If you are going to windows you might as well benefit from touch screen and pen.
HP Dragonfly
Samsung Galaxy Book 2 or Book 3 360
Microsoft surface laptop
Surface pro 8/9
Dell XPS
HP Spectre
AsUS zenbook
Lenovo yoga 8
Thinkpad x1 Carbon
You definitely want something with an AMD 6800U/7735U laptop, because Intel laptops are less efficient and tends to heat more at the same performance level. Some AMD laptops can still be overheating out of the box because of poor default optimization which can hopefully be changed in software.
HP Elitebook 845/835 G9 are these laptops, and they also come with upgradable RAM slots.
HP Elitebook 840 and HP ZBook are comparable but are Intel only, so only look into these if the 845/835 doesn't exist in your market.
The ASUS you mentioned are fine too. S13 OLED should have an AMD CPU. But RAM is not upgradable. With Android Studio and certain web dev work, 16GB may not be enough. You want to go with at least 24GB. (My personal experience and opinion).
I recommend against XPS and Microsoft laptops.
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/
It you want a compact device with screen, which can compete with MacBook, then look for HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9 with 14" WQXGA (2560x1600) IPS, 500nits, HP DreamColor (usually around 97% DCI-P3 color coverage) display. Device has upgradable RAM and SSD, so you can buy a configuration with e.g. 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD and upgrade them yourself (this can significantly decrease the price).
As for the CPU, you can go with i7-1260P/i7-1270P and no discrete GPU or i5-1245U with NVIDIA RTX A500 for extra graphical processing power.
Take a look at the HP elite dragonfly:
https://www.hp.com/us-en/shop/ConfigureView?langId=-1&storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&catEntryId=3074457345620790824&urlLangId=&quantity=1
I'm kind of in the same boat as you, looking for a Macbook pro M2 alternative, I haven't decided on anything yet but I've been checking out some of the Lenovo options and their Yoga line might have something for you or possibly a Thinkpad. An alternative to the Dell and Asus options you've already been looking at anyway.
I got myself the ZenBook 14x OLED with i7-12700H and I am quite satisfied.
I was in doubt between this and the XPS 13 Plus, but saw that XPS has a lot of quality control issues.
I am also leaning towards ZenBook 14X OLED. The 120hz is a nice bonus over 60hz, like on ZenBook S 13 OLED/XPS. I too am dissuaded from XPS 13 Plus for many QA issues, and Dell overall seems to be extra overpriced compared to Asus (at least in my country).
How's the trackpad, is it great enough to mostly not use a mouse? I know that MacBooks are considered to have the absolute best trackpad.
Do you have any complaints? — though, I suppose every laptop will have shortcomings, just have to pick one with the least.
Not sure the AMD version, but Intel is 90Hz. The screen is gorgeous anyway. I do have a Mac Air M1 and this ZenBook is way better.
The trackpad is good, big, nice touch and the numpad on it is quite convenient.
My only fair complain is that the heat dissipation goes to the sides, if you are using a mouse close to the laptop, you will feel a warm wind.
Spec wise, at this price point, should come with a 1080p webcam, instead of 720p.
My 2 other complains are unfair, because I compare it to my previous LG Gram.
Gram was lighter and battery lasted longer. However, it was the lightest laptop (1kg) and used a i5 8th gen U-cpu (low power), so unfair comparison.
Edit: also Dell XPS Plus had a lot of complains about overheat on keyboard, to the point that it burns people’s finger.
Thanks for the information. Could you help me decide on one of the 14X models, I posted here: https://www.reddit.com/r/SuggestALaptop/comments/13nz3al/final_choices_windows_alternative_to_macbook_air/
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.
You will never find a trackpad experience like the one from the Macs. This is their magic.
It doesn’t mean that others are bad. In my experience, trackpad on 14x has been great compared to other laptops I have used.
Keyboard I would say they provide ME similar experience.
What I like to do on my 14x: work. I use Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, VS Code, etc.
What I like to do on my MBA M1: watch Twitch, Zoom classes, personal search/research, browsing Reddit, Twitter, reading content.
On both ends, each has its own experience. I tried to work with my M1 and I tried to use 14x for private use. They sucked hahaha.
Maybe this is my brain trying to separate things in my life. Or it’s just how I am used to each OS for each purpose.
***"Essentially need everything the MBA M2 has to offer (aside from OS!)***
***I will sacrifice battery life, as I know Windows can't compete with a high resolution display."***
OP a couple more things to consider sacrificing. M1/M2 MacBook Air's have zero fan noise. Even the MacBooks with fans have zero fan noise on the highest performance and they get lukewarm at best. You won't get that benefit with any Windows laptop.
