Macbook Air (2019) vs Microsoft Surface Laptop 2

The Macbook Air (2019) is a minor change that reduces the price of the Macbook by $100. The basic model now includes 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM for $1,099. The Macbook air is slightly more expensive than what some consumers are willing to pay for a laptop. As the affordable, entry-level Apple product, the Macbook Air might be the computer for students and professionals that do not play videogames, run algorithms or edit long videos.

Last year's comparison of the 2018 Macbook Air and Surface Laptop 2 noted that the technical details of the products are comparable. Many of these comparisons are the same in 2019. Each of these products has a unique feeling that a user might enjoy on a day to day basis over the other. If you want to buy one of these computers, they each have advantages that will give you the best computing experience for you.

Design

Both of these computers still have the same body as they did in 2018. The Macbook Air (2019) still weighs 2.75 pounds and the Surface Laptop 2 is roughly 2.76 pounds. On a day to day basis, most people will not notice the difference in weight between the two computers. You can through either laptop in a bag for travel without thinking twice about the weight. In the last year, the price of the basic Surface Laptop 2 has dropped $100 giving many users more bang for their buck. The annoying thing about buying Surface products is that buying a device in an alternative color will cost users an extra $100. 

Keyboard

April: my first 2018 MacBook Air has keyboard issues.
June: my replacement unit’s USB-C ports stop working.
Now: I’m on my 3rd 2018 Air in 3 months but I’m somehow supposed to believe there aren’t huge QA and engineering problems with this model? This is going to suck.

— Damien Barrett (@damienbarrett) June 22, 2019

There is not a large difference between the 2018 Model and the 2019 model. The Macbook Air 2019 has a similar keyboard to the poorly reviewed 2018 model. In May of this year, Apple created a service program for poorly performing keyboards. The newest 2019 MacBook Air is included in the Apple Keyboard Service program. It's concerning that one of their newer products was included in this program after release. I use the Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 on a day to day basis and this is the best laptop keyboard from any manufacturer I have used (Apple, Sony, HP, and Lenovo are included in my comparison). If you're someone that needs access to a reliable, functioning computer regularly you may want to avoid the 2019 Macbook.

Specs

The incremental changes to the Macbook Air aren't different enough to go into further detail. Most users will get better performance out of a Surface Laptop 2 than in the latest Macbook Air. The processor in the 2019 Macbook Air is the exact same as the 2018 model, which is a bit disappointing. If you're in the market for a new laptop, you may want to consider spending an extra $200 dollars on the 2019 Macbook Pro. The 13-inch Macbook Pro has more processing power than the 2019 Macbook Air). The 13-inch Macbook Pro now has the touch bar that was previously only available on the super-expensive 15-inch model.

Apple's last great laptop was the 2017 MacBook Air. The keyboard sucks on every other device.

— Sohail Abid (@sohailabid) March 19, 2019

Overview

Macbook Air (2019) should be avoided by most users. If you're a student or professional that must use an Apple product, you might want to consider spending an extra $200 and buy the Macbook Air. If you're not a student or you're a professional that wants a reliable computer, consider buying the Surface Laptop 2. Until Microsoft refreshes the Surface Laptops, you're safe to buy the Surface Laptop over the Macbook Air. Unfortunately, the Macbook Air (2019) is not a better product than the Surface Laptop 2.

You can buy Apple Laptops or Microsoft Surface products at their stores or on Amazon.