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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize a longer battery life and silent operation, the MacBook Air with its fanless design may suit you, and it also offers a higher build quality. However, if you need more storage and RAM for demanding tasks, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro, which has a touchscreen and is better for engineering use with its faster refresh rate and additional RAM, would be a better fit. The MacBook is lighter and hence more portable, while the Lenovo includes a dedicated number pad and may offer better performance for 3D rendering or machine learning tasks. Both are similarly priced and offer high-quality keyboards, but for intensive gaming or if Windows compatibility is essential, the Lenovo would be better. 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
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro
- The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air (2020).
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.5
7.7
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
90Hz
395.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
395.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro for software development, and content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, the Apple MacBook Air (2020) offers a high-resolution Retina display with bright and vibrant colors, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro provides a similar high-resolution screen with enhanced brightness and sharper details due to its Pro moniker. In the realm of engineering and design, both laptops deliver wide color gamuts, essential for color-accurate work, but the Lenovo might edge out with slightly better coverage of professional color spaces. However, for 3D applications which demand high refresh rates for smooth visuals, neither the MacBook Air nor the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro are ideal as they prioritize resolution and panel quality over the high refresh rates favored by gamers and 3D professionals.
Battery
15.0 Hours
8.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro has 8.5 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.
Build Quality
10.0
7.8
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has best in class build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$799
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a price of $1,000 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro costs $799.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.6
7.3
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
395.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
395.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.7/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is praised for general use due to its efficient M1 CPU, sufficient 8GB RAM, high-quality 13.3-inch IPS screen, and superior portability with a very light design and long battery life, not to mention it operates silently without a fan.
Gaming and AI
6.2
6.1
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
90Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air with its M1 GPU and a 60Hz screen refresh rate leads to just fair 3D performance and, along with macOS compatibility issues, many popular games cannot run on it, affecting its gaming suitability. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro with Intel Iris Xe graphics and a higher 90Hz screen refresh rate offers better gaming and 3D capabilities, but its performance might still be considered fair compared to laptops with dedicated gaming GPUs.
Engineering and Design
7.3
7.0
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.0/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) with its M1 chip offers strong performance for engineering and design tasks, accompanied by a high-resolution, quality IPS screen and silent, fanless operation, which might be appealing for prolonged use without distracting noise.
Content Creation
7.8
7.4
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.0/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro are both good for content creation.
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
7.3
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro are both good for software development.
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.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2020) and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air (2020) | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $799 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | November 1, 2020 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12'' x 8.4'' x 0.63'' | 12.3'' x 8.7'' x 0.62'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.8 lbs | 3.04 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.97" | 12.29" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.36" | 8.74" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M1 | Intel i5-11300H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 8.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 49.9 Wh | 60.7 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.3" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2880 x 1800 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 90Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 395 nits | 395 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 9.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | 4 | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Air (2020)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | July 2022
"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."
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | October 2021
"The main selling point of the IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro versus a regular IdeaPad Slim 7 is its faster Core H-series CPU. In reality, the Core i7-11370H is only marginally faster than the U-series Core i7-1165G7 to the point where most users are not likely to notice the benefits. The slight performance uptick comes at the cost of slightly higher power consumption as well meaning owners will have to deal with potentially warmer temperatures or louder fans to compensate. Unless if you happen to be a power user, then the regular non-Pro model will be more than enough. Once you go 90 Hz, you can't go back."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2020) or the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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