The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the Dell Inspiron 16 5635 for general use, AI, engineering and design, and software development.
The Apple MacBook Air excels in screen quality for general use and engineering due to its high resolution and bright display, which ensures crisp and clear images, coupled with wide color gamuts that provide accurate color representation, essential for design work. However, its refresh rate is lower, making it less suitable for 3D applications where smoother motion and rapid updates are key. The Dell Inspiron 16, while offering decent resolution and brightness for everyday tasks and engineering, lacks the superior color accuracy and higher refresh rate needed for the most demanding design tasks and smooth 3D experiences.
Battery
15.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The Dell Inspiron 16 5635 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
Excellent
Good
13.6in
SIZE
16.0in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5635 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has best in class build quality, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5635 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$899
$735
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $899 and the Dell Inspiron 16 5635 costs $735.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Inspiron 16 5635 to be very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
The MacBook Air offers a balance of performance, screen quality, and battery life in a lightweight design, making it optimal for general use and portability. The Dell Inspiron 16 5635, while providing a larger screen and potentially better multitasking with more RAM, is larger and might not be as portable, yet is still a solid choice for general activities and has good battery life.
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
6.3/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
10.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Dell Inspiron 16 5635 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a GPU that's integrated within the Apple M2 chip which delivers fair performance for 3D purposes on a high-quality screen but many popular games are not compatible with macOS, limiting its gaming potential. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 16 5635 with its AMD Ryzen integrated Vega 8 graphics offers comparable 3D performance and can run a broader range of games on Windows, but it also features a standard screen refresh rate that might not be ideal for high-end gaming.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
7.3/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Dell Inspiron 16 5635 are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Air, with its efficient CPU and high-quality screen, offers excellent performance for engineering tasks and creative design work, while its light frame makes it a great option for users who need portability. In contrast, the Dell Inspiron provides robust performance with its capable CPU, RAM, and GPU setup for demanding engineering software, and although it is less portable, it has a larger screen that can be beneficial for detailed design work. Both have quality keyboards, and they manage operating noise well, ensuring a comfortable work environment.
Content Creation
7.9/10
7.9/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and Dell Inspiron 16 5635 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
8.0/10
7.7/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air (2022) to be very good for software development, while the Dell Inspiron 16 5635 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.
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2022) and the Dell Inspiron 16 5635 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."
"Compared to the previous year’s Inspiron, Dell upgraded the screen aspect ratio on this generation, but also transitioned to a more minimalistic centered keyboard flanked by up-firing speakers. The 16-inch screen is huge plus and I really appreciate the extra real estate without sacrificing the footprint much. This year’s model is a little larger than last, though, as the former model was already very small for a 15 incher."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2022) or the Dell Inspiron 16 5635
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 Dell
Dell is a highly recognizable American technology company, and is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. Their laptops are very popular for both personal and professional use, and they also own the Alienware brand which makes mid to high end gaming laptops. Their premium XPS range of laptops offer great build quality and portability, while Latitude and Precision laptops are known for reliability, repairability and performance for business users.
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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About the laptop team
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
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Chandradeep Chowdhury
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.
Craig Russell
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.