Surface Laptop 5 vs MacBook Air M2 - ULTRABOOK Shootout!
Vložit
- čas přidán 4. 11. 2022
- Surface Laptop 5 vs MacBook Air M2!! Let's check out these 2 lightweight notebooks and compare the design, performance, and other more. Watch out for the looooong screen side by side to show off the displays... You might be surprised! AND I Bought 500 Waffles For Strangers!: • I Bought 500 Plates of...
More Surface comparisons coming soon!
➡️ SUBSCRIBE: czcams.com/users/MikeDropsTe...
➡️ FOLLOW ME: / mikedropstech
➡️ SHOP: www.mikedropstech.com - Věda a technologie
I Bought 500 Waffles For Strangers And It Was The BEST Decision Ever!: czcams.com/video/kyeZibWUDtM/video.html
Baffled that you have as few subs as you do. Great video, this is not typically my style of content but you’ve really helped me as I look for a laptop for work!
Thanks for watching Druid and glad I could help! 😁
Love the energy and fun man. Subbed
Hey Marcos! Thanks for the ❤️ and for the sub! Glad you enjoyed the video and appreciate your time. 😱
Another great review. Totally agree with your conclusion too, 14 hours battery screen on time is hard to walk away from.
Yeah, but when I sit down and really think about it, it's not like I sit around for 10 hours not near a charger either 😱
@@mikedropstech the point is you dont have to bring a charger everywhere and the laptop still work 100% with no handicap.
I appreciate you talking about the keyboards! Not enough reviewers so.
Whoop whoop! Another keyboard lover in the world 😱😍
Was looking for this. I’m in the market for one of these. Haven’t watched it yet but wanted to say thanks in advance. 🎉
Hope you enjoyed and found it useful. More comparisons dropping this week!
@@mikedropstech My conclusion - windows. Macs are nice hardware but especially on a smaller laptop screen, macOS is a nightmare to use. Made worse with no touchscreen. It’s hard to describe but windows just feels “bigger” on a laptop screen. Mac feels cramped. Also window management on macs is rubbish, even with bettersnaptool or some other janky window snap 3rd party solution. I’ll take the shorter battery life as long as the device is a pleasure to use. Macs are not a please to use.
Fair insights. It's funny because I like both, but I've always enjoyed windows more on bigger screens like desktops!
Thanks for the review. Recently upgraded to Surface Laptop 5 from Surface Pro 8 and yes battery life could be better, as always on any device Apple or Microsoft but for everyday tasks having Surface Laptop 5 on recommended settings (which is faster than SP8 on best performance) battery life has been as good as my iPad Pro 12.9 M2. Battery life seems to go down quicker on SL 5 because I use it for longer periods of time but when I check I’m using about 10-12% an hour which is perfectly acceptable. Also on the software side I mainly use Word as I am writing and the version on the Surface is vastly superior to the Mac version, using 365 subscription. I have an iMac and can compare the versions and I am surprised or perhaps not that Microsoft is making Word much better on their devices.
10-12% sounds great. I’m still seeing closer to 15% on my usage 😳
@@mikedropstech I found a fix to the battery life dropping too fast. Do less work 😆
😱
I would be happy with both. I have the M1 MBA and my wife has the SP4. Battery life is a differentiator though. I don't worry about it ever on my MBA.
Yep. It's funny how in one swoop apple changed the conversation around battery. I now find myself buying my laptops more for battery than any other feature which is crazy! Just downgraded from a 14 MacBook Pro to the m2 Air Just for that reason 😱
I’m actually used to the notch already. Plus, the notch won’t affect your activity since Apple put extra pixels in the display. The iPhone 12 mini (my old phone) and the iPhone 13 (my current one) all have the notch, so the notch of the M2 MBA doesn’t really affect me.
😁
Always a highlight of my work day when Uncle Mikey uploads. I work it tech so this counts as research 😉
😱 Thanks Ben!! Been working on a whole set of reviews and comparisons around the new surface devices so will be uploading as fast as I can!
