5 Superior Alternatives To Apple's New MacBook

Apple describes their New MacBook as “the future of the notebook.” But I’m not buying that prophesy, and neither should you. From an engineering standpoint, Apple’s newest SKU is nothing short of brilliant; its elegant chassis a true evolution in a world that measures sexiness in millimeters. It’s 24% thinner than my beloved MacBook Air and 17% lighter. But it’s also less powerful and will carry an exorbitant price tag.
Starting at $1299, the new MacBook is an overpriced netbook, a glorified iPad minus the utility or the touchscreen. With an Intel Core M CPU, it’s a performance downgrade next to the MacBook Air. It’s a device with the audacity to demand a $300 premium for a 0.1GHz CPU speed boost and 256GB of additional storage. It’s a device that demands you fork over an additional $79 for a hub that restores the multitasking, multi-port functionality of every other laptop on the market. It doesn’t even have an HD webcam, as Apple instead opted for their 480p FaceTime camera.
Before you immediately jump to the comments and accuse me of being a biased Microsoft fanboy, you need to know my last notebook purchase was a 13-inch MacBook Air. It’s still my daily driver, my companion for Netflix  in bed, for notation and reporting during press events, for recording my own original music. I’ve been happily drinking the OS X Kool-Aid for several years, and firmly believe Apple’s operating system is more conducive to creativity and production. But for all its milestones and records and forward-thinking technology, this new MacBook is exactly the opposite of what I want in a MacBook. Or in any laptop.
Quite frankly, it’ll serve you better as a status symbol than as a computer worthy of its price tag.
Therefore, I’ve come up with a few alternatives for those of you eyeing that admittedly sexy gold MacBook while simultaneously clutching your wallet for dear life. Simply put, the following machines will still deliver that sleek ultrabook form factor you’re craving, decent to marathon battery life, more features, stronger performance, and do it for less coin.
1: Dell XPS 13

Dell XPS 13 | Photo by Jason Evangelho

Dell’s reinvented XPS 13 raised the quality bar with its “Infinity” display, a jaw-droppingly gorgeous edge-to-edge screen with a barely there bezel. In my Forbes review I praised the XPS 13 for its aesthetics, performance, and battery life, declaring it the new leader in the thin and light category. I wasn’t alone, not by a longshot. Multiple peers including Tech Radar, PC World, and AnandTech agreed.
Perhaps more compelling was the personal angle. As a MacBook Air owner and a fan of OS X, the XPS 13 still made me deeply regret that purchase. And seeing that the “impossibly thin” design of the new MacBook still includes a comparatively massive bezel, I remain regretful. The XPS 13 is the next laptop I’ll purchase with full confidence.
For $1099, you get an Intel Core i5 CPU (again, much more powerful than the Intel Core M present in the new MacBook without sacrificing battery life), a 1080p touchscreen, 256GB SSD, an HD webcam, and stellar 9 to 10 hour battery life.
2: Lenovo Yoga Pro 3

Lenovo Yoga Pro 3

The Yoga was one of the initial Windows 8 offerings to define the 2-in-1 “convertible notebook” category, and the Yoga Pro 3 refines it, with its third generation device directly targeting the MacBook Air — and preemptively competing with Apple’s new MacBook. It’s only 13mm thin, weighs 2.6 pounds, and has a 3200 x 1800 IPS multi-touch display. While it doesn’t rival the new MacBook in terms of CPU performance (it also contains an Intel Core M), it does equal it in storage space, and system memory. For $100 less.
It also doubles, of course, as a laptop with its unique hinge design, allowing it to fold back 360 degrees onto the keyboard. And it has a touchscreen with a higher pixel density than Apple’s latest.
3: ASUS ZenBook UX305

ASUS Zenbook UX305

Considering what you get with this ASUS ultrabook, the price is ridiculously aggressive. Like the majority of these alternatives, it weighs 2.6 pounds and is a touch thinner than the MacBook Air. It’s constructed entirely of aluminum, has an excellently designed trackpad…let’s cut to the chase, it tries to imitate the iconic MacBook Air in every way. Except that it’s completely fanless and costs significantly less.
For $699, you’ll get a 1080p non-touch screen, an Intel Core M CPU, 256GB SSD, and 8GB of RAM. And of course these things called ports, such as an SD card slot, three USB ports, and micro HDMI out. It doesn’t reach quite the same performance points of Apple’s new MacBook, but it does cost half as much and represents a tremendous, fair value.

4: Apple MacBook Air

Apple MacBook Air

Yep, Apple is its own competition here: The new MacBook’s predecessor, the Ultrabook that set the benchmark for other Ultrabooks for years to come. Though Apple inexplicably refuses to update the aging Air’s screen capabilities, it’s still a fantastic machine primarily because of its performance (a dual-core Intel Core i5 CPU which once again trounces the MacBook’s Intel Core M) and insane battery life in excess of 12 hours.
Beginning at $899, it’s only .376 pounds heavier than Apple’s new entry in the MacBook family, and it boasts more processing power and equivalent battery life. $1199 gets you that roomier 256GB SSD in the 13-inch model, although the Air’s weakness is now its 1440 x 900 resolution, one which Apple continues to blow past in all its other devices.
I still love mine, although as I’ve mentioned the Dell XPS 13 will be my next purchase…at which point I’ll do everything in my power to turn it into a Hackintosh for the best of both worlds.
5: Microsoft Surface Pro 3 

Microsoft Surface Pro 3

The Surface began life as an ambitious hybrid ultrabook with an identity problem. Frankly it was ahead of its time, crippled not by its specs or functionality but by a marketing campaign that wasn’t quite on point. With its third generation, Microsoft has finally given it some identity: “The tablet that can replace your laptop.” It’s not merely a slogan, but a perfect description of the Surface. It’s only 0.36-inches thin and weighs 1.76 pounds, but packs a powerful 4th generation Intel Core CPU. Its 2160 x 1440 touchscreen display is ridiculously sharp, and its battery grants you 8 to 9 hours. Crucially, the Surface Pro 3 can exist as a standalone tablet or a full-fledged laptop with its microSD card readers, USB 3.0 port, mini DisplayPort, and dual HD cameras.
Granted, it will cost closer to $1400 with the optional (but seriously required) $129 type cover, but you’ll get equivalent storage space (256GB) and a significantly faster CPU that will handle multitasking, office productivity, or video and photo editing with ease.

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With nothing but respect for Apple’s engineering team, I still remain firm in recommending any of these alternatives over the new MacBook. It’s underpowered and overpriced. It makes too many compromises in the pursuit of proprietary ports/accessories, and sacrifices usability for thinness and aesthetics.