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Apple MacBook Air (2020) vs Lenovo ThinkPad W530

Apple MacBook Air (2020)

Apple MacBook Air (2020)

137 reviews

View Product Details

Lenovo ThinkPad W530

Lenovo ThinkPad W530

55 reviews

View Product Details

Consumer Reports · Best Laptops for College Students

RTINGS · The 7 Best Laptops

Wirecutter · The 3 Best MacBooks of 2021

#15 most mentioned

Reddit · r/thinkpad

Great portability

Strong performance with M1 processor

Up to 12.5 hours of battery life on a single charge

High quality case and good panel

Good optimization for macOS

Great performance

Classic design

Upgradable

Good build quality

Full HD 1080 display

Not suitable for those who need more multitasking power or storage space

Windows laptops offer more performance at a lower price point

No significant design updates since 2018

Not all units come with a power adapter

Some users have reported issues with the wireless connection

Battery life may not be ideal

Verdict

The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is a great choice for those looking for a highly portable laptop with strong performance. It features an M1 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of solid state storage. The battery life is also impressive, lasting up to 12.5 hours on a single charge. However, the base model may not be suitable for those who need more multitasking power or storage space. Additionally, some Windows laptops offer more performance at a lower price point.

Verdict

The Lenovo ThinkPad W530 is a powerful laptop with a classic design. It is well-built and has great performance. It is upgradable, allowing users to customize their own computers. However, some users have reported issues with the wireless connection and battery life. Additionally, some users have reported that the laptop did not come with a power adapter.

Reviews by Topic

Our analysis shows how reviewers feel about different topics. Please note these are not full reviews.

Portability

youtube

Apple M1 MacBook Air - Long Term User Review

You've probably already seen a thousand reviews of this machine, so this is not a benchmark video, but if you haven't bought one yet, perhaps this vid...

Positive

In case of W530 or any other Lenovo laptop with this form factor (so T520, W520 and T530 also count) the problem is **portability** (or lack thereof). Let's be honest - this a heavy, chonky thicc boi that sports some very decent cooling and performance at a cost of being not so portable. The weight is at around 2.8kg and 170W charger you'd need anywhere to operate this thing adds some more weight to the package

Neutral

reddit.com/r/thinkpad

Battery Life

All it needed was a totally new keyboard and faster processors

2GHz to get something done and then ramp it back down to 1.1GHz to preserve heat and battery life. This is a pretty normal strategy now.

Negative

ThinkPad W530 vs M1 Max MacBook Pro... Where did the battery life go, Lenovo?

Any recommendations or questions are welcome. Trying to find something with an amazing keyboard, matte screen, and excellent battery life to replace the W530. Not sure if the current crop of ThinkPads will cut it until they get Intel or AMD to focus on efficiency.

Positive

reddit.com/r/thinkpad

Performance

Verdict – The Core i3 is the better choice for everyday tasks

There are also noticeable advantages in terms of the emissions, and especially the fan is much quieter with a slower maximum speed. This means the i3 MacBook Air is quieter for longer periods of time, even when you stress it.The MacBook Air with the dual-core i3 processor is the better device for basic workloads. The subjective performance impression is very good in these scenarios, the fan is quieter, and you can still enjoy the good display as well as the improved keyboard

Neutral

notebookcheck.net

Not sure if that's specifically something I'll have to look for or if all modern computers will be up to the task. I'm in the US, looking for something <1K.

Neutral

reddit.com/r/SuggestALaptop

Keyboard

Magic Keyboard makes the new $999 MacBook Air

In 2018, the system finally got a much-needed reboot, adding a high-res screen, slimmer bezels and Touch ID. But at the same time, it also added the much-maligned butterfly keyboard and kicked the price up. I always felt that was a mistake -- $999 is an important psychological and financial barrier, especially for students, writers and anyone who needs maximum reliability and usability on a budget. Keyboard evolution Now that I've had a chance to go hands-on with the new MacBook Air, the keyboard really stands out as a major selling point

Neutral

Outstanding machine. The very best of the last Thinkpads without the awful new buttonless trackpad.

Try that on any laptop on sale at Best Buy or at an Apple store. The finish of the W530 is beautiful and repels smears and fingerprints and won't scratch easily. The keyboard is excellent and comfortable and offers TWO forms of lighting. Multi-stage backlighting from within the keys AND an overhead ThinkLight that lights the whole keyboard from above

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