There’s more to the MacBook Air VS Microsoft Surface debate than whether you like Apple or Microsoft. Both companies have unveiled powerful flagship laptops aimed at content creators in 2022. The right laptop for you may have more to do with who you are and what you do than with which operating system you prefer.
These devices have topped the list of the best laptops you can buy. Because they are well made, powerful machines with some mandatory features. In 2022, Apple released both the 14-inch MacBook Pro and the 16-inch MacBook Pro. Their unique features make them one of the best laptops for video editing on the market.
Which of the two laptops is ideal for you? In the slide below, CRN Test Center compares the price and specs of Apple MacBook Air (M1) vs. Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Studio. If you have trouble deciding which machine to buy, read today’s post about MacBook Air VS Microsoft Surface for a thorough breakdown of the strengths and weaknesses of some of the best laptops of 2022.
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MacBook Air VS Microsoft Surface
You should read the full post to know the comparative difference between MacBook Air and Microsoft Surface. There are also many other differences such as surface pro vs macbook pro, surface vs macbook, macbook vs surface pro, macbook air vs surface pro are also available.
| Point | MacBook Air | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio |
| Display | 13.3-inch, 2560 x 1660-pixel | 13.5-inch IPS 2256 x 1504 touchscreen |
| Size | 12 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches | 12.1 x 8.8 x 0.6 inches |
| Storage | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Battery | 14:41 | 10:46 |
| Weight | 2.8 pounds | 2.8 pounds |
| CPU | M1 | Intel Core i7-1185G7 CPU |
| GPU | M1 | Intel Iris Xe |
| Weight | 2.8 pounds | 2.8 pounds |
| Ports | 2 Thunderbolt 3, headphone jack | USB 3.1 Type-A, USB 3.1 Type-C, audio jack, Surface Connect |
| Price | $999 (starting); $1,649 (as reviewed) | $999 (starting); $1,699 (reviewed at) |
We have already briefly looked at the differences in the table. Let’s take a look at the comparative discussion in the form of a detailed description.
Display
There are some big differences between the MacBook Air and the Surface Laptop Studio. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio’s display is 8 percent larger at 14.4 inches compared to the MacBook Air’s 13.3-inch screen. Other display differences include up to 120Hz refresh rate in the Surface Laptop Studio – double the 60Hz refresh rate on the MacBook Air. The Surface Laptop Studio has a resolution of 201 pixels per inch, down from 227 PPI on the MacBook Air.
Both notebooks provide lively LCD display technology. With Dolby Vision, support Surface Laptop Studio features Microsoft’s Pixelsense Flow display. With True Tone color enhancement and P3 wide color support, the MacBook Air offers Apple’s popular Retina display.
Performance
The M1 SoC is the fastest chip on the market for ultra-portable laptops. In real-world use, both the Surface laptop and the MacBook Air were enough to get 20 Google Chrome tabs. Four of them have streamed 1080p videos and the other has played YouTube music. Regardless of the laptop you choose, those simple everyday tasks will feel equally fast.
The 512GB M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD on the Surface laptop is faster than the drives on older Surface products. Which copies 25GB multimedia files at a rate of 562.7 MB per second. However, it doesn’t get anywhere near the MacBook Air (512GB SSD) which hits at 2,897.8 MBps. Both laptops rely on integrated graphics. The MacBook Air runs games at 1440 x 900-resolution at a smooth 37 fps where the medium of the graphic is set. The Surface laptop on the other hand has hit 30 fps at 1080p
Design
Smooth and sophisticated but MacBook Air and Surface laptops are portable and sturdy ultra-thin laptops that can use some updates. If you’ve seen a MacBook Air in the last few years, you know what the new model looks like. It has the same slim wedge-shaped design as before, available in Space Gray, traditional Gold, and Silver color options. It is a remarkably thin and lightweight laptop and the unibody aluminum chassis was built with perfect craftsmanship.
On the other hand, the Surface laptop has a premium design with a simple, unexpected chassis made of solid aluminum. What makes Microsoft better than Apple is the standout color offer. Some of these come with a soft-touch Alcantara deck, otherwise adding some flair to the intuitive design.
Keyboard and touchpad
For Apple fans, the good news is that the Butterfly keyboard is gone for good, replacing the traditional MacBook Air model with a traditional Chiclet-style keyboard. The bad news is that the Surface Laptop is more comfortable to type.
Although the MacBook Air keys have more sensitive clicks, they feel a bit tougher than the Surface. Where MacBook Air keys need more force to activate. What sets Surface laptops apart is their bouncy response, which springs your fingers from one letter to another. On a Surface laptop, typing tests can be typed at about 121 words per minute with 95% accuracy. The MacBook Air, on the other hand, can hit about 113 words per minute with 96% accuracy.
Ports
Basically, the MacBook Air relies entirely on the Thunderbolt 3 port. It has two on the left side and only a 3.5mm headphone jack on the right side for charging or transferring data.
In contrast, the Surface laptop has no Thunderbolt port. Instead, it has a convenient USB Type-A port and a USB 3.1 Type-C input next to a headphone jack. On the right is a magnetic surface connect port for docking and charging.
Battery life
You can easily get full-day juice from any one of these laptops. But the MacBook Air has dominated battery testing with a surprising runtime of 14 hours and 41 minutes. Despite clocking Microsoft a respectable 10 hours and 46 minutes, it surpassed the Surface laptop by almost four hours.
Hopefully from today’s post, MacBook Air VS Microsoft Surface help to choose you correct product for use. There are many more technology-related posts on our website that you can check out.