Could you please help me choose on buying a laptop in between MacBook Air M2 8cpu/8gpu and Surface Laptop 5 i5. Both 512 ssd and 8gb ram. My purpose of use is for learning and home usage. Which one is good in performance? Is touch screen with SL5 a big deal to taken care of? Which one has a stable os for longevity?
Hey buddy! Great question. If you’re not worried about Mac OS vas windows then from a purely hardware perspective they’re both great devices. That said, the Mac has great battery life which can’t be overlooked and the surface has touch screen. Again, you need to decide if any of those are important.
I do think in 3 or 4 years time the mac will age better from personal experience and at 5 or 6 years will still be going strong. Surface will be ok but they are a little worse. My kids use surface laptop 2s and constantly have to plug in.
Mike, please tell which is better for video editing and animation ?
Dell xps or mac pro m1 or mac pro m2?????
And what size 13" or 14"??
Hi Ridzi, tough to answer because there's lots of variables. If you're editing in Final Cut Pro then only Mac will work. If Premiere Pro then you can go both ways.
From a hardware perspective, there is no m2 pro or max yet so I'd stay away from the Macbook Air m2. You could do the Macbook Pro 14" or 16" and get a pro or max chip for sure, but 13" is too small. For the XPS you'd be better at the 15" screen size but they do have some quality control issues to check it well when it arrives just to make sure all is ok. You could also look at something like a Lenovo X1 Carbon (very configurable to set it up just how you want).
@@mikedropstech if choosing mac, which is better m1 or m2
Which one should i go for 13" or 14"
You need the 14 or 16 which only come in M1 Pro and M1 Max. Don’t get anything less than the M1 Pro for what you want to do. You’ll regret it.
@@mikedropstech okay thank youu so much for replying
I just wish the surface laptop keyboard key spacing was like the surface pro type cover keyboard. My fingers are shorter so the travel between keys is better
😱 but then it would be too small for my fingers sooooo, maybe we just need to get small and large keyboard options!! 😂
no keyboard problems on new macbooks also how can you compare front facing cameras when your room is lit in different colours
They’re all in the same environment so it’s a fair comparison.
Thanks a lot, i was too confused between surface and m2 mac
😁
I kinda feel like you mentioned keyboardgate as a con of this MacBook even tho it’s using a “new” keyboard mechanism (basically old scissor keyboard) just like previous M1 MacBook Air.
Fair point. I wasn’t trying to say the new ones will be as bad as the old ones, it was more of a ‘Apple has had issues a couple times now with keyboards over the years but Microsoft has never had any that I can think of’. I should have been clearer and appreciate you calling me on it so I could clarify to help other viewers. 👍😁
I purchased three SL5 and they were all incompatible with Surface Slim pen 2 and Surface pen (and a third party pen). When I kept using the pens, touch screen stopped working randomly. I confirmed these pens work perfectly fine on my Surface Pro3 without any issue so I think it's the issue of entire SL5 lines (which is serious problem I think). I reported this issue to MS customer team, but they were saying only three SL5 units that I've tested could have hardware failure issue, not the entire SL5 lines, and closed the case. I think this is ridiculous that they were saying only three units (brand new) that I've tested have hardware failure because such probablity is extremetly low and it's more likely that it's the issue of entire SL5 lines. I think this is serious problem, and MS should come up with firmware update or something, but they seem not interested so far. I'd greatly appreciate if you could test on your SL5 with Surface pen (or third party stylus) to see if touch screen stops working randomly (you have to keep using it repeatedly) and publish the video so that more people get to know about the issue and MS can start investigating it more properly.
👍
Thanks for this review. I am in the same stop. The main reason I am leaning toward a Mac is battery life.
Yeah, it’s tempting for sure. But the SL5 is so fast I can’t believe I’m using the base model!
For studying, gaming, editing, everyday use, technology, and design, which laptop would you go with?
