Otherwise, it's mostly nitpicks on my part that don't matter to everyone. The speakers don't remotely hold a candle to the macbook's, nor does the microphone. On mine specifically (5th Gen T14 w/ AMD), the keyboard isn't quite the same as the older thinkpads and I'd rank the Macbook's keyboard better. My last nitpick is battery life.
Not saying the ThinkPad is bad, I like it for what it is, but I still reach for the macbook more when I want to use it as a laptop and not docked into my monitors. It's runs cooler, quieter, better screen, better speakers.
That said, if you pick the right ThinkPad models, I don't think MacBooks speakers or displays are better. And you have much more customization with ThinkPads. Personally, I don't care much about speakers or mics anyway, especially since most people use headphones or headsets these days.
What matters more to me is the part I interact with the most: the keyboard and the pointing device. ThinkPad keyboards are arguably much better than MacBooks, and MacBooks don't have a TrackPoint, which I find essential.
I don't like the metallic body of Macbooks at all, and I prefer the warmth of plastic/carbon.
Lastly, I strongly prefer Linux or Windows over macOS. In my experience, macOS has become increasingly limited and frustrating with each new release.
Yes, MacBooks do run quieter and cooler, and are even more powerful than amd64 counterparts, and that's definitely their main selling point for me, but in the end, the pros are outweighed by the cons.
Their software ecosystem is a more mixed bag, great integration between devices and services, but definitely a walled garden (not 100% a bad thing), and the walls are getting higher (definitely bad).
Apple of today is very consumer and developer hostile, to the point of burning any and all goodwill that they have.
The screen clarity, speakers, and microphone are all better on a mac. That counts as “quality” i think? These are things many users would use daily in zoom meetings for example.
And good luck if you are a heavy trackpad user. The thinkpad trackpad is usable but basically junk as a daily driver. Like most laptops unfortunately.
If I had to buy a non-apple laptop, i’d probably buy a Thinkpad. They’re great machines overall, but i’m picky and they don’t meet my needs in some important areas.