Based on your preference for a less expensive option, the Apple MacBook Air (2020) stands out as the more budget-friendly choice. It's also lighter and has a fanless design for silent operation, making it suitable for general use and portable needs. However, the HP Spectre x360 is a 2-in-1 convertible that can be used as both a laptop and tablet, has a more powerful Intel processor, more memory, and storage. It would be more suitable if you need a device for intensive tasks like engineering or 3D work, but it's heavier and usually more costly. Consider whether portability or performance is your priority when making your decision. 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)
Best in class overall build quality
Very good portability
Excellent battery life
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the HP Spectre x360
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Key differences
General Use
7.6/10
8.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
395.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
406.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The HP Spectre x360 is very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) 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.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
8.0/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The HP Spectre x360 is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good.
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
7.7/10
8.3/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The HP Spectre x360 is very good for software development, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) 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
7.5/10
7.6/10
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
395.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
406.0 nits
The HP Spectre x360 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Air for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the MacBook Air offers an excellent balance of high resolution and brightness, which makes for a crisp and clear display, but its refresh rates are lower, making it less suitable for 3D applications. The HP Spectre x360 boasts a high-quality display with wide color gamuts, ensuring precise color reproduction crucial for engineering and design professionals. However, similar to the MacBook Air, the Spectre's lower refresh rate can be a drawback for gaming and 3D modeling, which benefit from higher refresh rates for smoother visuals.
Battery
15.0 Hours
11.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The HP Spectre x360 has 11 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
16.0in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
4.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has very good portability, while the HP Spectre x360 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has best in class build quality, while the HP Spectre x360 has very good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
The HP Spectre x360 and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The MacBook Air with its Apple M1 GPU struggles with 3D applications and intensive gaming, which is often limited by fewer compatible games on MacOS, while the HP Spectre x360 offers better performance for gaming and 3D tasks due to its more powerful Iris Xe graphics and Windows platform that supports more games.
Content Creation
7.8/10
8.2/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3072 x 1920
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP Spectre x360 to be very good for content creation, while the Apple MacBook Air (2020) 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.
Cost
$1,000
$1,000
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a price of $1,000 and the HP Spectre x360 costs $1,000.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Air (2020) and the HP Spectre x360 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."
"As we said, Lenovo's Yoga 9i is a tough competitor to the Spectre with an equally admirable OLED display. We're sad that neither of them has an HDMI port nor a niche or slot to hold the stylus, though the HP wins points for its bundled mini docking station and magnetically attached pen. Your choice will come down to screen shape—and in our eyes, just as seeing an OLED screen spoils you for an IPS panel, enjoying a tall 3:2 display spoils you for a more conventional view. The HP Spectre x360 13.5 is our new favorite 2-in-1."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2020) or the HP Spectre x360
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 HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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.
Jason Lew
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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.