Out of these 2 I think you may be disappointed on the gaming side, but outside of that, they’ll both serve your needs. The new yoga range from Lenovo is also well thought of am I’m enjoying the new Galaxy Book 3 from Samsung also. 13th gen chips is nice for sure!
Although i typically prefer windows over mac, I’m gonna have to go with the Macbook Air for this one, I can’t get over the bezels on the Surface 5
They’re not THAT bad once you get used to them!
@@mikedropstech exactly!
@@mikedropstech They remind me of the 2017 and earlier Macbook Air's
But it has a notch. Dumb
You gonna use a completely different and lesser OS cause of bezels?? ☠️
Which laptop is good for programming and machine learning stuff
What do ya'll think? Anyone want to chime in and share some experience on this one?
In couple of months second hand laptop5 will be 600usd while Mac will still be 1300 so for just minor differences you will have still have to pay twice
Love your channel and videos. Thinks this one nails it. There are a lot of good devices out there, the Surfaces are great ... but the battery life (and heat) are still issues. Keep hammering that home. Seems like only solution will be if someone can produce a competitive ARM chip for the rest of the world and Microsoft needs to improve the Windows on ARM story more too.
Thanks for joining the chat Mark! I sure hope they figure it out soon!
Can anyone help me choosing between these laptops:
Hp envy 13t x360
Hp specter 13t 360
Microsoft surface 5 13.5
Dell xps 360
MacBook air m1
Thanks in advance.
What’s your usage case? Tell us more about the things you want to do with the laptop 😁
@@mikedropstech office work, data entering, and sometimes video editing and using photoshop.
In that case they’re all great options. Battery life will be best on the MacBook if that matters. HP screens are lovely and the Surface is a great all rounder.
@@mikedropstech thank you
I bought hp envy 😊
👍
I really wish the battery life was great or at least as good as the one on Apple's silicon... That's why I got a MBA M1 instead of a Surface Laptop even though I don't use any Apple Software, don't have an iPhone or anything...
Hope Windows ARM gets his way to us one day!
Yep. It’s an issue for sure! But plenty of folks use docks and are only truly on the go for a few hours at a time so in that usage case, it’s not an issue.
Idk this video just made my decision harder
I still dont know which one to go with
Right now if you can wait, the Surfafe range will be updated in October so keep that in mind. MacBook Air is probably stable through 2024.
I have the M1 Air and the webcam is horrible. But luckily they added continuity cam so I can use my iPhone and have one of the best webcams. I would rather have a crappy webcam if it means they spent the money elsewhere in this scenario.
😱
I use Clipchamp for very, very small video projects...it gives me Full HD with no extra payment. I actually own a Surface Laptop and I don't see the few issues you mention with it. This is one of the best laptops if you want or need the Windows OS. I cannot use a Mac: I'd rather be stabbed with spoons!
Good review!
Good feedback on clipchamp! I'll have to check it out again as it's been a little while since I really played with it 😱
I honestly don't even notice the notch. It's pretty insignificant if you ask me. My 16" M1 Pro just looks so luscious and performs so well. I wish the Surface 5 didn't have those god awful bezels. I would pick it up as my Windows go to in a heartbeat if it wasn't for that. I love MS products--I have the surface pro 7+ (yes with the ugly bezels). They're such good quality--dare I say, Apple-worthy quality. So I'm rooting for MS. I really want them to succeed. Having said that, I'm currently eyeing the Lenovo 7I Slim and Samsung Galaxy 3 Ultra as my backup Windows laptop. Looking forward to the review of the Ultra!
It’s like they just give up trying 😱
MacBook is worse for work tasks. I used to use MacBook then I wanted to try a different PC so I bought a Surface laptop in 2019. Being a windows PC it took its time to boot up and all, but the keyboard experience on the Surface is much better than a Mac and also being a window PC it’s much better when carrying out tasks in word, PowerPoint and Excel. Also with a Mac I realized it’s very annoying because you can’t use the keyboard short cuts for excel on a Mac. Sadly I sold off my Surface laptop that was still functioning well for a measly amount that wasn’t worth it and I hugely regret. Just can’t do office work on a MacBook. It’s not designed for those tasks and the keyboard experience is horrible. I recommend getting a surface for work, I really regret selling my old Surface laptop. MacBooks faster and useless for work.
