The Apple MacBook Air 13inch and the Asus Zenbook UX305 hit the perfect balance between portability and power under similar price brackets. However, is there finally a better option than the Apple MacBook Air?
Asus has given their best shot at creating a Windows laptop capable of dethroning Apple’s slim-lined classic MacBook. Meanwhile, Cupertino’s Tech Giant has proven time and again that it deserves to be at the very top.
Before judging who is better, you need to know the backstory. The Apple MacBook Air invented the Ultrabook format and right now it has been updated for a seventh time. They still kept the MagSafe socket.
Outwardly, it is the same slim device with a light slice of tech but now it includes a Thunderbolt 2 Port and Intel’s latest Broadwell processor Core i5 that lets it perform faster than before. In the end, how good is the latest Apple MacBook Air? Apple knows that it is best to retain the winning formula and the MacBook Air is certainly unbeatable.
It offers a massive 12 hours battery life. There are very few Windows laptops that get even close. The OS X sings beautifully to the tunes of the Broadwell Core i5 CPU. In case you are planning to edit videos, it is recommended that you upgrade to 8GB of RAM. One of the best advantages of Mac OS X is that it provides your Office-style applications like Pages for free.
Overall, with Keynote and Numbers, it makes for a good suite for work stuff. However, it seems like Apple is trying to be a little slow about changing the Apple MacBook Air and the screen serves as witness. Nowadays, most smartphones feature a 1080p display resolution. Compared to that, the Air’s screen and panel seems quite old-fashioned.
When not viewed dead-on, it looks simply bad and it’s not as sharp as that of Asus and other Apple displays. Thankfully, the Apple MacBook Air has progressed in terms of connectivity. The Thunderbolt 2 will provide bandwidths that are four times faster than through a conventional USB 3.0 port.
The Zenbook UX305 is lighter and thinner than the Apple which is quite unusual for an Asus laptop but the overall combination looks great. It is no match for the MacBook in terms of battery life.
However, it still has decent battery power with nine hours of stamina when doing normal stuff. This is mainly due to the use of Intel’s new Core M CPUs. Although they aren’t as powerful as the Core i5 on the MacBook Air, it allows handling light duties and also some standard gaming. With a standard 8GB RAM, the Zenbook runs smooth 24/7.