The MacBook Air 2025 Is Now Cheaper Than a Random Mid-Range Windows Laptop

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Pricing & “Mid‑Range” Comparisons

  • Many argue the headline is misleading: the promo price (~$850) is from Amazon, not Apple’s list price, and Windows laptops are also frequently discounted.
  • In Europe/UK, the Air often lands around €1,100–1,200 / £880–1,000, which commenters say is well above what most “mid‑range” Windows buyers actually pay (€700–800).
  • Others counter that when you factor in build quality, battery life, and resale value, the effective cost is closer to mid‑range over the machine’s lifespan.

Specs: Storage, RAM, and Performance

  • 256GB storage is heavily debated. Developers and power users say it’s “unworkable” for Xcode, multiple toolchains, large projects, or games; others report being fine using cloud/NAS and external SSDs.
  • Similar split around 8–16GB RAM: some call 8GB “a Chromebook spec” for 2025, others say macOS memory efficiency makes 16GB plenty for typical use.
  • Fanless M‑series Airs: some claim throttling and unacceptable sustained performance drops; others report heavy compile workloads with no noticeable lag and see fanless design as a feature.
  • Several compare M‑series favorably on performance‑per‑watt but note that raw multicore performance of recent Ryzen AI chips can beat Apple in some benchmarks.

Longevity, Refurb, and Resale

  • Multiple users report decade‑scale use of Mac laptops with minor repairs, calling them “absurd value.”
  • Others respond that cheap Windows laptops can also last 10+ years; they argue Mac users overstate the uniqueness of Apple longevity.
  • Strong enthusiasm for buying refurbished/previous‑gen Macs (M1–M3) as the real value sweet spot, though availability of official refurbs is uneven by country.

OS & Ecosystem: macOS vs Windows vs Linux

  • A recurring theme is flight from Windows 11: complaints of telemetry, UX regressions, instability, constant nagging, and a “Frankenstein” UI.
  • macOS is described as increasingly buggy, iOS‑ified, and service‑pushing (e.g., Apple Music), yet still preferable to Windows for many.
  • Linux is praised for privacy and lack of nagware, but laptop support and polish remain uneven; some are eyeing Asahi Linux on Apple Silicon but note missing features and limited hardware support.

Repairability & Control

  • Soldered storage/RAM and difficult keyboard repairs are seen as hostile to right‑to‑repair, though some argue low‑quality Windows laptops “kill” repairability in practice through poor durability.
  • Several complain about Apple’s “walled garden” and lack of officially supported Linux, while others note Apple at least allows unsigned OS boot vs some Microsoft hardware locks.

Meta: Article as Advertising

  • Many participants see the linked article as affiliate‑link clickbait, cherry‑picking one discounted config to claim a broader pricing shift.