If you prioritize high performance and sleek design, and are willing to invest more, the Apple MacBook Air (2020) might serve you better, especially for demanding tasks. It's also known for a strong ecosystem via macOS, long battery life, and lightweight portability, making it a solid choice for professionals and students. On the other hand, the HP Stream 14" is more budget-friendly and can handle basic tasks such as web browsing, document editing, and media consumption. However, it may have limitations in performance, battery life, and build quality compared to the MacBook Air. If your usage is casual and cost is a critical factor, the HP Stream might be adequate. Consider your most frequent tasks and whether the additional cost of a MacBook Air aligns with your needs for a more robust and seamless computing experience. 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 HP Stream 14"
The HP Stream 14" has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air (2020).
Key differences
General Use
7.6/10
6.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
395.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.1/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good for general use, while the HP Stream 14" is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) offers a superior general-use experience with its high-resolution Retina display, Apple M1 CPU performance, and lightweight design, complemented by an impressive battery life and best-in-class portability, making it suitable for a wide range of tasks from web browsing to video streaming.
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
5.7/10
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
8.7/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is only fair for gaming and AI, while the HP Stream 14" is poor.
The MacBook Air (2020) managed fair performance for 3D tasks due to its Apple M1 GPU, which is integrated but more capable than many entry-level alternatives, coupled with a high-quality IPS screen, although its refresh rate stands at the standard 60Hz which is adequate but not optimal for high-refresh-rate gaming experiences. Additionally, the software ecosystem of Macs does not support many popular games, which restricts the MacBook Air's gaming potential.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
5.7/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.4/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good for engineering and design, while the HP Stream 14" is poor.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is equipped with the Apple M1 chip, which provides strong performance for CPU and GPU intensive tasks, crucial for engineering and design software, and it also has a high-resolution IPS display for superior screen quality. In contrast, the HP Stream 14" has a lower-end Intel Celeron processor and Intel UHD Graphics which provide limited power for demanding applications, and its TN panel with a lower resolution results in less impressive screen quality for detailed design work.
Content Creation
7.8/10
6.7/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good for content creation, while the HP Stream 14" is only fair.
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
6.5/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is good for software development, while the HP Stream 14" 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
5.2/10
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
395.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the HP Stream 14" for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The MacBook Air, with its higher resolution and brighter display, provides clearer and more vibrant visuals for general tasks, while its wider color gamut supports professional engineering and design work by accurately representing a broader range of colors, though its standard refresh rate is less optimal for 3D applications. In contrast, the HP Stream 14" has a lower resolution and dimmer screen that makes it less suitable for any use where screen clarity is key, and its limited color range can hinder engineering and design tasks that need precise color representation; additionally, its standard refresh rate fails to meet the smoothness required for gaming and 3D work.
Battery
15.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The HP Stream 14" has 7.5 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
Very Good
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and HP Stream 14" both have very good portability, though the Apple MacBook Air (2020) has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
5.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has best in class build quality, while the HP Stream 14" has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$299
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a price of $1,000 and the HP Stream 14" costs $299.
"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."
"With half of the main system memory and a fraction of the storage that we recommend in any budget Windows laptop, the HP Stream 14 does not impress. Perhaps it doesn't need to, depending on your reference point. For the price, you're getting a functional laptop with Windows 10, which already places the HP Stream 14 above most Chromebooks on that merit alone. Still, in this price range, you can't do much worse, but you can do better. In fact, for just $100 more, you can grab the much superior budget option, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2020) or the HP Stream 14"
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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