Laptops have evolved over the years. They are now more portable, lightweight, and versatile than ever before. And they come parked with a series of features that will make your computing task an enjoyable one.
| Product | Brand | Name | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Apple | New Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 128GB Storage) - Space Gray | Check Price on Amazon |
 | Microsoft | NEW Microsoft Surface Go | Check Price on Amazon |
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The Surface Go and Apple Macbook Air are two of the slimmest laptops you will ever see in the market. They are also very light too.
While the Macbook Air weighs about 2.7 lbs, the Surface Go is even lighter at 1.15 lbs. If you are looking for a portable, versatile, and high-performing laptop, these two will be great options. But of course, you are not going to need two laptops at a time, so you have to choose one between two. That’s the reason why we are here to help you choose between the Surface Go vs Macbook Air.
Comparing Surface Go vs Macbook Air
Both the Surface Go and Macbook Air come with similar features. They are portable, lightweight, Slim, and versatile. However, there are lots of differences between them as well. The most common difference is obviously the fact that Macbook Air uses MacOS while Surface Go uses windows 10 Home as its operating system. We are going to look at more differences to help you choose the right laptop for you.
Surface Go vs Macbook Air – Operating System
While the Surface Go uses the Windows 10 Home operating system, the Macbook air comes with the macOS operating system. This can be a huge difference for some people who are familiar with one operating system than the other.
If you have been used to laptops with Windows operating system, you may want to continue in that trend. The same thing applies to someone with experience using macOS. It can play a big part in your decision. But it doesn’t mean you cannot switch sides. You may even enjoy the “not familiar “operating system better.
Those who are familiar with Microsoft will enjoy the security tools and productivity in place. There’s OneNote and Office integration, Photos app, parental controls, Windows Hello Face sign-in, as well as Windows Defender.
When you pair the laptop with windows link and Microsoft Edge, you will even get an awesome experience when researching web pages. So, it works as your bedtime book or as your homework buddy.
But the MacOS operating system adds another dimension, providing a different experience compared to the Microsoft Windows operating system.
But both macOS and Windows OS are great operating systems, even though they have their different software needs.
Surface Go vs Macbook Air – Battery
In terms of battery life, while Surface Go claims the battery lasts for 9 hours, Macbook Air lasts for 12 hours. But when we tested them when playing music, Macbook lasted for 8 hours while Surface Go was able to stay for 7 hours.
Both batteries could give you more when used only for word office or only for browsing. But 7-8 hours of continuous operation without an external power source is impressive. So, in terms of battery strength, both laptops are great, but it seems Macbook Air is slightly better in that area.
Surface Go vs Macbook Air – Memory and Storage capacity
When it comes to memory and storage capacity, both Macbook Air and Surface Go share some similarities. Surface go has 8GB RAM, 128GB storage capacity, and uses the Intel Pentium Gold processor. Surface Go also comes with a headset jack, fast charging surface connect, and multi-tasking USB C
On the other hand, Macbook Air is designed with Intel’s’ 8th Generation Dual Core i5 processor, 8GB memory, and 256SSD.
Both the Microsoft Surface Go and the Apple Macbook Air have a similar base frequency of 1.6GHz and turbo boost frequency of 3.6GHz.
You can see that both of them share similar RAM, which means you may be getting similar speed levels too.
Surface Go vs Macbook Air – Design
As we mentioned earlier, the Surface Go and Macbook Air are arguably two of the thinnest and lightest laptops right now. The new Macbook is incredibly light and thin – only 2.7 lbs in weight and 13.3-mm in thickness. This silent performer doesn’t come with fans, as it delivers top performance on a sustained level. But Surface Go is lighter at 1.15 lbs against 2.7 lbs for Macbook Air. Both of them come with thin bezels that will impress anyone who is looking for a slim design.
Surface Go vs Macbook Air – Display and Graphics
There is no big surprise here as both the Macbook Air and its Microsoft Go counterpart live up to expectations.
The Macbook Air, in particular, is a perfect representation of the beauty and style it’s known for. It comes with 13-inch Retina Display with True Tone.
