π» Switching from Lenovo Legion Y540 to MacBook Air M3 β My Experience as a Developer


Hey everyone π
I recently made a big switch in my developer setup β moved from my Lenovo Legion Y540 (Windows) to the sleek and powerful MacBook Air M3. And let me tell you, as a frontend developer who codes daily in React, TailwindCSS, and Node.js, itβs been a game-changer.
I thought Iβd share my honest experience for anyone who's planning to switch or is curious about how the MacBook performs for coding in general.
π₯οΈ My Old Setup: Lenovo Legion Y540
This was my first serious machine β solid performance with a dedicated GPU (GTX 1650), good keyboard, and Windows 10. I used it for everything β coding, design, browsing, and sometimes even gaming.
But slowly I started noticing a few things:
Battery life was average. I had to stay plugged in most of the time.
The fan noise would go crazy during builds or while running VS Code + Chrome + a local server.
It felt heavy to carry and not very portable.
Windows updates β well, they were a pain sometimes π
Still, it was a good machine that helped me learn and grow.
π Enter the MacBook Air M3
I always heard people say βMac just feels smooth for devsβ β and now I get it.
The MacBook Air M3 has been an absolute delight to work with.
π‘ The Key Differences I Felt Instantly:
1. Speed and Silence
The first thing I noticed? Itβs blazing fast and completely silent.
No fan, no heat, no lag β even when running a dev server, multiple terminals, VS Code, Chrome tabs, and Figma together.
2. Battery Life π
Easily lasts me 12-14 hours on normal dev usage.
Compared to the 2β3 hours I used to get on my old machine, this felt insane.
3. Terminal & Unix Power
I didnβt know Iβd love the Mac terminal so much.
I feel more in control using zsh + oh-my-zsh, and most dev tools are optimized for Unix-based systems β from Git to Node, everything just works better.
4. Trackpad + Gestures π±οΈ
Honestly, the MacBook trackpad is on another level.
I barely use a mouse now. The smooth gestures, mission control, and swipe between apps boost my productivity more than I expected.
5. Display & Design π
The Retina display is super crisp β I enjoy coding and even just looking at my UI designs more.
And the MacBook itself? Thin, light, and premium AF.
6. No More Random Distractions
Mac feels minimal. Thereβs less bloat, fewer interruptions, and more focus.
I actually enjoy sitting down to code now β which says a lot!
π οΈ Developer Tools I Use Now
VS Code (with extensions)
iTerm2 + zsh
Homebrew for installing stuff
Node, npm, pnpm, nvm β smooth setup
Figma runs beautifully
Chrome + Arc Browser for testing
π A Few Things That Took Time
Not everything was instant-perfect. I had to:
Learn Mac shortcuts and gestures
Get used to no "right-click" behavior (but trackpad gestures made up for it)
Reconfigure some keybindings in VS Code
Re-learn copy-paste and navigation shortcuts (
Cmd
instead ofCtrl
)
But all of this took just 2β3 days and now it feels natural.
π Final Thoughts
I didnβt expect a laptop to motivate me to code more, but thatβs exactly what happened.
If youβre a developer thinking about switching to the MacBook Air M3, Iβd say: go for it. Itβs light, powerful, silent, and battery-friendly β perfect for web development.
My Lenovo served me well, but this MacBook?
Feels like I levelled up. β‘
Thanks for reading π
Let me know your setup or experience if you switched to Mac too!
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Written by

Rohan Shrivastava
Rohan Shrivastava
Hi, I'm Rohan, a B.Tech graduate in Computer Science (Batch 2022) with expertise in web development (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Bootstrap, PHP, XAMPP). My journey expanded with certifications and intensive training at Infosys, covering DBMS, Java, SQL, Ansible, and networking. I've successfully delivered projects, including a dynamic e-commerce site and an Inventory Management System using Java. My proactive approach is reflected in certifications and contributions to open-source projects on GitHub. Recognized for excellence at Infosys, I bring a blend of technical proficiency and adaptability. Eager to leverage my skills and contribute to innovative projects, I'm excited about exploring new opportunities for hands-on experiences. Let's connect and explore how my skills align with your organization's goals.