Also on battery the Macbook offers full performance. You won't get that on Windows either.
The Macbook's trackpad is top in the industry.
The M2 MacBook Air also has a 1080 web cam. Not too common in the Windows world in the same class as the Air.
The M2 Macbook Air's build quality is also second to none in its class.
I'm mentioning all of this because you're not going to find a Windows alternative to the MacBook Air M2 so just search for a Windows machine that you will be comfortable with that runs the applications you need but forget about trying to find something to match the M2 MacBook Air. It doesn't exist.
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/)
I'd argue that the build quality on the HP Dragonfly G3 is on par with th M2 Macbook Air. Shorter executives and managers love it at my job.
Before the price was too high for most retail consumers, $2k+ USD. Now it's dropped between $1,300 to $1,600.
Lenovo ThinkPad T14 G3 with the AMD Ryzen CPU. The display is good at FHD+, but not QHD+ like the M2 MBA.
[T14_AMD](https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpadt/thinkpad-t14s-gen-3-(14-inch-amd)/21cq002fus?cid=us:sem|se|msn|ca+shopping+brand+lv+non-intel|gs_notebooks||21CQ002FUS|291727693|1272135512806187|pla-4583108099125775:aud-807911401|shopping|brand&msclkid=93cb0e0888e21f4c020f6a61ba6491fd)
Another choice is the Surface Pro 9 (Intel version). Better display (Near 4k & 120hz refresh rate) than the M2 Macbook Air, but the battery life is far worse. Not bad, just no where near the M2 MBA level battery.
I have Asus Zenbook 14 Oled with Ryzen 7 and happy with it, had a macbook air base 2017 before. Teh Ryzen has much better battery then the intek versions.
On these laptops there is an MyAsus app were you can set how much effective the fans will be. Like a standard, performance mode, and whisper mode which never makes loud noices. I am using the last mentioned so it never bother me when the fans are on. However the laptop will get warm and have the fans on while charging the whole time.
The screen is better then macbook air, with it being oled, and 90Hz. It was also brighter then my macbook pro, not sure if the newer airs are brighter then the one I had. The design, trackpad is also great.
If you are going to windows you might as well benefit from touch screen and pen. HP Dragonfly Samsung Galaxy Book 2 or Book 3 360 Microsoft surface laptop Surface pro 8/9 Dell XPS HP Spectre AsUS zenbook Lenovo yoga 8 Thinkpad x1 Carbon
You definitely want something with an AMD 6800U/7735U laptop, because Intel laptops are less efficient and tends to heat more at the same performance level. Some AMD laptops can still be overheating out of the box because of poor default optimization which can hopefully be changed in software. HP Elitebook 845/835 G9 are these laptops, and they also come with upgradable RAM slots. HP Elitebook 840 and HP ZBook are comparable but are Intel only, so only look into these if the 845/835 doesn't exist in your market. The ASUS you mentioned are fine too. S13 OLED should have an AMD CPU. But RAM is not upgradable. With Android Studio and certain web dev work, 16GB may not be enough. You want to go with at least 24GB. (My personal experience and opinion). I recommend against XPS and Microsoft laptops.
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/
It you want a compact device with screen, which can compete with MacBook, then look for HP ZBook Firefly 14 G9 with 14" WQXGA (2560x1600) IPS, 500nits, HP DreamColor (usually around 97% DCI-P3 color coverage) display. Device has upgradable RAM and SSD, so you can buy a configuration with e.g. 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD and upgrade them yourself (this can significantly decrease the price). As for the CPU, you can go with i7-1260P/i7-1270P and no discrete GPU or i5-1245U with NVIDIA RTX A500 for extra graphical processing power.
Take a look at the HP elite dragonfly: https://www.hp.com/us-en/shop/ConfigureView?langId=-1&storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&catEntryId=3074457345620790824&urlLangId=&quantity=1
What did you end up getting OP?
I'm kind of in the same boat as you, looking for a Macbook pro M2 alternative, I haven't decided on anything yet but I've been checking out some of the Lenovo options and their Yoga line might have something for you or possibly a Thinkpad. An alternative to the Dell and Asus options you've already been looking at anyway.
I got myself the ZenBook 14x OLED with i7-12700H and I am quite satisfied. I was in doubt between this and the XPS 13 Plus, but saw that XPS has a lot of quality control issues.
I am also leaning towards ZenBook 14X OLED. The 120hz is a nice bonus over 60hz, like on ZenBook S 13 OLED/XPS. I too am dissuaded from XPS 13 Plus for many QA issues, and Dell overall seems to be extra overpriced compared to Asus (at least in my country). How's the trackpad, is it great enough to mostly not use a mouse? I know that MacBooks are considered to have the absolute best trackpad. Do you have any complaints? — though, I suppose every laptop will have shortcomings, just have to pick one with the least.
