The Apple MacBook Air (2020) offers higher performance and might be better suited for demanding tasks like video editing or graphic design, thanks to its Apple M1 chip. It also has a larger, higher-resolution screen, which could be beneficial if screen quality is important for your work or entertainment. However, if portability is key, the Gateway 11.6" is smaller and lighter but comes with lower performance, suitable for basic tasks such as web browsing and document editing. Consider if investing more in the MacBook Air for performance and screen quality aligns with your needs, or if the affordability and basic functionality of the Gateway makes more sense for you. 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 Apple MacBook Air (2020)
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Gateway 11.6"
Excellent portability
Key differences
General Use
7.6/10
5.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
395.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
200.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.1/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good for general use, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) offers superior performance for general use due to its more powerful Apple M1 CPU, higher RAM, better screen quality with a higher resolution display, and longer battery life; it also boasts a higher portability score, indicating it's easier to carry around, compared to the Gateway 11.6". The Gateway falls short with a less powerful Intel Celeron processor, less RAM, a lower-quality display with a significantly lower resolution, and is rated as poor in keyboard quality, all of which contribute to a less optimal experience for general use tasks.
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
5.4/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is fair for 3D tasks due to its more capable Apple M1 chip with a 7-core GPU and high-resolution screen, but its MacOS may not support many popular games. The Gateway 11.6", with a basic Intel Celeron processor and Intel UHD Graphics 600, is poor for gaming and 3D, and its lower screen quality further limits its capabilities for these tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
5.4/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) outperforms the Gateway 11.6" in engineering and design due to its superior CPU (Apple M1 vs Intel Celeron N4020), more RAM, and a more powerful GPU (Apple M1 7-Core vs Intel UHD Graphics 600), along with a higher resolution and better quality display (2560 x 1600 vs 1366 x 768). While the Gateway is slightly more portable due to its smaller size, the MacBook Air's overall performance and screen quality far outweigh the Gateway's portability advantage for resource-intensive tasks like engineering and design.
Content Creation
7.8/10
5.7/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
8.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good for content creation, while the Gateway 11.6" 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
7.7/10
5.7/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good for software development, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
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
7.5/10
5.7/10
13.3in
SIZE
11.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
395.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
200.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the Gateway 11.6" for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The MacBook Air offers a higher resolution and brighter display, which makes text and images appear clearer and more vibrant for general use; for engineering and design, its wider color gamut supports more accurate color representation. Meanwhile, the Gateway's lower resolution and brightness yield a less crisp and dimmer visual experience, less suitable for any use, and its narrow color gamut hinders precision in color work required for engineering and design tasks. For 3D uses where fast refresh rates are key for smooth motion rendering, the MacBook Air falls short of specialized gaming displays, and the Gateway's screen, lacking both high refresh rates and robust resolution, would not satisfy a gamer's or 3D designer's need for visual fluidity and detail.
Battery
15.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The Gateway 11.6" has 8 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
10.0/10
5.1/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has best in class build quality, while the Gateway 11.6" has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$89
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a price of $1,000 and the Gateway 11.6" costs $89.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Gateway 11.6" to have excellent portability, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Air (2020) and the Gateway 11.6" compare to other laptops
"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 Apple MacBook Air (2020) or the Gateway 11.6"
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.
About Gateway
Gateway is a laptop and tablet brand owned by Acer which sells budget-friendly laptops exclusively through Walmart. It was previously an American computer company until its acquisition by Acer in 2007, who then revived the brand in 2020. Gateway laptops are manufactured by Chinese company Shenzhen Bmorn Technology, which also makes EVOO-branded models.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.