Macbook Air M1 vs Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 Pro (or other?)

Lflyflytea on 23/07/2021 - 09:30

My workplace is supporting me to go to university and I will need a laptop in the next few months. Trying to work out what to buy so I can start looking out for deals.

I am a student and I can also salary package (no GST and no tax) as it is for work, so that will be some good savings.

Uses:

  • VS Code - front end web development
  • Adobe XD
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe inDesign
  • Web browsing/streaming
  • Emails (through citrix)

I might also like to play the Sims 4 and WOW - but I have a gaming PC so this isn't a deal breaker. But like the idea of being able to play some games when travelling (whenever that will be lol).

Macbook Air config would be 16GB/512GB for $1813, around $1100 with tax/GST savings. Appealing as it has long battery life, light weight/portable, can use sidecar with my iPad and possible resale value.

Lenovo IdeaPad config would be 16GB/512GB Nvidia 3050 for $1473, around $900 with tax/GST savings. Appealing as it has a bigger screen, probably can handle some gaming better, cheaper

I use mac for work and windows at home. I have an iPad and a Google Pixel phone. I am not tied to any eco system and don't have a preference for operating system.

Open to other ideas too and I am an overthinker with purchases so I probably won't buy for another 4-6 weeks after I struggle some more with using Jump Desktop on the iPad while at uni.

Computing Apple Computer Laptop Lenovo Ultrabook

Comments

  • ozb88 on 23/07/2021 - 09:46

    Right now the Adobe suite will be running via Rosetta so the performance wont be great on the M1, however once Adobe rewrite/compile for the M1 chip, it will work well.

    Not sure about gaming on the Apple, but there should be no issues on the Lenovo seeing as it as a RTX3050 in it.

    The Macbook is quite appealing due to the excellent battery life (12-14 hours in tests).

    I think it would also come down to personal preference, macOS vs Windows 10/11.

  • skid on 23/07/2021 - 09:50
    +2

    I am not an Apple fan at all but the M1 is a good bit of kit. I'd go one of those for the battery life and being lightweight. It'd be perfect for VS code.

    • ozb88 on 23/07/2021 - 09:59

      Same, never liked macOS even after using it for a good 5 years or so. But the battery life/speed makes it very tempting.

      • flyflytea on 23/07/2021 - 10:20

        yep battery life is a huge factor, and how light it is, and being able to charge with a USB C powerbank which I carry around for my phone anyway… I don't mind macOS, I think people get a little too worked up over the two but once you inside an application it is basically the same thing lol

        • ozb88 on 23/07/2021 - 10:35

          Yeah, these days so many things are done via the web browser it doesn't make a huge difference. Although I don't think I could use it as my primary machine as I find finder and the file management horrible. Almost bit the bullet on the 256GB M1 today, but might wait for the price to drop a bit more.

      • spunkyfondue on 23/07/2021 - 11:44

        Resisted going into the Mac ecosystem for years and finally gave in for the M1 … it's a great machine and way better than any windows device at that price point. It's been a massive productivity boost for me.

        Except I tried hooking it up to a second external display and found that it only natively support a single external display.

    • BewareOfThe Dog on 23/07/2021 - 14:02

      Neither am I, and I just bought a Mcbook Pro.
      Only issue is, Mainstage crashes, yet works fine on my Ryzen R7 build?
      I had to start my patch file again.
      Looks like the issue is the Hammond Organ Plug-In I purchased a few months back.

      Battery Life is impressive.

  • raisinberry777 on 23/07/2021 - 10:24
    +1

    Have you looked into lead times for the Ideapad? Looking at the recent deals, many have cancelled their orders as delivery dates have been pushed back to December.

    Macbook Air M1 is a great laptop. Games will be limited to those with Apple capability, but for those that do have it, the M1 seems to perform impressively (given that it's a thin and light laptop). Battery life, screen quality, build quality, keyboard and trackpad are all outstanding.

  • nubzy on 23/07/2021 - 10:39
    +2

    Get the M1. I came from a X1 Carbon G4, and the base model MBA is better in every way except for the average keyboard. Battery life, speed, screen, gestures all fantastic. I use mine as a desktop 95% of the time plugged into 27" 4k monitor and it's great.

  • Kail on 23/07/2021 - 11:52
    +2

    Graphics heavy games like WoW & Sims can really heat up your graphics card so if you're playing it on a laptop you may need a chill pad, which sucks for portability. Just something to look out for with either model.

    Overall I think either laptop would suit your needs.
    The question is, would you be happier with the M1, or with the Lenovo + $200?
    Is the price difference worth it for what you get extra? It's up to you.

    • jv on 23/07/2021 - 14:08

      so if you're playing it on a laptop you may need a chill pad,

      Not if you play it during July in Melbourne…

      • CrispyChrispy on 23/07/2021 - 15:13

        put your laptop in the freezer every hour for a few mins, problem solved

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