I Switched from My MacBook Air to Windows—Was It Worth It? (ASUS Zenbook S16)
I have been in the Apple Ecosystem since I can remember; an iPhone, iPad, and most recently the MacBook Air has been my laptop of choice. I love how it all integrates together and makes my workflow seamless.
I had flirted with switching before, but it wasn’t till I saw the price for a new MacBook Pro for the amount of RAM I wanted that I started looking seriously at what a Windows laptop could offer.
I was a bit worried about abandoning the mother ship and all the integration with my other Apple devices, but then I came across the ASUS Zenbook (S16), and it caught my eye straight away. The sleek design and, importantly, a shed load of RAM. So after what felt like weeks and weeks of research, I took the plunge – so five months on, was it worth it?
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Why Change?
Let’s start with why I made the switch in the first place. My MacBook Air was starting to slow down, and it started to impact my content workflow, so I made the decision to change it out. And I wanted to get the biggest bang for my buck, especially when it came to the amount of RAM I could get.
I went back and forth between spending nearly double the amount for the MacBook Pro over the ASUS Zenbook — we’re talking £1,399 versus well over £2,600 for the same 32GB RAM and 1TB storage. But I decided to be sensible, go for the cheaper option, and try something new (well, not completely new — I use Windows for my 9-5)
First Impressions & Setup:
I was impressed with the unboxing experience; it comes in a nice box, and the laptop itself is a very good-looking device. The design with the light colour and diagonal line is a welcome change; it’s nice to have something that looks visually different.
It’s impressive how thin this is, as well as it being pretty light. I appreciate how thin it is, especially as I went for the 16in version as I wanted a bigger screen. With it being light I doesn’t add weight to my bag when I am taking it out and about.
When it came to setting up the Asus Zenbook, it was fairly straightforward but did take a bit of time compared to what I had been used to with my MacBooks. Once it had finished installing, it was easy to start installing the apps that I wanted using the Microsoft Store, even Apple Music.
Display:
I was apprehensive at first because the MacBook has a lovely screen, but I instantly loved the display on the Asus Zenbook S16. It’s a clear and crisp 16inch display and is lovely for watching content and also just to look at when doing work. One thing that I like about Windows machines is that you have more choice over the resolution of your screen – I like everything small, which is ironic because I am blind as a bat.
The Zenbook S16 comes with a touch screen, which I completely forgot about at the start lol. I do like having this option to be able to quickly toggle through apps and also just to scroll up and down. It’s nice and responsive and has been a nice addition to what I had on my MacBook Air.
Keyboard & Trackpad:
I think keyboards are fairly subjective, and you like what you like. For me, the keyboard is good, and the keys are snappy and responsive, so I enjoy typing on it. The keys are good; the only key that I have an issue with is the Enter key, as it also has the # key where the full-sized Enter key would be. The backlighting on the key is nice and bright, and you also have the option to turn it off if you like.
The trackpad is massive lol. Again, it’s nice and responsive, although the clicks are not quite as good as on the MacBooks. You do have gestures, which make it easy to pull up all the apps, etc for you to see and navigate through. I don’t tend to use the trackpad all that much, as I use my Logitech Master MX 3 mouse, but it is more than usable.
Performance:
As expected, the performance has been good, and I have not experienced any issues such as lagging or the machine struggling with my creative workflow, such as editing YouTube Videos. Going for the 32 GB of RAM means that I don’t have to worry about the number of tabs I have open (I am lazy and can’t be bothered to close them).
The Zenbook S16 I got also came with 1TB of storage, which I am really happy that I maxed out on. I can now save a lot more to the laptop and be less dependent on external SSD drives, which have skyrocketed in price recently.
The battery life has been good, but I haven’t really pushed it, as most of the time it plugs into my monitor, which charges the laptop. When I have been out and about or moved to another room, it’s given me more than enough juice to get what I need to do done.
Another small win was that the Asus Zenbook S16 comes with a built-in SD card reader slot, which is great as I no longer need to look for a dongle.
What I had to Adapt
There were a few things that I had to adapt to when I ditched my MacBook Air, but I have found workarounds or other apps to do what I need, so let’s go through them.
Mail:
I have used Apple’s native Mail forever and have always found it to do what I want it to do. I like that I could have my personal and my business email in one app. With the switch, I have had to find an alternative, and I have tried a few, like Spark and Outlook. In the end, I settled on just using Gmail for my personal and Outlook Online for my business. It’s a bit of a pain, but I have not found an email client on Windows yet that I am happy with.
Editing Software:
I had been using Final Cut Pro for my editing, but as this is only available on Apple, I had to switch. I decided to go with Da Vinci Resolve, with the main reason been it is free lol. It has been a bit of a learning curve, but to be fair, it’s just as good and gets the job done.
Replacing AirDrop (LocalSend):
AirDrop is something that I used quite a bit for transferring photos and videos from my iPhone to my MacBook. I still take a lot of product photos and B-roll with my iPhone, so I need an alternative solution. I decided to use LocalSend, which I had heard good things about, so I downloaded it on my devices, and it works pretty well. It’s easy to use, and the transfer speed is great. There are a couple of more steps compared to AirDrop, but nothing major.
Final Thoughts:
So, was it worth swapping to the ASUS Zenbook S16? Yes — but I do miss having a MacBook, and I won’t pretend otherwise.
If I’m honest with myself about the FOMO, it’s the seamless AirDrop/Handoff-style integration between my Apple devices / the build feel and trackpad clicks that’s the bit I notice most. Everything else I’ve genuinely adapted to without too much friction.
Running this through my “does it earn its place” lens: for the price alone, it’s a clear yes. My Zenbook came to £1,399. The comparably-specced MacBook Pro I was eyeing up — 32GB RAM, 1TB storage — was well over £2,600. Nearly double, for the same memory and storage. Five months in, performance has never once been the bottleneck — my workflow has, and that’s on me, not the laptop.
Whether it earns a permanent place over a MacBook long-term is still an open question. I could see myself drifting back to Apple eventually, purely for the ecosystem pull. But for right now, for what I actually need it to do, the Zenbook is doing its job — and doing it without me having to remortgage for the privilege.
Who I’d recommend this to: if you’re prioritising max RAM and storage per pound and don’t mind losing native Apple Mail/AirDrop integration, this is a genuinely great option. If seamless cross-device Apple integration is non-negotiable for your workflow, you’ll feel the gap — go in with eyes open.
Affiliate Disclosure: Some links in this article are affiliate links.
This means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them,
at no extra cost to you.