Hi, I bought a used MBA in the summer, but unfortunately, even after all this time, I still haven't quite gotten used to it, neither the system nor the screen scaling, and unfortunately, there are several things missing from Windows that cannot be solved, or can only be solved with a lot of hassle and fuss, not to mention the few games (I don't play much, maybe 2-3 titles if I feel like it, only 1 of which runs on an MBA). So I'll give it until summer, but if it still doesn't work out, I'll trade it in for a Windows laptop.

  1. When would the purchase be due?
    Around summer

  2. How much are you willing to spend on the machine?
    ~1k usd, buying in central EU

  3. What will you use it for?
    The screen should be nice (preferably OLED) for movies/series, but it should also be able to run some games (on an MBA, this usually involves a lot of suffering and messing around, and even then only for 10 minutes because it overheats). I don't need this year's AAA games, I have a desktop computer for that if I really need it, but it should be capable of more than the MBA. It should be suitable for entry-level image editing/video cutting. Maybe a little virtualization sometimes.

  4. Display size, resolution, glossy or matte, TN or IPS?
    Preferably 13-14", but if that's not possible, then 15-16" is fine, OLED if possible, FHD minimum, but 2k is fine if it fits into the budget

  5. How much will the machine be carried around?
    A moderate amount, but I would use it while traveling as well. It should have as good a battery life as possible, because that's what I like about Macs :D

  6. Should it have Windows pre-installed?
    I'll put Win on it, it doesn't matter what it comes with.

  7. Storage size and type (HDD and/or SSD), amount of memory (RAM)?
    Min 512, 1TB is better but I can replace it. Min 16GB RAM (32 would be better, I need it for Photoshop and virtualization, but I'll put in the max).

  8. Any other wishes or special requirements? (e.g. serial port, HDMI, etc.)
    HDMI, USB-C and at least a regular USB port,USB-C video output for docking. A light-up keyb is a plus but not a necessity, similar to Thunderbolt 3-4.

Thank you in advance for your help! :)

  • With the increased prices in EU, i think an Lenovo Legion 5 Pro that comes with OLED 2K is your best bet. You can also get an ASUS TUF A14 with Ryzen Ai that has 2.8K screen, but that’s IPS. These will be great for photoshop because of the Nvidia RTX dGPU, but you won’t get the same battery life as a MacBook. With your workflow maybe like 5-6h of use. If you want Mac Battery Life Level on a windows laptop you have to get something wih Snapdragon SoC but that has some compatibility issues.

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