Thinkpad T14 G3 vs M2 MacBook Air - Back to School Edition

One of my subscribers was interested in Macbooks. This is for all students looking to buy a nice laptop. Thank you Microcenter of Duluth!

Timecodes
0:00 - Intro
1:21 - Build Quality/Ports
2:39 - Display/Speakers
3:53 - Keyboards
5:14 - Performance
7:16 - Battery Life
7:51 - Which is better?
8:39 - Final Thoughts

[blackgold]

Don't get caught up in the hype. A computer is a tool--choose one that can run your software.

[moonlambo]

Picked up a Thinkpad T14 G3 i7-1260p for $400 USED on Facebook Marketplace. Thing is in amazing condition. Spent $130 on a 1TB and 32GB upgrade. I love this laptop!

[Glitch]

Thanks for the time and effort, the video was edited and done in a professional way. Content is just what I was looking for as a comparison.

[ShinigamiAnger]

I have an old Lenovo T400, that has now 15 years and still doing great. Sure, I upgraded it with SSD and RAM, but it never broke and it's still surprisingly good for soho uses. I wonder how many mac users can say the same. I'm gonna give myself an upgrade with the T14 Gen3.

[samg]

I've had an M1 16GB Air for a bit over a year now and I occasionally think about switching to a Thinkpad because I'm just more of a Windows user and I would like the connectivity. I eventually come across a video like this and am reminded of what makes the M1 (and M2) Air so good. The screen and battery life are truly tremendous, and the performance is something I never even notice because it's just so smooth. I just know I'll miss the clarity of the screen and battery life if I switch off of it. I don't have any other Apple devices and I'm not a fan of their ecosystem and pricing really, but their laptops are truly special devices. Thanks for the comparison

[akin]

Looks like the M2 Macbook Air would be better for those into Tic Tok, Instagram, and YouTube videos. Also, some front-end web development.

Lenovo T14 seems like the laptop for lengthy coders (C++, Java, C#), writers, and power point presenters.

[Kaan_Solo]

Hopefully more and more people will join. I'm forced to switch to ubuntu on a macbook pro because I can no longer install mac OS because of a ram problem. Even at the Apple Store they could not help me anymore.
Strange only that I can install Ubuntu without problems.
Of course there is the financial aspect but slowly I wake up and distance myself more and more from Apple.
I don't like this kind of compulsive buying of their products at all.
That's why I think I'll give a Lenovo a try, even though I'll miss some of the perfection of the Macbook.
The reason is very simple. This compulsion to always have to buy everything and constantly have to worry that after 3 years the notebook will break again, but stresses you internally. Either you have a lot of money and are not interested in such little things or you try to break out of this controlled system and enjoy the new freedom with some sacrifices.
I know this is a difficult topic but I feel insanely good because I can finally decide for myself WHEN I want to buy a new notebook and not when the manufacturer wants it that way.

[johnhio]

Think the deciding factor for a lot of people will come down to memory and storage. I just bought a p14s with 64 gb ram and will drop a 4 tb into it when its delivered. Not only is that not an option on the mac, even if it where it would be ** insanely ** expensive to do so - where on the Lenovo its a, sure why not.

[wlcrutch]

For coding: screen > keyboard, if push comes to shove. You spend so much time reading code, more than typing.

[Jangr]

It is not only for students advice.Depends on the software you are gonna use.For students better consult with the university.I have M1 Air base(8/256) which is amazing for most of the things.And yet I had to buy an windows laptop for my automotive software.My choice was a 150$ X270.Dual booting W10 and Mint, so basically using most OSs available...Love both machines.

[smokecigar]

The glossy screen is a deal breaker for me. Seeing your own reflection at all time gets incredibly annoying.

[Veg-Power]

I can't work effectively without a TrackPoint ^^ Also not without a very good keyboard.

[zttaonline]

My personal opinion is that 14 inch is the perfect screen size for a laptop 13.3 inch is too small I will go with the T14

[AdiPrimandaGinting]

Price wise, the Thinkpad can drop to 1/4 to 1/5 of its original price after the warranty period is over. For me, that is a real appeal for buying used thinkpad laptops

[samiadiller]

Hello Abe as a thinkpad user for 9 years, I am very happy with my computer, the only missing thing is low battery life, I have many positive reasons to buy a macbook, but macos makes me think will I have difficulty getting used to the macos system, and will 8gb cause problems in the future?
Note: Computer usage purpose is online lesson, presentation, and daily use.

[karthikk]

I am confused between T14 gen 3 and P1 gen 5. I understand that one is more portable than other, but am not able to really decide. Also I feel 16 inch screen is comfortable to look at from a distance than a 14 inch screen

[Alexandre-xzjm]

Thanks, I'll be getting the Thinkpad as I need windows OS. Macbook def the best laptop on the market if you're not in STEM or business tho

[ThePolicenaut]

I really want the macbook but not being able to run virtual machines or bootcamp is the deal breaker for me sadly

[Chan-xerq]

Thanks for the video! I'm an upcoming CS student and planning to buy a laptop between those two. If I can choose to get the Ryzen 7 of Thinkpad T14 G3, and same 16 RAM and 512 GB SSD for both, what will be a better laptop to purchase? I like Macbook Air M2 because of its battery and good after sale service, but I've never used a Macbook though I have an iPhone.

[percy]

wow really appreciate the effort and time taken for this! exactly something that I was interested in (posted before in your other video)
One thing to note is given both are similar in price point, the mac is a better deal reason being resell value...
nothing comes close to what you'll get reimbursed after selling it of in 3 years from now and since it uses way more premium components the MacBook would out last thinkpad.
another consideration would be what laptops other students in class are using, most likely the thinkpad is a rare occurrence and the macbook would be way more popular so you can help each other navigate through stuff.
As you have noted the MacBoooks Soc is so powerful that the industry has to notice, especially since it's selling so well. it's only a matter of time before all commercial software for students would also have a Mac version. I'm going with the Mac, the keyboard might take more effort but the overall package is worth that sacrifice. And honestly looking side by side the screen on thinkpad is noticeably inferior. With the advancement of screen tech blooming, the upcoming monitors are going to trash last gen hardware... 120hz, mini leds, hdr, oled laptops gaining popularity, qd-oled, the Mac's screen should still be A class 5 years from now. The thinkpad would look really bad in 5 years from now. great review!