MacBook Air versus budget Windows notebooks

Given how good budget notebooks are now, there's no need for many users to look beyond the sub-A$900 notebooks we've reviewed elsewhere. However, you may need to spend more if you want one with "the lot", including extras such as a decent separate graphics chip for gaming or Blu-ray combo drive for watching Blu-ray movies. To see how much more you can get, we asked notebook makers to provide the best models under $1300 – although we bumped that up by $50 to include Apple’s ultra-thin notebook, the 11in 128GB version of the MacBook Air. It made a good point of contrast with the other three models here – all full-size Windows notebooks selling for under A$1000.

Apple MacBook Air 11in reviewed

By Darren Yates – December 7, 2011

Notebooks, Reviews

Rating:

There’s no doubting Apple's MacBook Air is an impressive piece of tech with its super lightweight chassis and almost thin enough to slide under a door. Built around Intel’s CULV-class 1.6GHz Core i5-2467M chip and 4GB of RAM, it’s just a touch slower than your average Core i3-2310M notebook, though at around double the price. Some that extra price, however, is the 128GB Apple-branded solid state drive (SSD) that helps contribute to its ultra-light weight (just over 1kg for this 11in version).

Acer Aspire 5830TG reviewed

By Darren Yates – December 7, 2011

Notebooks, Reviews

Rating:

Acer’s Aspire 5830TG has an RRP of $1199 but we’ve seen it selling online for $990. It’s an interesting notebook with a fresh design and some nice features. It has the best gaming capability of the four reviewed here, thanks to its dual graphics solution that includes a GeForce GT 540M. However, its battery is a love-it-and-loathe-it feature. It reached an impressive 3 hours 45 minutes in our tough battery test, but the fact it’s built in behind a number of Phillips-head screws discourages you from replacing it yourself. We can’t see the need to lock it in like that.

Toshiba Satellite L750 reviewed

By Darren Yates – December 7, 2011

Notebooks, Reviews

Rating:

Toshiba’s Satellite L750 is another 15.6in model selling at the same price as Acer’s 5830TG and the Fujitsu’s AH531. In terms of value, it probably splits them down the middle. The 750GB hard drive, HDMI output and USB 3.0 ports mark it as a current-generation notebook and its Core i5-2410M chip is a good performer.

Fujitsu LifeBook AH531 reviewed

By Darren Yates – December 7, 2011

Notebooks, Reviews

Rating:

Fujitsui’s LifeBook AH531 has been around for a bit now and unfortunately, it’s starting to show its age. While its performance still holds up pretty well, it’s a little pricey compared to similar Core i5 models. It also only offers a 500GB hard drive whereas 640GB units are now common on sub-$1000 models.