Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase:
₹1,00,000 (India). Can stretch to ~₹1,10,000 if there is strong value (e.g., MacBook Air M5).
Are you open to refurbs/used?
No, prefer new for reliability and longevity.
How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?
Ultrabook preferred. Priority order:
Battery life
Build quality & longevity
Performance (smooth multitasking, VDI, Excel, Python)
Portability
How important is weight and thinness to you?
Important. Prefer lightweight and slim for comfortable daily use.
Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.
14–16 inches (flexible).
Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.
Work: VDI (Citrix), Excel, Python, Alteryx
Light occasional gaming
If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?
Valorant
Medium settings, smooth playable performance (~60 FPS is enough)
Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?
16 GB RAM minimum
Excellent battery life
Good keyboard & trackpad
Premium build quality
Prefer fingerprint sensor
No need for touchscreen
I am confused between:
Samsung Galaxy Book 5 Pro
ASUS Vivobook S16
MacBook Air M5
Main concern:
MacBook offers better battery + longevity
Windows gives flexibility (especially for gaming like Valorant and compatibility with tools)
Looking for suggestions on what would be the best balanced choice considering battery, performance, and flexibility.