After Over 20 Years Of Windows: Why I Bought A MacBook Air Now

I have been buying a new notebook for months. It should be as light as possible, offer a long battery life and last for the next few years. There were three models to choose from. I've already owned Dell and HP notebooks. I've never had a MacBook. In general, I never really had much to do with Apple products. I had bought the first iPod touch and an iPad mini 2, but after a while I got rid of it. I have never owned an iPhone - and now it has become a MacBook Air (2018) with 128 GB of internal storage.

Why not a Dell XPS 13 or HP Specter x360?

Technically, both notebooks are superior to the MacBook Air, no question. Regardless of whether the processor or the memory and RAM. Over the past few years, however, I have repeatedly had problems with Dell and HP products that I simply can no longer accept. I am currently still using a Dell notebook, in which the WLAN was basically unusable. The support provided me with several drivers to solve the problem, but it didn't help. It even went so far that I set up a network via the socket to connect myself by cable. Simply absurd in a price range of around 1,400 euros.

I really like the new HP Specter x360. Still, I'm skeptical of how long this convertible will last. I am still using the first generation of the HP Specter x360 on TV. The device has become very slow. Is the SSD finished? That may be. After three years of intensive use, it's hard to say. In terms of quality, it was the best notebook I've ever owned. However, performance decreased from year to year and all countermeasures did not help.

So it has become a MacBook Air (2018). For me, several points played a role:

• Price: Sounds illogical at first. A cheap MacBook? In fact, I bought the MacBook Air (2018) with 128 GB of internal storage through the VAT campaign at MediaMarkt for just over 1,000 euros. It took a little persuasion to get the MacBook out of the warehouse, but it worked. I said to myself: if I get it, I will buy it.
• Akkulaufzeit: Hersteller von Windows-Notebook versprechen einem unglaublich gute Akkulaufzeiten. Wenn ich dann mal unterwegs arbeiten muss und auf eine lange Laufzeit angewiesen bin, dann werde ich meist enttäuscht. Man kann nun einmal nicht mit einem dunklen Display im Zug oder Büro arbeiten und schaut auch nicht 21 Stunden am Stück einen Film. Man arbeitet mit Chrome, Slack, Textprogrammen, einem Fotoeditor usw., was natürlich Energie frisst. Vom MacBook Air erwarte ich mir mehr. Ich habe bereits jetzt ein gutes Gefühl, was die Akkulaufzeit angeht. Besonders zu Beginn habe ich viel abseits des Netzteiles gemacht – und die Laufzeit ist richtig gut.
• Longevity: A MacBook will still run like it did on the first day in five years - I've been hearing this sentence from my colleague Kaan for months now. And that's exactly what I expect from an Apple product. It has to work well for many years. Does it really do that? Maybe I will write a long-term report in a few years and look back on this article.
• Noise: In the past, fan noise didn't bother me - a lot of performance just has to be cooled. Now they are just annoying. With the MacBook, Apple makes sure that the fan is often barely audible. You can only hear it when the MacBook is under heavy load - but very quietly. Under full load, the MacBook Air is half as quiet as my Dell notebook with Chrome when idle. I already love it.

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Switching from Windows 10 to macOS Mojave

Honestly, I just had to check which version of macOS was running on my MacBook Air (2018) - I had no idea and I don't really care. The switch was easier than expected. I worked on the first MacBook Air a few years ago. At that time, my Lenovo notebook was damaged during the flight to the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and no longer worked. So I was forced to work with it for several days. Basically, when I think back, nothing has changed. Of course, macOS has received many new functions over time. The basic concept has remained the same.

What did I do first?

• The setup was actually very simple. But I had to somehow detach my account from certain apps so that I could update programs on the Mac. I didn't quite understand it, but it worked after a while.
• Then I installed Chrome, set up the synchronization and logged in everywhere. The passwords and user names are adopted, a piece of cake.
• Next I installed Microsoft Office 2019. I just need that on every computer.
• Picasa 3 is just as little missing as slack, tweeting and coconut battery. Inexplicably, macOS only shows the remaining battery life in percent and not in hours. CoconutBattery eliminates this deficiency. I now use Filmora9 as a video editing program. Unfortunately PowerDirector is not available for Mac. Final Cut Pro X is too expensive, too powerful and too complicated for me. When looking for useful programs, I used this article from my colleague Sebastian as a guide.
• What is still missing? I want to buy Pixelmator when it is back on offer. Don't you want to miss the offer? Then check out this article every Friday.

