Considering your requirements, the Apple MacBook Air is lightweight with a high build quality, silent operation, and great battery life, which can be excellent for general use and mobility. Its screen has better color accuracy, making it suitable for tasks that need good visual representation. However, its performance might not match heavier workloads like 3D rendering or intensive machine learning tasks as well as the Gateway 15.6" which offers higher available RAM and storage. The Gateway has a larger screen but is heavier and its build and screen quality isn't as high, although it has a numeric keypad and more versatile ports, and it costs less. If portability and screen quality are more important than cost and maximum performance, go with the MacBook Air, but for more storage, RAM, and a numeric keypad, the Gateway could be a better 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 Apple MacBook Air (2020)
Good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Good overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Very good portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Gateway 15.6"
The Gateway 15.6" has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air (2020).
Key differences
General Use
7.6/10
7.0/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
395.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Gateway 15.6" are both good for general use, though the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is somewhat better.
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.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
6.2/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 15.6" is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is superior for engineering and design due to its high-quality screen, which displays vibrant colors and sharp images, and the powerful Apple M1 processor that can handle complex tasks; plus, it's lightweight and quiet which is great for portability and work environments.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.0/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Gateway 15.6" are both good for content creation, though the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is somewhat better.
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
6.7/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good for software development, while the Gateway 15.6" 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
7.5/10
6.1/10
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
395.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the Gateway 15.6" for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The MacBook Air's screen boasts higher resolution and brightness which makes it crisp and vibrant, suitable for everyday tasks, and its wide color gamut provides accuracy for engineering and design work; its downside is a standard refresh rate, less ideal for 3D applications. The Gateway's screen delivers adequate visuals for daily activities and technical tasks, although it lacks in color precision and peak brightness in comparison; moreover, its typical refresh rate isn't optimized for the smooth visuals demanded by gaming and 3D rendering. Essentially, the MacBook Air excels in display quality for general and professional use, while the Gateway manages a balanced, if not exceptional, performance across the board, with neither being optimal for high-refresh-rate needs such as 3D work.
Battery
15.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The Gateway 15.6" 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.
Portability
Very Good
Good
13.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.8 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has very good portability, while the Gateway 15.6" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
5.1/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has best in class build quality, while the Gateway 15.6" has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$400
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a price of $1,000 and the Gateway 15.6" costs $400.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Gateway 15.6" are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a custom GPU that can handle 3D tasks to a certain extent but its MacOS has limited gaming compatibility, while the Gateway 15.6" has integrated Intel graphics which is fair for entry-level gaming and 3D on Windows, benefiting from a broader range of compatible games and software. However, both laptops have standard refresh rates not ideal for high-end gaming, and while MacBook's higher-resolution screen offers better image clarity, neither is designed for intensive gaming or advanced 3D tasks.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Air (2020) and the Gateway 15.6" 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."
"Some concessions have to be made when shopping for a budget laptop. Walmart's Gateway Ultra Slim laptops succeeds on the affordability front and delivers serviceable specs and good battery life, though it's hard to claim it's the best (or even particularly good) at any particular aspect. Its build quality, especially the touchpad, is mediocre, and its performance is decent but doesn't lead the way. The Gateway does undercut the cost of some competitors and offers ample storage with good connectivity, so it's not to be ignored."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2020) or the Gateway 15.6"
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
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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
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