For the graphics, it supports UHD Graphics 617 and strong support for graphics processors that are thunderbolt-enabled. The 2560 x 1600 display is an improvement on the previous resolution display of the previous Macbook models.
And part of the brilliance of the display is derived from the impressive 227 pixels per inch with complete support for more than 3 million color options, with True tone technology.
Its larger aperture makes sure light permeates and passes, which leads to both energy-efficient backlighting and superior viewing.
On the other hand, Microsoft Surface Go comes with a 10-inch display as well as a smaller resolution of 1800 by 1200. Its aspect ratio of 3:2 is also lower than Macbooks’s 16:10.
The Intel Pentium Gold graphics display is sharp and neat, as the PixelSence technology creates a colorful experience. However, if you are more conversant with the glamour of the Macbook, you may find Surface Go much lower in display and graphics.
Surface Go vs Macbook Air – Connectivity and accessibility
Both laptops also offer good connection features. They come with Bluetooth connectivity (4.2 in Macbook and 4.1 in Surface Go), IEEE 802.11a Wi-Fi compatibility, and USB-C ports.
The touchscreen feature of the Surface Go is properly made, as it delivers quick response. But the Macbook air with its force-touch trackpad and butterfly-mechanism keyboard stand above Surface Go here.
Its keyboard is comfortable and amazingly responsive. Its trackpad, with Taptic EngineForce and capacitive glass, is sensitive to pressure differences.
With the amazing feature, you can use multi-touch gestures with incredible intuition. Exploring different pressure levels for a wide range of tasks will also be possible.
The Macbook Air also provides a plethora of accessibility features, including FaceTime, Text to Speech, and support for literacy and motor skills.
If you are looking for good sound and camera experience, both laptops have invested well to give you a good experience.
The Surface Go combines a dual camera, which makes things a bit more interesting with a clearer view and image quality. It comes with and 8.0MP back and 5.0MP front, both of which support 1080p Skype HD video.
But the MAcbook always has a way of outdoing its competitors. It comes with an additional mirroring, which gives you 4096 by 2304 screen resolution. The microphone and stereo speakers are also impressive.
Surface Go vs Macbook Air – Portability and flexibility
One of the basic requirements of a modern-day laptop is the benefit of adapting to different and multiple uses. Both Surface Go and Macbook Air score very high points in that regard.
After rigorous tests, it has been confirmed that Macbook Air has storage temperatures at -13 to1300 F, while the operating temperature reaches between 500 and 950 F.
And as we have stated before, Surface Go is even lighter at 1.15lbs, measuring 9.7 x 6.9 x 0.3 inches. It can comfortably fit into a small bag and does not take up much of your space. Surface Go is loaded with an ambient light sensor and other features to make it operate effectively in different environments. There is a gyroscope, a magnetometer, and an accelerator to help you work well in different terrains.
The Surface Go offers a 10-inch screen, which produces better colors than the TN screen in the MAcbook Air. So, when swiping through photos and watching videos, the surface Go will be much better. But if we are talking about performance both for office work and schoolwork, the Macbook Air has an edge. Except you are not familiar with MacOs operating systems, the right choice for you should be the Macbook Air. It’s tougher, better at productivity, and offers better speed than the Surface Go laptop.
| Product | Brand | Name | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple | New Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 128GB Storage) - Space Gray | Check Price on Amazon |
| Microsoft | NEW Microsoft Surface Go | Check Price on Amazon |
* If you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. For more details, please visit our Privacy policy page.
Frequently asked Questions
The following are answers to the most common questions about Surface Go vs Macbook Air:
Which is better Macbook air or Surface?
For size, the Surface Go is thinner and lighter than Macbook Air. This makes it more portable. But in terms of performance, Macbook Air has a slight edge over Surface Go.
Is Microsoft Surface go a good laptop?
If you are looking for a portable and top-performing laptop, yes, Microsoft Go will serve you well. It’s a good laptop for its portability, versatility, and toughness.
Are Surface Go and Macbook Air good for students?
Both Go and Air are designed for professionals who are looking for a dependable computer for office or when they are on the go. They are also perfect for students looking for affordability and high-performance.