HP vs Apple – How To Decide Between Them?
When you’re trying to figure out the difference between the two biggest laptop brands, you have to break things down and compare. HP vs Apple laptops is one of the questions many people ask themselves, which means they both must be doing something right! As premium brands, both offer pretty solid laptops.
But if you’re trying to decide between the two, which one should you go for? Well, let’s take a look at both brands and see which one is best for your needs.
HP vs Apple
The attributes of the two brands are where the biggest distinction lies. Apple has the best customer service of any laptop brand and their laptops usually provide a great user experience. However, HP laptops give you better value for money than Apple, so you get more for your money.
Although both of these brands are based in the United States, most of their parts are still made in China. Let’s take a closer look at the differences between the two.
Apple
Of the two brands, Apple is the one that has grown exponentially over the past decade. HP has long been at the forefront of computing, but it’s fair to say that Macbooks have become increasingly popular in recent years. However, it is still true that in the notebook industry, there are still more than three times the amount of HP notebooks sold compared to Macbooks.
But what contributed to the popularity of the Macbook? Well, let’s take a look at their two popular offerings, the Macbook Pro and the Macbook Air.
MacBook Pro
The main laptop that Apple sells is their beloved Macbook Pro, which is popular with both individual consumers and commercially. Many universities give their students Macbooks and many tech companies prefer Macbooks for their employees.
This is largely due to their ease of use – after a few weeks of getting used to using a Macbook, you’ll wonder why you ever used anything else.
In the eyes of many people, the Mac OS interface is better than the Windows OS that comes with HP laptops. So while it might be daunting to make the switch, it might be worth it if you don’t need a Windows laptop.
It’s not just the UX that people love about the Macbook. There are other advantages, such as the fact that most viruses are designed for Windows computers, and you are unlikely to have any security problems with a Macbook.
They also come with ready-to-use handy software such as iMovie for editing video clips. Also, the design of Macbooks is preferable to the competition for many people.
Of course, when you also opt for a Mac, you also get the great customer support that Apple is known for. That’s another major selling point – knowing that if you have any problems with your Mac, you can easily get them fixed by a technician at an Apple store.
MacBook Air
For those looking for something cheaper, you can also look at the Macbook Air as an option. It’s the cheaper of the two, but the base model still costs around £1,000, so don’t expect any bargains from Apple.
The good news is that Apple has improved the Air a lot in recent years in terms of design, making it more on par with the Macbook Pro.
One thing to mention is that in the past the base model Macbook Air came with an i3 processor. This was quite surprising to many people as the laptop itself retails for around £1000 – for an i3 processor.
In comparison, if you were to spend £1,000 on an HP laptop, you’d get at least an i5 processor. So it was a clear divide between the HP and Windows processors and the processor you’d get with a Macbook Air.
However, this all changed for Apple with the introduction of its M1 processor. This CPU catapulted the Apple Macbook Air and Pro ahead of the competition, as it is an 8-core processor that can hold its own with an i5 or even an i7.
So while last year there might have been a gap between what you can get for your money with an HP laptop in terms of performance, Apple has certainly narrowed it down this year.
HP as a Brand
Some people overlook HP as a brand because they are busy looking at Apple or cheaper Asian brands like Lenovo, Acer, and ASUS. However, HP is still worth considering because they make good laptops at a decent price.
The brand formerly known as Hewlett Packard has been around for decades and still produces some of the best-selling laptops around the world.
HP Spectre
HP has many different models to choose from and has released some good series such as the Envy series and the Omen series which is specifically for gaming. However, one of their best laptop lines is the HP Spectre, with one of the most popular this year being the Specter x360.
This is one of the more premium lines that HP offers, so it is significantly more expensive than other products they have. However, for a similar price to the 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, i5 Processor Macbook Pro, you can get the 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, i7 Processor x360.
This shows a clear advantage of choosing a brand like HP compared to Apple – you get a more powerful laptop for your money. This is a common criticism of Apple, and it’s just one reason why many people prefer a Windows laptop.
HP has one of the widest ranges to choose from, and when we compare it to Apple’s famous selection of two laptops, it gives us more room to decide. Although expensive, the Specter line is worth checking out if you’re in the market for a new laptop.
Conclusion
The reality is that both of these brands have a lot to offer and it depends on what you are looking for in a laptop. You can check out Spacehop’s Guide to Laptops which includes both of these brands.
If you want to stick with the standard Windows operating system and want the best value for money, then you should consider the HP laptop range. But if you want the best in design, customer service, and user interface, Apple usually makes better laptops for that.