Definitely better sync on windows for office. I have the same problem which is why I float between devices but for business tasks and apps, the windows environment syncs more seamlessly.
I feel like it is more user preference at that point for work space. There is massive amounts of support for office workflow on Macbooks. M2 Macbook Air can literally do anything while being fanless, not a power hog and can be away from the charger for a whole day or two. For me with school work and using word, photoshop, excel, 3d modeling, you can name it and the mac has their own optimized versions. short cuts are slightly different on Mac but it takes getting used to if you haven't used it more than windows. Macbooks in 2022 are productive and arguably have the best keyboards you can find on a laptop as thin as it is and in most cases laptops bigger than it. They are completely different than their 2019 Macbook versions. Everyone's workflow is different but I could never go back to windows for my workflow. Everything on Mac just works compared. to my desktop windows pc. I don't even have to be tied to a wall or hear fans kick off constantly if I'm trying to multitask the simplest of software. Not relying on being next to an outlet or on a desk without sacrificing performance is just something windows devices cannot do. Macs have become a magical experience and personally I think nothing beats how good it feels to have a M2 Macbook Air as a daily driver. A true laptop would not be bound a to a wall like a desktop.
@@TylerKhan nope. I asked the apple support and Microsoft support and they said apple simply doesn’t have those shortcuts and nothing to replace them. That’s the end. I assume apple users don’t use excel
@@lskknl10 however it is not the end. which specific shortcuts? Because since the introduction of excel 365 Microsoft has started to align Mac shortcuts with windows shortcuts. You can’t say that you cannot use excel shortcuts on Mac because there are MANY shortcuts on Mac that align with windows excel for productivity
Lol what? Dumbest comment I’ve seen.
I love my surface laptop 4 i7, so fast, so premium, so easy to use!
😱
A killer feature of Windows computers is connecting to Android mobiles you can do everything on the phone from the computer beats air sharing of a Mac.
You’re correct on that one. Windows really stepped their game up on the phone link.
Air sharing you mean Air Drop
The bezels never bothered me, pretty normal. HATE the notch and was the overall dealbreaker for me.
Right. It just looks awful. I mean, truly awful 😱
I was put in a postition where I had to move from MAC os (Macbook Pro M2 13inch) to a windows setup for my university degree as some softwares I just could not get on macos and whatever I could get was lacking the plugins.
This for me was a huge limiting factor and a huge dissapointment as i've been with mac for so long, i was used to their trackpad and keyboard and the way everything just functioned so it was hard having to turn away....
I then spent the next few weeks searching for something that improved on the mac for me and in general, main things being RAM, storage and screen size I wasnt expecting week long battery as windows is definitely not as optimised as mac os and gaming laptops were not an option as my gaming rig consists of a SCAR 18 already and I did not want a chuncky heavy machine to lug around campus all day and needing to sit by a plug 24/7 I was also not a fan of the ASUS zenbook line as they just don't feel as premium and as rigid as a while back I owned one and the oled screen was fantastic but everything else was not good enough for my needs and they are not as well built as the surface laptops and the macbook are, arguably i'd say they are the best laptops built from a comfort,rigidity and quality point of view, I consider the surface the windows macbook.
Eventually I found the Surafce laptop 5 on sale the i7 with 1tb ssd and 32gb ram the 15 inch model which I snapped up immediatley
This was an upgrade in every aspect for me as at home I use windows so I was well used to the OS which is something worth noting if picking between mac and windows as 90% of systems used in teaching and in general are windows ran and I overall just prefer windows as I am used to it for many years now.