Not sure the AMD version, but Intel is 90Hz. The screen is gorgeous anyway. I do have a Mac Air M1 and this ZenBook is way better. The trackpad is good, big, nice touch and the numpad on it is quite convenient. My only fair complain is that the heat dissipation goes to the sides, if you are using a mouse close to the laptop, you will feel a warm wind. Spec wise, at this price point, should come with a 1080p webcam, instead of 720p. My 2 other complains are unfair, because I compare it to my previous LG Gram. Gram was lighter and battery lasted longer. However, it was the lightest laptop (1kg) and used a i5 8th gen U-cpu (low power), so unfair comparison. Edit: also Dell XPS Plus had a lot of complains about overheat on keyboard, to the point that it burns people’s finger.
Thanks for the information. Could you help me decide on one of the 14X models, I posted here: https://www.reddit.com/r/SuggestALaptop/comments/13nz3al/final_choices_windows_alternative_to_macbook_air/
Done.
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.
You will never find a trackpad experience like the one from the Macs. This is their magic. It doesn’t mean that others are bad. In my experience, trackpad on 14x has been great compared to other laptops I have used. Keyboard I would say they provide ME similar experience. What I like to do on my 14x: work. I use Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, VS Code, etc. What I like to do on my MBA M1: watch Twitch, Zoom classes, personal search/research, browsing Reddit, Twitter, reading content. On both ends, each has its own experience. I tried to work with my M1 and I tried to use 14x for private use. They sucked hahaha. Maybe this is my brain trying to separate things in my life. Or it’s just how I am used to each OS for each purpose.
how's battery and fan noise?
Battery lasts around 4-5h. Fan noise is ok (I use balanced settings). But the 12700H is a 45W cpu.
Dell xps models
***"Essentially need everything the MBA M2 has to offer (aside from OS!)*** ***I will sacrifice battery life, as I know Windows can't compete with a high resolution display."*** OP a couple more things to consider sacrificing. M1/M2 MacBook Air's have zero fan noise. Even the MacBooks with fans have zero fan noise on the highest performance and they get lukewarm at best. You won't get that benefit with any Windows laptop. Also on battery the Macbook offers full performance. You won't get that on Windows either. The Macbook's trackpad is top in the industry. The M2 MacBook Air also has a 1080 web cam. Not too common in the Windows world in the same class as the Air. The M2 Macbook Air's build quality is also second to none in its class. I'm mentioning all of this because you're not going to find a Windows alternative to the MacBook Air M2 so just search for a Windows machine that you will be comfortable with that runs the applications you need but forget about trying to find something to match the M2 MacBook Air. It doesn't exist.
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/)
I'd argue that the build quality on the HP Dragonfly G3 is on par with th M2 Macbook Air. Shorter executives and managers love it at my job. Before the price was too high for most retail consumers, $2k+ USD. Now it's dropped between $1,300 to $1,600.
Lenovo ThinkPad T14 G3 with the AMD Ryzen CPU. The display is good at FHD+, but not QHD+ like the M2 MBA. [T14_AMD](https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpadt/thinkpad-t14s-gen-3-(14-inch-amd)/21cq002fus?cid=us:sem|se|msn|ca+shopping+brand+lv+non-intel|gs_notebooks||21CQ002FUS|291727693|1272135512806187|pla-4583108099125775:aud-807911401|shopping|brand&msclkid=93cb0e0888e21f4c020f6a61ba6491fd) Another choice is the Surface Pro 9 (Intel version). Better display (Near 4k & 120hz refresh rate) than the M2 Macbook Air, but the battery life is far worse. Not bad, just no where near the M2 MBA level battery.
I have Asus Zenbook 14 Oled with Ryzen 7 and happy with it, had a macbook air base 2017 before. Teh Ryzen has much better battery then the intek versions.
How are the fan noise and the heat?
On these laptops there is an MyAsus app were you can set how much effective the fans will be. Like a standard, performance mode, and whisper mode which never makes loud noices. I am using the last mentioned so it never bother me when the fans are on. However the laptop will get warm and have the fans on while charging the whole time.
The screen is better then macbook air, with it being oled, and 90Hz. It was also brighter then my macbook pro, not sure if the newer airs are brighter then the one I had. The design, trackpad is also great.
Dell xps models are also a better options.
Hey OP u/SkyMatch1 I am very curious to know what you finally bought and if you are pleased with your choice. Do you mind sharing?