Windows-based laptops are trying their best to keep up with Apple's MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. So, are the Windows portable ultrabooks just as good (or better) than Apple's? Let's take a look.

Design and Style

The MacBook Air and Pro have maintained a pretty basic yet sleek style to them. Windows-based laptops are really spicing things up with convertible tablet/laptop hybrids, cool colors and fun designs. If Apple wants to excite more buyers, a style refresh or more colors should be offered in the future. Despite being ultra-light, the Apple MacBook Air is sturdy and durable.

Screens

With so many touchable devices, Apple failed to incorporate a touchscreen on their laptops. This is where Windows-based laptops really shine. The interactive capability and apps afforded by the touchscreen feature of the latest Windows 8 operating system. Although Apple's MacBook Pro Retina has an excellent display, Windows-based laptops are catching up with advanced displays that boast excellent screen resolutions.

Hardware

The best part about MacBooks are they have solid state hard drives (SSD). These are flash storage drives that eliminate a moving parts hard drives. They make computers lighter and less prone to having issues. Some Windows-based laptops will come with an SSD, but it'll cost you. It seems that most of the ultrabooks are still using the old moving parts hard drives.

Most of the MacBook Airs and Pros will come with an Intel i5 processor, although you can pay to upgrade to the i7. Most Windows-based laptops will come with your choice of processors built right in without customizing. This is where Windows has an advantage: You can keep the price low and still get the processor you want.

Battery Life

The new MacBook Air gets up to 12 hours of battery life and the new Pro gets up to 9 hours of battery life. With Windows-based laptops, you can add a 6-cell battery that can boost your battery life up to 12-14 hours. Without the 6-cell battery, most Windows-based laptops get about six to nine hours of battery life. The thing about the 6-cell battery is it adds a little bulk and extra weight to your laptop.

Other?

Most Windows laptops have extra ports, including the HDMI port. They also are likely to support Bluetooth and Nearfield Communications (NFC). These extra ports and features eliminate the need for external devices.

Price

Apple has lowered its 13-inch MacBook Air down to $999. That's a very competitive price for a full-featured ultra-light laptop. You can get a similar ultrabook Windows-based laptop, but it'll probably cost you between $1,100 and $1,4000. If you can spare losing some features and getting rid of the SSD an ultrabook can be had from $500 to $999, but why compromise?