Mac sales are up as Windows 10 reaches end of life — 5 MacBooks I recommend right now

Instead of upgrading to a Windows 11 PC, some folks have opted to buy an Apple Mac. That’s according to Counterpoint Research (via Tom’s Hardware), which says Mac shipments rose by 14.9% YoY. Overall, global PC shipments rose by 8.1% in Q3 2025 compared to the same quarter last year due to the end of Windows 10 support.

As of October 14, 2025, Microsoft has ended support for its Windows 10 operating system, meaning all Windows 10 PCs have reached their end of life. Microsoft will no longer offer free software updates, security patches and technical assistance from Windows Update for the older OS and is encouraging users to upgrade to Windows 11. However, it seems some are getting Macs instead.

I review the best MacBooks, such as the new MacBook Pro M5, so I can’t say this news is surprising. While macOS is different from Windows 11, it can be an easier operating system to manage. There’s a bit of a learning curve, but anyone jumping from Windows to macOS won’t face an insurmountable task. And as I’ll cover shortly, you can almost always find a new MacBook at a discount, which has no doubt made Apple’s PCs more enticing.

Before spotlighting some MacBook deals I like, I want to make it clear that not everyone is ditching Windows 11 now that Windows 10 is no more. For instance, Lenovo did better than Apple in Q3 year-on-year, with shipments rising by an impressive 17%. Asus and HP also did well with their 14% and 10% boosts (respectively). However, Dell shipments fell by 0.9%.

The best MacBooks to buy now

Black Friday is a month away, but we’re already seeing some great MacBook deals. I haven’t seen the M5 MacBook Pro on sale yet, but we could see it receive a discount during the annual sales event. However, you can find MacBooks packing the still powerful and energy-efficient M4 chip for reduced prices.

If you’re a Windows 10 user who would rather try a MacBook than a Windows 11 laptop, here are some options I recommend based on my own testing.

Quick links

• MacBook Air 13" (M4/256GB): was $999 now $799 @ Amazon
• MacBoook Air 15" (M4/256GB): was $1,199 now $999 @ Amazon
• MacBook Pro 14" (M4/512GB): was $1,599, now $1,349 @ Amazon
• MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Pro/512GB): was $2,898, now $2,588 @ Amazon
• MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max/1 TB): was $3,499, now $3,119 @ Amazon

Early Black Friday MacBook deals

Save $200

Apple MacBook Air 13" (M4/256GB): was $999 now $799 at Amazon

The latest 13-inch MacBook Air M4 is one of the best laptops you can buy, and now you can get one for $100 off! The Apple M4 chip gives it remarkable speed and battery life, and the 13" Liquid Retina display looks gorgeous. You get 16GB of unified memory and a 256GB SSD in the base model, but if you want more memory and storage you can get a similar discount on upgraded versions as well:
MacBook Air 13" M4 (16GB/512GB): was $1,199 now $919
MacBook Air 13" M4 (24GB/512GB): was $1,399 now $1,199

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Save $200

Apple MacBook Air 15" (M4/256GB): was $1,199 now $999 at Amazon

If you like the Air M4 but want a bigger screen, the 15-inch M4 MacBook Air is also on sale and boasts a 15.3-inch (2880 x 1864) Liquid Retina display with the same great internals. If you want more RAM or storage, you can also get upgraded models at a discount:
MacBook Air 15" M4 (16GB/512GB): was $1,399 now $1,199
MacBook Air 15" M4 (24GB/512GB): was $1,599 now $1,399

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Save $250

Apple MacBook Pro 14" (M4/512GB): was $1,599 now $1,349 at Amazon

If you're a power user, you'll want the might of the MacBook Pro M4 on your side. You get fantastic performance from the M4 chip, useful Apple Intelligence features, a better webcam and very impressive battery life at over 18 hours. As we noted in our MacBook Pro 14-inch M4 review it's one of the best laptops for photo and video editing, and much more. This model features a 14.2-inch (3024 x 1964) Retina display, Apple M4 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD.
MacBook Pro 14" M4 (24GB/1TB): was $1,999 now $1,749
MacBook Pro 14" M4 (36GB/1TB): was $3,199 now $2,846

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Save $213

Apple MacBook Pro 14" (M4 Pro/512GB): was $1,999 now $1,786 at Amazon

Not enough power? No problem, as the M4 Pro MacBook Pro also has a steep price cut during Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days in October. In addition to faster performance thanks to its beefier M4 Pro chi[p with 12-core CPU and 16-core GPU, you’ll also get Thunderbolt 5 ports for even faster data transfer.

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Save $380

Apple MacBook Pro 16" (M4 Max/1TB): was $3,499 now $3,119 at Amazon

This is easily one of the most powerful MacBooks you can buy right now, since this 16" MacBook Pro has the top-of-the-line M4 Max chip inside as well as 36GB of RAM and 1 TB of SSD storage. This beast is great for coding, video editing and serious gaming on the go!

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