First off, if you like Macs you probably will always like them. I’ve been using MacBook Pro laptops since they came out, but two generations ago I got fed up with the lack of performance, high price, and limited connectivity. It was then that I decided to not only build my first PC in over 20 years, but also take the plunge and grab a PC laptop as my main travel work computer. I will never look back.

First, what did I get? A Gigabyte Aero 15 inch, Intel core i9, NVIDIA RTX 3080 with 32GB of Ram and two internal drives both 1TB SSDs. The cost? 3,400 USD on New Egg.

First of all, a MacBook Pro can’t ever have stats like that. Their proprietary chip might be nice for FCPX, but if you use Adobe you’re going to want Intel, and what’s more, an NVIDIA GPU which is going to cut through renders like butter. Two SSDs and 32gigs of Ram is also a dream for Macs … PLUS it comes with software so you can overcrank both your CPU and GPU depending on the work you are doing, you know, like a real nerd. All this at a fraction of the price, well, you get where I’m going.

All of this is magic, yes, but lets talk about the many ways you can connect to this laptop. 3 USB C, USB c 3.0, Lighting, SD card reader, HDMI, Ethernet, hell it probably has a dialup 5600 Baud modem on it. It’s amazing. You know what you get on a Mac? Two USB C ports.

YOU CANT CHARGE A MAC AND TRANSFER FILES BETWEEN TWO DRIVES WITHOUT A DOCK OF SOME SORT.

Work is messy. Especially as a creative. What we do requires tools, lots of them. Apple seems to have decided that looking neat is way more important then being able to do actual work. It sucks. I had to learn Windows again, and let me tell you, it was no walk in the park. But to be able to work fast and secure and not have to carry a bag of add-ons is a dream. Bye Apple, see you when you wake up.

Oh … my keyboard also does a light show. It’s sick.