So I recently bought a MacBook Air M4 for myself and an iPad Air M2 for my wife from Star Tech. Since I had never used macOS or iPadOS before, I was really excited to learn something new. As a longtime Windows user, this sudden change was challenging but refreshing.
My Windows journey started with Windows XP, then Windows Vista, Windows 7 (the best Windows version in my opinion), I skipped Windows 8 and 8.1, and then moved on to Windows 10 and Windows 11. I’m not completely abandoning Windows, as I will still be running my old Windows laptop alongside the MacBook Air M4.
Why I Chose a MacBook
Initially, I planned to buy a second-hand laptop like a Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon or a brand-new Asus ZenBook S 14 OLED. However, my experience with Windows laptops made me reconsider. I loved my current Windows laptop—it helped me through my study years and my current job—but there were several drawbacks:
- Battery Life: I have used several Windows laptops (Toshiba, Dell, HP, Asus, Lenovo), but none gave me more than 2 hours of battery life under light use such as MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and browsing with YouTube watching. Portability is key for me, and short battery life defeats that purpose.
- Fan Noise: Even with light tasks like browsing, the fan often runs loudly. While tolerable in summer, it’s distracting in quiet environments or winter.
- Ads and Bloatware: Since upgrading to Windows 10 and now Windows 11, ads have become intrusive—appearing in the Start Menu, Settings, and Search. This is unacceptable in an operating system, forcing me to use third-party tools to remove ads and bloatware.
- User Experience: Windows 11 improved on Windows 10 but still feels unpolished. Some settings pages look like Windows 7, and Microsoft hasn’t yet created an OS that truly wins the hearts of users.
Why I Chose the MacBook Air M4 (16GB RAM & 512GB SSD)
Choosing the right MacBook was confusing. I knew I wanted the M4 chip but was unsure whether to buy the MacBook Air or MacBook Pro and which configuration to pick. Unlike Windows laptops, MacBooks cannot be upgraded later in terms of RAM or SSD.
At first, I leaned towards the MacBook Pro for its cooling fan and better display. But after research, I realized the MacBook Air perfectly fits my use case: MS Word, MS Excel, PDF viewing, Obsidian note-taking, web browsing, and light editing.
The MacBook Air is lightweight, fanless (so no fan noise), and has excellent battery life. After 20 days of daily use, I’m very happy with my purchase and have not experienced any heat issues despite the lack of a cooling fan.
My recommendation: if your workload is similar to mine, buy at least 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD. While the 256GB SSD option is cheaper, 512GB provides enough space for apps and personal data. I also suggest using an external SSD or HDD for additional storage.
Regarding color, avoid dark colors for the MacBook, as they attract fingerprints even though they look cool.
If you’re new to Apple products like me, you might find my previous post helpful:
Apple ID Bangladesh: Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up Your iPhone, iPad, or MacBook
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