2 years ago because Apple is dropping support with watchOS 8(current version).

series 3 watch is like ancient now

Mine still works as good as it did day one. 2015 top end MacBook Pro. I want to upgrade, but I can’t justify it.

If it ain’t broke, don’t buy a new macbook.

> Is it because you don't game on macs therefore the gap in technology isn't as noticeable because you don't need a up to date chip for word processing

You answered it

Most Macbooks are flagship level devices, and majority of Windows laptop purchases are on the budget to midrange specs.

Walang pinagkaiba yan sa mga nagsasabi na "Ang ganda ng iPhone na 70k, 4 years wala parin lag, pero yung Android ko na tig 15k eh after 2years lang lag na." Malamang kasi it costs 5x more diba.

If you want laptops that have comparable build quality to Macbooks, then you have to find them at Macbook prices brand new din; Thinkpads, Zenbooks, Zbooks, Expertbooks, Zephyrus, etc.

That said, sobrang sulit ang Macbook Air M2 ngayon kasi unlike ibang laptop manufacturer na nag stop production ng models from last year, Apple continued production ng old models kaya bumaba presyo. The only issue with Macbooks is if pwede ba ss kanya or may useable alternative ba on MacOS para sa mga gusto mong programs na gamitin.

I will never ever buy a windows laptop again. I used to have the acer predator 15 na tumagal lang ng dalawang taon.

Reasons

1. Speed when it comes to to apps I use (design)

2. Weight - bigat ng windows laptop especially kung gaming tapos takaw eksena pa.

3. Battery Life - eto talaga yung hinding hindi ko na kayang pag palit especially for someone na nag ta travel habang nag wowork. Kaya kong mag work mag hapon without plugging my macbook and same speed pa din sya. Kesa nung naka predator 15 ako wala pang isang oras wala nang battery and the speed was crap because naka power mode kineso.

Best investment kahit masakit sa bulsa.

Anong game yung lalaruin? Macbooks aren't for games so mas better siguro windows computer talaga.

Flagship laptops are oks naman and depende rin sa budget at device na kukunin.

If you care about the build, matitibay naman mga yan. Depende nlng din sa type ng mga programs na gagamitin mo kng san sila mas available.

A better comparison with an M2 is a 2022 Zephyrus G14 if you can find one.

OP if stardew valley ang main gaming consideration mo sa laptop, I strongly advise against getting a macbook

I bought an M1 during the pandemic planning on playing steam games kasi I keep hearing from friends na durable, mahaba battery life, happy sila sa purchase, etc. Tbh I barely use the macbook. Hirap brain ko mag-adjust sa mac after a long ass time of using windowd (lalo na sa office apps), and I ended up just buying Stardew and other games sa playstore and playing on my android tablet.

Pero if you can force your brain to adjust sa mac, baka pwede pa.

(Edit: forgot to add, andameng di pa available na game sa mac ampppp my time at sandrock palang di ko malaro)

Hintayin mo na lang na magclearance sale sa Powermac or Beyond the Box.

They have to get rid of their supply of older macbook airs once the m4 is available locally.

For work or school, go for an m2 with 16gb memory. And if kaya, at least 512gb ssd. 128gb is a no no. 256gb is ok basta most of your files ay nasa external hdd.

I have an m1 macbook pro with 8gb memory and 256gb ssd. Get an M1/m2 macbook air. Cheaper pero ok ang performance pa din.

But again, do not expect a lot kung maglalaro ka.

Macbooks are not for gaming. But if you are asking if they last longer than windows laptops? Yes. I have a 2012 macbook air. I handed it down to my kids. Still working. I had the battery changed only 3 years ago.

Bought my first college MacBook Air in Oct, 2018. Still runs great, although the battery backup has completely gone down (maybe two hours of web surfing max). Plan to replace the battery, and run it for a few more years

Agreed. It's been 4 years since I got my Macbook, and I have zero reasons to upgrade it. Not that I'm thinking of it, but even if I wanted to, I couldn't find a good enough reason to do it. Best build quality of any laptop easily.

The only issue I have with it is that it’s very expensive to repair. If the display goes bad, you can be asked to shell out 70-80% of the cost of the laptop. (Based on personal experience few years ago)

Tbf if we get similar priced windows laptop, it works equally well.

I got my Asus zenbook in 2016 and it still is smooth to use albeit with diminished battery life. I had an option to get macbook air or this in 2016 for same price. I chose Asus for windows experience.

What you are looking for is that higher priced electronics are often worth the money in the long run.

I have a Windows Dell laptop that still runs fine although its battery is shot. It's from 2009. My cousin' Surface Pro is also 6 years old I think. Not sure about its battery though.

I buy computers for my company and we use both. I buy $2k+ Lenovos and they have been failing (things like logic board, not minor) in >2 years. I have only replaced Mac’s that still had intel processors at 4+ yrs, not one has had a major repair or replacement that wasn’t accidental damage… and I’m buying base MBP or adding ram to a MBA so around $1500-$1800. and were like 70% Mac, 40% pc so there are more of them.