Another big thing for me is chassis strenght and flexing and ive found both laptops to have little to no flex which is incredible considering the surface is a bit larger than the mac this was a huge selling point as I hate when I pick up a laptop and it flexes before it moves up.
Other laptop I would have opted for if not the surface was the DELL XPS 13 I like the modern look it has but the keyboard stretching to the corners put me off and the size.
now about a month in of owning and using my Surface 5 notably the battery has improved and serves me a whole day for my needs being coding, note taking etc etc I end the day with about 50% + - though I did spend some time deleting all the bloatware and ensuring the apps I didn't need in the background weren't running
overall the surface has been an improvment for me over my mac, I can agree that if battery didnt matter I would still take the surface but something I never really had to think about was battery on my mac I went for 3-4 days without needing a charge that is the only trade off honestly.
Great practical insights, thanks so much for sharing!
I just can not support Apple, or any machine that you can not add another SSD into, feels like voluntary servitude..
😉
I have to say I find it ridiculous to buy a laptop that cannot open anything on the go, I personally use MS office for viewing documents but on Windows I have to download or purchase MS office for that one reason meanwhile macos, you can view even psd, ai, … files
It’s makes it hard to use that amazing hardware because of what the OS offers
You know that’s a great point. It’s super useful being able to preview psd, ai etc. on Mac. I don’t know why Windows hasn’t picked that up!
Microsoft needs to make their own chips like Apple to improve that battery, and maybe Windows 12 with better power management with Windows, biggest problem with windows is the bloat it brings compared to Apple, that’s why Apple always wins the battery life thing. I will always stay windows though regardless 😎
Just subbed, great video sir!
Someone needs to do something, that’s for sure. If you’re mobile, the difference is crazy right now!
People love the notch + its to sound out and create a brand
👍
you should compare the MBA also with 16GB
I’d already bought the MBA so didn’t want to have to buy another one! Practically, I didn’t push anything with high ram usage so the feel and performance between the two should really be affected. 😁
I like your review. I like apple but for productivity, I prefer windows and it's good I can have a windows laptop that's also sleek and premium. :) Thank you
I think windows doesn’t get as much love as it should too!
Lol the notch is so much more appealing with the thin bezels.
😱😳
Surface book 5 owner here - 100% agree. The BATTERY SUCKS. I had Teams video call for and hour and lost 40% of my battery! It depletes fast. What the hell Microsoft!
😱
I like the macbook pro m1 but i really despise macos, windows 11 is so much refined even managing window tabs and several desktops is a breeze on windows... i'll probably switch back
😩
I feel like this is the very last time Microsoft can get away with this years old design. I know it sells to businesses and such, but just on a personal level. I hope it's not so late to 13th gen and a fuller refresh with more competitive bezels and speakers, hopefully a better antireflective coating as the Macbook is visibly besting it even just through video. It becomes the same price as the M2 with the same RAM/storage despite a much slower IGP, slightly slower processor, and worse battery life.
Yep, it’s time for a refresh for sure!
If all I do is answer emails and use word and browse the web and watch content which one should I get . The m2 air is $1,199.99 and the i5 256gb 8gb of ram surface laptop 5 is on sale for $990?
Both would work great. Just go with your favorite OS and make sure you're comfortable that the battery life will work for you. Surface will be less but if that doesn't matter, you'll be good either way!
@@mikedropstech do u have one that u prefer and use more
I prefer the keyboard of the surface, but I always leave my charger home and use my laptop on the go a lot so I tend to grab the MacBook more because of that. It’s tough because I tend to like windows on a big monitor (when docked) so I flip flop a bunch.
The battery is the most differentiated thing here.
It is but it’s pretty darn good on the surface so for most of us, it shouldn’t be an issue!
ios,macos...works solid every time !!! and gets huge time update ... not saying windows bad but ....they need more atention .
👍
Im at the beginning of the video but i already know that this man hates apple 😂😂
Nope. My daily driver is an m2 air!
