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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 1 is a budget-friendly laptop with basic performance suitable for everyday tasks like browsing and document editing. It has a larger screen but a lower-quality display and build compared to the MacBook Pro. Its battery life is shorter, and it doesn't offer high-end features like a backlit keyboard or a high-resolution screen. On the other hand, the Apple MacBook Pro 14 is significantly more expensive but offers superior performance for intensive tasks, including 3D work and engineering. It has a high-quality display, longer battery life, and better build quality, making it an option for professionals who need power and portability. If price is a major consideration and your needs are basic, the Acer might satisfy you, but if you're looking for high performance and can invest more, the MacBook Pro would be a superior choice. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Acer Aspire 1
- The Acer Aspire 1 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021).
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Excellent overall display quality
- Best in class overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.8
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
479.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
13.5 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 has entry-level specs with an Intel Celeron processor, 4GB of RAM, and a basic TN screen which leads to a poorer general use experience, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 features a powerful M1 Pro chip, 16GB of RAM, and a high-quality Mini LED screen for a very good general performance.
Gaming and AI
5.6
6.8
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 is less suitable for gaming and 3D applications because it has a basic Intel Celeron UHD Graphics GPU which is not designed for demanding tasks and only supports a standard screen refresh rate, whereas the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is equipped with a more powerful Apple M1 Pro GPU capable of better performance in 3D tasks and offers a higher screen refresh rate for smoother visuals. However, despite the superior 3D capabilities of the MacBook Pro, many popular games are not compatible with its MacOS operating system, limiting its gaming potential.
Engineering and Design
5.5
8.2
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.7/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
5.9
8.4
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for content creation, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
6.1
8.3
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 1 is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
5.2
9.2
15.6in
SIZE
14.2in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
479.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 1 for general use, AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Aspire 1's screen may not have the resolution, brightness, or quality of the panel that users seek for clarity and comfort in general use, and it likely lacks the wide color gamuts needed for accurate color work in engineering and design. The Apple MacBook Pro 14, with its high-resolution, bright, and color-accurate display, excels for general use and engineering/design tasks where visual precision is critical. However, for gaming or 3D applications, where a high refresh rate takes priority, the MacBook Pro falls short, making it less ideal for those specific uses.
Battery
6.0 Hours
13.5 Hours
The Acer Aspire 1 has 6 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Good
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.2in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has very good portability, while the Acer Aspire 1 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.5
10.0
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the Acer Aspire 1 has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$244
$1,905
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Aspire 1 has a price of $244 and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) costs $1,905.
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How the Acer Aspire 1 and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 1 | Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$244 | $1,905 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.78'' | 12.3'' x 8.7'' x 0.61'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 3.5 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.3" | 12.31" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.4" | 8.71" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Celeron N4500 | Apple M1 Pro (8C) | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 13.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 36.7 Wh | 69.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 14.2" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | TN | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3024 x 1964 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 200 nits | 479 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.6/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 8.6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 5.4/10 | 10/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 0 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 1
See more
Dig into reviews and images
CNET
Joshua Goldman | May 2020
"There are no surprises and nothing's extraordinary here but this laptop's price. For those in need of an inexpensive Windows laptop for undemanding tasks, though, the Acer Aspire 1 offers just enough to get the basics done and a larger screen to do them on."
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | January 2023
"In the Apple MacBook Pro 14 2023, the M2 Pro is slowed down. From the improved 5nm process, the new M2 Pro is a very solid upgrade. Graphics performance has increased by about 25% in tandem with a clear improvement in efficiency. The processor has also seen a performance leap of up to 20%, but this is accompanied by an increase in consumption of up to 25%. Fundamentally, Apple its maintaining its advantage over AMD and Intel, particularly in optimized applications where the results are very good in view of the comparatively low power consumption."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 1 or the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
About Acer
Acer is a prominent Taiwanese electronics brand which makes a wide range of laptops, with multiple product lines catering to personal use, gaming, and business use. They are renowned for having exceptional value for money, as they frequently offer good specifications at a lower price than other manufacturers.
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
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