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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) offers higher performance and better build quality, making it suitable for more demanding tasks and providing a higher resolution screen with superior color accuracy, ideal for creative work. It is also lighter, contributing to its portability, though it comes at a higher price. On the other hand, the Gateway 14.1" is more budget-friendly but has lower performance due to its less powerful processor and less RAM, making it suitable for basic tasks like web browsing and document editing. It has a slightly larger screen but lesser screen quality and may not handle intensive applications well. The choice between the two depends on whether you require advanced features and performance for tasks like video editing and design, which would justify the MacBook Air's cost, or if you need a more affordable option for everyday, less demanding use, which the Gateway would provide. 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 (2022)
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Best in class overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Gateway 14.1"
- The Gateway 14.1" has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air (2022).
Key differences
General Use
7.9
5.6
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
486.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
208.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
9.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good for general use, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is equipped with a powerful M2 chip, 8GB of RAM and a high-quality, high-resolution screen, which along with its lightweight design and long battery life, makes it ideal for general use. On the other hand, the Gateway 14.1” has a less powerful Celeron processor, half the RAM, a lower resolution screen, and it's heavier, which altogether contribute to a less satisfactory general user experience.
Gaming and AI
6.4
5.4
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a better GPU and higher screen quality which makes it fair for 3D tasks, but its MacOS limits game compatibility compared to Windows on the Gateway 14.1". The Gateway 14.1", with its lower-end GPU and screen quality, performs poorly in gaming and 3D applications and cannot match the graphical capabilities of the MacBook Air.
Engineering and Design
7.5
5.5
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
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.
Content Creation
7.9
5.8
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good for content creation, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
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
5.8
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is very good for software development, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
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
7.6
6.0
13.6in
SIZE
14.1in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
208.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the Gateway 14.1" for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Air is favored for general use and engineering due to its higher resolution and brightness, which enhance visual clarity and detail, alongside a superior panel type that offers more accurate colors and wider viewing angles. For engineering and design, it also excels with broader color gamuts, rendering a more precise and diverse color spectrum for professional-grade creative work. However, the Gateway 14.1" may not provide the same level of image quality for general use or the color accuracy needed for engineering tasks, and both laptops could fall short for 3D work, where a high refresh rate is crucial to keep up with fast-moving images, which neither are specifically designed for.
Battery
15.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The Gateway 14.1" 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
Very Good
13.6in
SIZE
14.1in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.3 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the Gateway 14.1" has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
5.1
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has best in class build quality, while the Gateway 14.1" has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$899
$99
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $899 and the Gateway 14.1" costs $99.
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2022) and the Gateway 14.1" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air (2022) | Gateway 14.1" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$899 | $99 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | July 1, 2022 | August 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12'' x 8.5'' x 0.44'' | 13.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.7 lbs | 3.35 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.97" | 13.1" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.46" | 8.78" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M2 | Intel Celeron N4020 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 4 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 64 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 52.6 Wh | Unknown | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.6" | 14.1" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1664 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 486 nits | 208 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.4/10 | 8.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | Yes | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 10/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 0 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | N/A | |
Shopping
Apple MacBook Air (2022)
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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."
Gateway 14.1"
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | September 2021
"The Gateway Ultra Slim 14" is surprisingly quiet with long battery life. The inexpensive Gateway excels at maximizing performance per dollar with lots of RAM and storage, super-quiet fan, and a long battery life. It can even house up to two M.2 SSDs which we weren't expecting from such a cheap system. However, the iffy reliability of the keyboard and USB-C port on our test unit means users should double-check for these potential issues immediately after purchasing."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2022) or the Gateway 14.1"
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.
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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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