So I'm ready for action, have access to all important content and can get started.

What do I do about the poverty of followers?

Now the MacBook Air (2018) has only two USB-C ports on the right side. Fortunately, I still had a USB-C adapter from my Dell notebook. Works without problems. I connected the MacBook to my 21: 9 monitor from LG as well as my mouse and the ergonomic keyboard from Microsoft.

A little tip for Windows users. The Alt and Ctrl keys can be assigned differently in the settings, so that you don't always get a cramp when you want to copy or paste something. Here's how it looks with me:

I still have problems with the @ symbol. The screenshot function is also hidden behind a three-button combination. The "print" button would probably be too simple. Be that as it may, I actually get along quite well.

However, the adapter mentioned above is not perfect because it does not support "USB Power Delivery". I can not connect the power supply from the MacBook to the adapter and thus pass through to the device. Therefore, I will look around for an alternative in a timely manner so that I only have to connect a cable to the MacBook or Dell notebook at my desk. At Amazon, this model caught my eye from the price-performance ratio. The final decision has not yet been made.

128 GB of internal storage is a bit small

I still have a stomach ache because of the 128 GB of internal storage. I currently only have 80 GB left. I've never had so little internal storage. A 1 TB SSD is installed in my Dell notebook. The HP Specter x360 had 256 GB. I can remedy this with a Crucial MX500 SSD with 1,000 GB, which is in this beautiful USB-C housing. Can I connect directly, achieves relatively high read and write values and fits the design. The purchase of the 256 GB model was simply out of the question. Even with a discount, the 256 GB surcharge would be beyond good and bad and not compatible with myself. The external solution is certainly not perfect, but it was much cheaper - and I now simply have 1 TB of additional storage.

What else did I buy?

As with all of my notebooks that have a display with a reflective surface, I applied a matt film. I'm actually really proud of myself. I have not created a single bubble or caught dirt particles. I have never been able to do this before. It also only cost 8 euros.

Buy matte film for the MacBook Air (2018) from Amazon

I immediately noticed the advantage of the matt surface. Everything is much easier to read and I don't see myself taking too long. The display of the MacBook Air is a little too dark to be read perfectly outdoors. So I compensate for this disadvantage a little. Of course, you don't have this problem in the workplace. The disadvantage? The colors don't look that great anymore. For me personally, that's not a big problem. The advantages outweigh.

I also bought a chic felt bag. It was really cheap at 9 euros on Amazon. I can store my MacBook Air (2018) there during transport. The power supply and the hard drive come in the small additional bag that came with it. It doesn't get any better and it looks great too.

Buy bag for MacBook Air (2018) from Amazon

I also stay with my Microsoft peripherals. Now you could of course buy a Magic Mouse and keyboard from Apple - but in my eyes they are not made to work, they should only look good. That is not reprehensible either. But I have to work with it and I will not do without an ergonomic mouse and keyboard just to make my workspace look nicer.

MacBook Air (2018): have I regretted the purchase?

Not yet. I knew what I was getting myself into. I also use my Dell notebook at my desk. The MacBook Air (2018) is supposed to be more for mobile use. Due to problems with the Dell device, it froze more often, but I was forced to use the MacBook as the main device - and it worked well. For me, the MacBook Air is and remains a work tool that has to do something - and it has it. Of course not all work processes are perfect yet, but it will. The performance of the Y processor is also sufficient.

Why not a MacBook Pro?

Quite simply: it was too expensive for me. I wanted to spend around 1,000 euros. The MacBook Air (2018) is also incredibly light and compact. The keyboard works well and the touchpad is the best I have ever used. Before playing in the MediaMarkt, I played around with both devices. And for me personally, the MacBook Air was simply the better choice.

Do I now only use Apple products?

Not really. I am not interested in an iPhone. I have been an Android user since the very beginning and will probably stay that way if nothing changes dramatically. An iPad would still be conceivable. I love the Apple Watch 4. But it only exists with iPhone - so it doesn't work. Apple TV? I don't really need it. iPod touch? Who needs such a thing at all? I will also continue to use my Dell notebook - at least as long as I feel like it.

I never thought that I would actually make the move to the MacBook at some point. I was so annoyed by the Windows products for which I spent so much money that I simply dared to do so. I hope I will not be disappointed.