The downsides of switching from a MacBook to Windows

Moving to Windows might be the right choice for you, but consider the drawbacks so you know what to expect.

Apple aficionados have long justified their brand loyalty with the catchphrase "It just works." The late Steve Jobs repeated the phrase often as a neat summary of his governing philosophy toward product design. Sure enough, MacBooks remain premium laptops, even surpassing what Jobs may have envisioned thanks to a savvy move from x86 to ARM architecture with the introduction of M-series chips in 2020. With Apple's silicon line now in its sixth generation , Macs are now consistently among the most battery-friendly and powerful computers on the consumer market.

But the macOS life isn't a panacea. Windows remains the best platform to experience the widest range of video games, as nearly every title eventually ends up seeing a PC release. Windows laptops also have more hardware variety, and if you're looking for a computer with RGB lighting or two screens, you won't find those options in an Apple Store. And Microsoft remains deeply entrenched in the modern workplace through its Microsoft 365 suite, which contains apps like Word, Excel and (don't flinch) Teams.

Friction is the main reason why most people remain on a particular platform. In addition to buying a new computer and figuring out how it works, you've got to learn new software and pray that the apps you're used to will work on the new system. If you're thinking of switching from Mac to Windows, it helps to know what might go wrong.

This isn't to discourage the switch. Think of it as more of a weather forecast helping you prepare for inclement conditions so you don't run headfirst into unexpected issues.

Apple's vertical integration allows the company to offer bespoke laptop hardware that works in tandem with its own software, creating a polished experience down the stack. This is often referred to as a walled garden  — a beautiful prison. Windows laptop manufacturers, by contrast, have very little control over Windows itself, and must negotiate with parts makers from AMD to Nvidia when building a new laptop. That's a difference you'll almost certainly notice when switching, especially if you're on a budget.

Whereas even the budget MacBook Neo (our review) has an aluminum shell, lower-end Windows laptops are often made of plastic that bends and creaks. That said, you can find Windows laptops with premium hardware, and you might even prefer the unique designs available on that side of the fence. For instance, we've looked at the 2026 Dell XPS 13 , which has an aluminum chassis to rival the MacBook Neo. Meanwhile, the newest Asus laptops, such as the Zenbook A16 , have members of the tech press fawning over their custom "ceraluminum" material. And while rumors of an upcoming touchscreen MacBook have swirled as of this writing, Windows has offered plentiful tablet and 3-in-1 options for over a decade.

Because most Windows laptops still use x86 architecture, those models tend to have much worse battery life than MacBooks with Apple's ARM-based M-series silicon. However, Microsoft has made a renewed push for ARM-based Windows laptops. As a result, you can now find a number of laptops running chips from Qualcomm and MediaTek, which tend to compete more closely with MacBooks on battery life. The downside for Windows on ARM is software compatibility, as we'll discuss.