A lot of people are looking for a decent ultraportable laptop; and with both Microsoft and Apple offering interesting options, it is quite hard to tell who comes out on top.
Both Microsoft surface and Macbook Air were the updated versions of their lightweight laptops so it was quite interesting to see that it was a battle between the best of the Win10 and the MacOS.
DESIGN
In terms of design, what has become a trend for these two competing models is their aluminum unibody spec. One may think that the Air may still look the same as its 2008 predecessor but it still had a subtle change since it is now lighter from its previous model, thinner at around 0.16-0.61 inches, and comes in Silver, Gold, and Space Gray color options. On the other hand, Microsoft Surface may be a strong contender for a well-designed laptop-notebook device as it has Microsoft’s notable Alcantara fabric, and is significantly slimmer and elegantly colourful than its competitor.
The Air also retained the butterfly-style keyboard design from the other Macbooks and is a bit of an acquired taste for consumers while Microsoft Surface has its stain-resistant Alcantara deck that makes for a luxurious typing experience.
SPECS
| MacBook Air 2018 | Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 | |
| Processor | 1.6GHz Dual-Core Processor, Turbo Boost to 3.6GHz | 1.6GHz Quad-Core processor, Turbo Boost to 3.4GHz |
| OS | macOS 10.14 Mojave | Windows 10 Home |
| RAM | 8GB/16GB | 8GB/16GB |
| Storage | 128GB/256GB/512GB/1.5TB | 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB |
| GPU | Intel UHD Graphics 617 | Intel UHD Graphics 620 |
| Display | 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2560×1600 native resolution at 227ppi | 13.5in PixelSense Display, 2256 x 1504 (201ppi), aspect ratio 3:2, 3.4 million pixels |
| Ports | 2x Thunderbolt 3/USB-C, 3.5mm headphone jack | 1x USB 3.0, 1x Mini DisplayPort, Surface Connect Port, 3.5mm headphone jack |
| Dimensions | 30.41cm x 21.24cm x 0.41-1.56cm x | 30.8cm x 22.32cm x 1.44cm |
| Weight | 1.25kg / 2.75lbs | 1.25kg / 2.75lbs |
With Surface’s Quadcore processor, this makes it a fast-performing device than the Macbook Air with having a Dualcore processor. Nonetheless, the Air has better performing SSD (256GB SSD) than the Surface Laptop’s 128GB SSD which makes copying data relatively smoother and faster.
DISPLAY
In terms of screen display both has higher than 1080p resolutions, although Air has a higher resolution and offers a standard 16:9 aspect ratio with Retina display; while Surface provides a more productive-friendly 3:2 screen ratio, and has a brighter and more colourful display. What lacks from Air is the touch screen and digital pen-input feature that Surface provides though its practicality & effectiveness is dependent on the user’s preference.
It was difficult to tell which the best was out of the two was because both had their own unique features. Nonetheless, these two are great options for the ultraportable laptop series.
https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/macbook-air-vs-surface-laptop-2
https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/apple-macbook-air-vs-microsoft-surface-pro-6/
https://www.techadvisor.co.uk/review/laptops/macbook-air-2018-vs-surface-laptop-2-3686495/