Macbook known to have some of the best keyboards? No, nobody that types would ever say that. Thinkpads have always been known by most to have the best.
Erm… I find the Apple,keyboard nicer personally but Lenovo do make some nice keyboards too. On that subject, have you seen the new HP Spectre 14? They enlarged the keys slightly, changed the mechanism and went haptic on the touchpad. Sheesh, it’s beautiful to type on!
Great video. Feel like Microsoft dropped the ball this year and didn't do much of an upgrade.
Yeah for sure. It would have been great if the shrunk the bezels, softened the edges and just made it feel a little fresher, but…. The things they did change really matter. The screen quality vs. the MB Air blew me away. It looked brighter, the colors looked richer and I really wasn’t expecting that at all 😱
You didn’t compare the touchscreens. 😮
Probably should have reminded folks but I just assume everyone knows the Mac isn't and windows is. My bad 😔
If windows was what it used to be, I'd happily accept the Surface laptop as an alternative. But the win11 mess (and 10) doesn't allow me to return to any device that uses that OS.
I've never been an Apple fan, though we don't choose computers based on their brand but on the operating system and software quality.
I hear ya but I do think windows 11 has been improving well since launch. I really like to use it in many ways.
pls provide chapterssss!!!
Thought auto chapters were on 😱! Let me check...
😍😍
😁
in every other way you choose surface sure ok in almost all areas Mac takes it actually display, battery, performance, track pad and speakers ,microphones web cam , much more powerful gpu
you made me laugh when you Said Mac only just have slightly better track pad there is a massive diff one is diving port and one is solid state with haptic feed back ,Mac trackpad is more precise and way more accurate and can adjust feel or feedback and has same feed back in every portion of track pad that's not the case with surface ,
* web cam its clear which one is better
* speaker Mac easily
* Mac screen is brighter 500 nits and has way better colours accuracy across and way better antireflective coating smaller bezels as many videos shows
* Mac has way better battery life
* and video editing its no match for Mac industry leading media 8k and pro res encoders and decoder
* full performance without plug in
* Mac also has way more power full gpu
Hey busy bee! We can disagree and still be friends! In my day to day use I genuinely preferred the SL5!
@@mikedropstech opps
Horrible battery life. Also, the windows software is so clunky compared to apple.
😱
RIP Surface
I don't think they'll drop the standard laptop anytime soon but the laptop studio.... I don't see a refresh coming for that!
Windows is too ugly, especially emoji 😆
😱
So wait, on your camera comparison, you had a pink light in the background and you complained about it coming through on the mac. Then looking at skin tone, you said you looked all washed out on the mac? You looked better on the mac and you looked like you had jaundice on the surface. Not sure if you got the webcams confused but if you didn't, you need lasik surgery. Macbook wins hands down. Sorry bro, bad review on terms of visualization on your part. P.S. The surface can't hold a candle to a macbook air's performance. A lot of haters on apple, I've come to a conclusion. It's not because apple is bad, it's because the people that hate on them just can't afford them. Mac is for boujie people, not for welfare patients.
Let me double check but remember, when I'm recording and commenting on what I'm seeing I'm looking at how the device itself is showing the image on it's own screen. That may be different to how it shows from a screen recording on the screen your watching. Second, you get the added benefit of being able to watch both recordings on the same screen (yours) so you get to see them reproduced in a more consistent way. When I'm recording I'm seeing each one being displayed on it's own screen to in theory, one could record better in real life but display it worse on it's screen because the screen itself is inferior.
I haven't done too many webcam / screen comparisons but seem to be doing them a little more lately (tomorrow's video drop has another set) so I'm tweaking how we test and record to try and keep the variables as consistent as possible. That said, I don't think it would be fair for me to record 2 devices, and then look at them afterward on a 3rd device as someone buying one of them won't get that luxury so it still feels more authentic to talk about what's actually being displayed in the moment if that makes sense!
I totally and 100 percent agree with this!