I actually prefer windows and linux, but buy MacBooks over typically windows laptops because of this. And whenever I mention it I’m met with “you must’ve bought a cheap brand” etc. but that’s not true. All my MacBooks have stood the test of time, while the windows laptops always have issues with something. 

apple has the lowest device failure rate.

also i think controlling key components like the gpu and cpu means they can promote reliability more, in addition to being all arm which means their components run cooler

It's pretty tough to make any claims about the longevity of devices without concrete data. I'm glad you are able to feel secure in your investment.

Same reason my 2002 PowerMac G4 and 2013 Mac Pro are still going. Quality. Yes Apple has had hiccups but usually fixed right away when it is hardware related.

I have a 2012 MBP, a 2015 MBA, 3 Mac Pro's 5,1.

All CAN run the latest OS with OCLP. The 3 Mac Pro's have it with Sequoia and run well.

The MBP and MBA are daily users, both run great.

I have 3 that run Sequoia and the MBA could run it - I choose not to.

The others run well with the OS they have.

The hardware lasts longer than the software updates. If you don't mind not having the latest software, then you're ok.

My last MBA has lasted for nearly 10 years and is still working well with the OS not updated for over 5 years. Browsing the web is certainly not a problem. I just have changed the battery two times during this entire period.

Battery is your biggest enemy in terms of longevity. Once it’s out of production, you can’t find original Apple batteries anymore so you’ll be forced to use aftermarket.

Other than that, MacBooks can last for a long time with OCLP (3rd party that bypass apple’s minimum requirements for software updates)

As long as it’s a 2020 M1 chip with good battery health you should be fine for 3-5 years.

They can last for 10+ years if you take care of it well and maybe do a battery swap.

5-7 years is a good time span I feel. I’ve been rocking my base m1 air for 2 years now and it still feels the same as the day I bought it, with 16gb of ram it will be even better. before that I used an old 2011 macbook pro and it was still pretty daily drive-able even in 2020s (had to change the internals to 16/512 though)

get at least 16gb ram and as much storage as you can afford and it will easily last you years to come

my windows experience has been pretty much the same. bought a new huawei laptop for university and it died on me less than a year later, never again. a 10 year old mac was working better than a windows laptop bought the year of its release, smh

My m1 MacBook Air was on year 5 and working like new. I wanted an upgrade (more ram more space) so I traded it in for $300/credit toward a new m4 air.

Ahh, this reminds me of my pc days. Then I switched to Mac in 2011. That Macbook Pro lasted me until 2021 when I needed more ram uni-classes. Still a very good & capable laptop.

Now I'm on year 4 with my M1 Air and it's the same as the day I bought it.

Never going back to pc eveeeer

I’m still daily using my 2014 MacBook Pro with no issues. I had the battery replaced on it last year. My early 2008 MacBook Pro still works great and I’m going to put in an SSD and run it on Linux mint.

Just understand that 256 GB isn’t that much now days. You may consider getting a 512 GB one instead.

gaming laptops are simply not comparable to a macbook. Dell XPS are also very long lasting and other non gaming higher end laptops. My custom gaming pc has no issues after almost 10 years now and my 2018 Dell XPS laptop was only replaced because I needed more RAM but any other Mac from that time would be just as bad.

Nonsense, Macs are unquestionably superior in every essential respect , and the vast majority of IT people would recognise that

edit: the downvoting here is interesting. A lot of these smaller apples subs seems to well populated with people only here to downvote comments like mine which although true, are too positive for apple

I am happy and content using my 2015 macbook air for daily browsing. Had it since 2022. On Sequoia 15.4 with opencore patcher. I did need to replace the battery and ssd, as both were failing for different reasons

I think so. Apple silicon is crazy good performance. They sip battery power. They have incredible screens by default.

I’m a freshman in college and a got a Mac instead of windows and using windows sucks ngl “Excel”

I don’t agree. You absolutely don’t need a Mac for daily use. Nowadays your phone or tablet can do all of that (and a lot of people do it that way). If you want a laptop because you want one, by all means, Mac (specially how expensive new windows laptops are nowadays); but if you are the average Joe, you don’t need a laptop at all

>For the normal user, mac is way better for daily use.

Agreed. If we're talking casual use for someone who just wants to go online or watch movies/play music, the Air is my #1 recommendation. There are a lot of people who can't afford one or can't justify the price, though. That's always an issue, because they can also go online and watch movies/play music on a $400 entry level laptop.

What is a normal user ? But from experience, it doesn't really matter.

Now people will have specifics needs like gaming, photo editing or a few other and that will determine what platform to prefer.

And if you don't have much money, I'd avocate that Mac isn't particularly great.

For me it’s not even about the hardware, MacOS is far superior compared to Windows. Latest versions of Windows are full os blotware, also for a software engineer point of view the fact that MacOS is UNIX based is a big plus!!