Quick Links
Although I use a Windows laptop as my primary workstation, I still use a MacBook when I’m working away from home. But if I had to pick a favorite, it’d be my Windows machine for the reasons I’ve listed below.
1Better Port Selection
The number one reason I still prefer my Windows device over my Apple laptop is because it has a good number of ports. My 15-inch M2 MacBook Air only gives me two USB-C ports, a MagSafe charging port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. So, if I need to plug in a USB-A device and an HDMI monitor, I need a separate hub to get it working.
On the other hand, my Acer Predator Helios 300 gaming laptop gives me a ton of options. It has a USB-C port, three USB-A ports, an HDMI port, a Mini DisplayPort, and an Ethernet port. It even has a Kensington Security Slot to secure the laptop on my desk.
While I could’ve gotten an extra USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 port, HDMI port, and an SDXC card reader if I went with the 16-inch MacBook Pro, I didn’t want to spend an extra $1000 on a backup device. More importantly, I would still be stuck with a laptop with only 512GB of storage. For 2TB of storage, Apple charges an extra $600.
There are othermethods of expanding my MacBook’s storage, but they’re not as seamless and cost-effective as just inserting a cheap SSD into my laptop.
2Easier and Cheaper to Upgrade
Apple silicon MacBooks aren’t user-upgradeable. So, you have to configure it to what you think you’ll need in the future if you don’t want to buy an all-new laptop a few years later. Adding more storage and memory to the base configuration is also far more expensive since you can only configure it directly from Apple.
On the other hand, when I bought my Windows laptop, it only had a 512GB SSD and a 1TB HDD. Since I needed newer, faster storage, I swapped out my 1TB HDD with a 1TB SATA SSD and added an extra 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD drive in the available, unused slot. This gave me 2.5TB of fast storage on my laptop, and I only spent around $150 to get this (unlike the $600 Apple charges).
Thanks to my Windows laptop’s user upgradeability, I didn’t have to replace a perfectly functioning computer just to get more storage space. In fact, I plan to upgrade my Windows laptop’s RAM from 16GB to 32GB soon, which will cost me less than $200.
When I look at the current options for the 15-inch M3 MacBook Air, Apple only offers a maximum of 24GB unified memory, which costs $400—more than double what I plan to spend—and I have to configure it before purchase.
3Plenty of Apps to Choose From
Although you can find Mac apps on the App Store and directly through developers' websites, Windows computers generally have more options. This is expected because Windows is far more popular than macOS, so programmers are more incentivized to build apps for the former.
For example, I use GnuCash as my primary accounting tool, and it’s not available on macOS. So, I can only work on my finances when I’m on my Windows laptop. I technically canuse a virtualization app to run Windows 11 on my Apple silicon Mac, but it’s an additional step I must take, which is inconvenient.
4Better for Gaming
While Apple has been pushing gaming on macOS recently, Windows is still far ahead in this department. After all, most AAA titles only run on Windows PCs, so if you’re a gamer and you only have a Mac, your options will be much more limited.
Even if you could install your favorite game, the anti-cheat software required for multiplayer matches might be a bit finicky. While some developers have figured out a way to get anti-cheat to work on macOS, you might still need to do some configuration to make it run properly.
5Natively Supports Three Monitors (or More)
This is the major disadvantage that my MacBook Air has over my Windows laptop. While I can connect two external monitors to my 15-inch MacBook Air, I’ll have to keep the lid closed for this setup.
My solution was to use my MacBook’s Air built-in display, a 15-inch portable external monitor, and then my 13-inch iPad Air as the third screen. However, this could be an expensive workaround if you’re buying an iPad just to use it as another external screen for your MacBook Air.
Eventually, I got aDisplayLink hubfor a little over $200, which allowed me to run three external monitors and use the built-in display. Sure, I could’ve bought an M3 Max MacBook Pro, but that would have cost me at least $3,200.
On the other hand, my Acer Predator Helios 300 supports up to two external monitors natively—one via the HDMI port and the other via Mini DisplayPort. I bought an MST splitter for less than $100, and now I can run four external displays (three via MST and one via HDMI) aside from my Windows laptop’s built-in screen.
My MacBook Air does have a few advantages, like a thin and light profile, seamless connectivity with my iPhone and iPad, and amazing battery life. However, that’s still not enough to make me want to replace my Windows laptop as my primary workstation.
