The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024) and Acer Swift Go 14 are both good for engineering and design, though the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024) is somewhat better.
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.
Software Development
7.6/10
8.2/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1864
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024) is very good for software development, while the Acer Swift Go 14 is good.
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
6.8/10
7.8/10
14.0in
SIZE
15.3in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1864
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
501.0 nits
The MacBook Air 15 has a better screen than the Acer Swift Go 14 for general use, AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
8.0 Hours
15.0 Hours
The Acer Swift Go 14 has 8 hours of battery life. The MacBook Air 15 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
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024) has best in class build quality, while the Acer Swift Go 14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$794
$1,299
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Swift Go 14 has a price of $794 and the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024) costs $1,299.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024) to be very good for general use, while the Acer Swift Go 14 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
6.4/10
6.6/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1864
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024) and Acer Swift Go 14 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Content Creation
7.6/10
8.1/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1864
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024) to be very good for content creation, while the Acer Swift Go 14 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.
Portability
Excellent
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.3in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.3 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.4in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift Go 14 to have excellent portability, while the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024) has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Acer Swift Go 14 and the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024) compare to other laptops
"The Acer Swift Go 14 is a surprising machine. Its performance, display, and battery life leave little to be desired from a device at this price. You might think it’d be cheaper given the “Go” in the name, or thinner given its close competition with thin-and-light laptops, but it manages to strike a decent enough balance between its capabilities and hardware to really stand out as an exceptional value."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift Go 14 or the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024)
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.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
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Laptops evaluated
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Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
104,295
Recommendations made
22,598
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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.