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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prefer more storage and RAM for tasks like photo and video editing, go for the Acer Swift 14, but note it's heavier and pricier than the MacBook Air, which is lighter and sports longer battery life ideal for on-the-go usage. While the Acer houses a powerful Intel processor good for demanding tasks, the MacBook Air, with its Apple M2 chip, ensures remarkable efficiency and quiet operation because it lacks a fan. Choose the Acer if high performance is key and Windows OS is needed; opt for the MacBook for sleek design, portability, and if you're comfortable with MacOS. 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 Swift 14
- Very good for general use
- Very good for content creation
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2022)
- Best in class overall build quality
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.6
7.6
14.0in
SIZE
13.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
458.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
486.0 nits
The Acer Swift 14 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Air for software development, and content creation, while the Apple MacBook Air has a better screen for general use.
The Acer Swift 14's quality for general use and engineering stems from its respectable resolution and brightness, along with a decent representation of color gamuts, but its lower refresh rate limits its appeal for high-frame-rate gaming and 3D applications. The Apple MacBook Air excels in general use and engineering tasks due to its high-resolution display, impressive brightness, and strong color accuracy, which is essential for precise design work, though it also lacks a high refresh rate, making it less ideal for 3D work. Both laptops compromise on gaming performance, favoring display characteristics that cater more to professional and everyday tasks over the fast refresh rates required by enthusiasts and 3D designers.
Battery
9.0 Hours
15.0 Hours
The Acer Swift 14 has 9 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Air has 15 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.
Build Quality
7.4
10.0
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has best in class build quality, while the Acer Swift 14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,400
$839
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Swift 14 has a price of $1,400 and the Apple MacBook Air (2022) costs $839.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
7.9
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
458.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
486.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
15.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
9.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.4/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift 14 to be very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.7
6.4
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
10.0/10
The Acer Swift 14 and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Swift 14 is better suited for gaming and 3D applications due to its more powerful Intel Iris Xe GPU which can handle these tasks more effectively than the Apple MacBook Air's M2 GPU. Additionally, the availability of Windows on the Acer Swift 14 means it can run a wider range of games, while many popular titles do not operate on the macOS platform found on the MacBook Air.
Engineering and Design
7.9
7.5
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Swift 14 and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both good for engineering and design.
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
8.2
7.9
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift 14 to be very good for content creation, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
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
8.2
8.0
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
The Acer Swift 14 and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both very good for software development.
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.
Portability
Excellent
Excellent
14.0in
SIZE
13.6in
2.6 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.4in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Acer Swift 14 both have excellent portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Acer Swift 14 and the Apple MacBook Air (2022) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift 14 | Apple MacBook Air (2022) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,400 | $839 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | March 1, 2023 | July 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.2'' x 8.4'' x 0.59'' | 12'' x 8.5'' x 0.44'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.65 lbs | 2.7 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.22" | 11.97" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 8.46" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700H | Apple M2 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 15 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56 Wh | 52.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 13.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2560 x 1664 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 458 nits | 486 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.1/10 | 9.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 10/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 10/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 10/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1440p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 3 | |
Shopping
Acer Swift 14
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Rtings
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, John Peroramas | April 2023
"The Acer Swift 14 is good for school use. Its compact design makes it easy to carry around, and its battery lasts easily through a typical school day. You can configure the laptop with an FHD+ or QHD+ display; both look sharp and get bright enough to combat glare. The keyboard feels tactile but can be a little tiring to type on over an extended period, and while the touchpad is small, it's responsive to all movements and gestures. Its Intel 13th Gen. CPU can handle nearly every type of workload; however, its integrated graphics perform poorly, so it isn't ideal for students in technical fields like 3D graphics."
Apple MacBook Air (2022)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | July 2022
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift 14 or the Apple MacBook Air (2022)
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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