The Apple MacBook Air (2022) typically costs more and offers an Apple M2 chip, known for its efficient performance and battery life, lasting several hours per charge. Its display is higher resolution than the HP 14" Laptop, and with a fanless design, it operates silently. In contrast, the HP 14" Laptop is more affordable, runs on Windows 11 with an AMD Ryzen 5 processor, and weighs slightly more, affecting portability. It might not match the MacBook Air's performance for demanding engineering tasks but should be competent for general use and light engineering work. 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 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 HP 14" Laptop
The HP 14" Laptop has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air (2022).
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
6.7/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
486.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
265.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.5 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
9.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.3/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good for general use, while the HP 14" Laptop is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022), with its Apple M2 CPU, high screen quality, light weight, and long battery life, coupled with silent operation, is well-suited for a variety of general use scenarios. Conversely, the HP 14" Laptop offers decent performance with its AMD Ryzen 5 CPU and adequate screen quality; however, it's slightly heavier, has a shorter battery life, and doesn't match the MacBook Air's display or build quality, thus it's considered fair for general use.
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
5.8/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
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
8.7/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is only fair for gaming and AI, while the HP 14" Laptop is poor.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a decent integrated GPU that can handle some 3D tasks, but the screen's standard refresh rate and the MacOS limitations may not support many popular games. In contrast, the HP 14" Laptop, with its AMD integrated graphics, is capable but similarly restricted by its standard screen refresh rate, though it benefits from the broader gaming compatibility offered by Windows.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
6.0/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good for engineering and design, while the HP 14" Laptop is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) excels in engineering and design use due to its more capable M2 processor and superior screen quality with higher brightness and color accuracy, while the HP 14" Laptop's AMD Ryzen 5 CPU and screen quality are adequate but less impressive for demanding tasks. Additionally, the MacBook Air offers a silent operation which can be a bonus in working environments, though the HP 14" is slightly more portable due to its lighter weight and compact size.
Content Creation
7.9/10
7.0/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) and HP 14" Laptop are both good for content creation, though the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is somewhat better.
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
6.8/10
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is very good for software development, while the HP 14" Laptop 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
7.6/10
6.3/10
13.6in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
265.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the HP 14" Laptop for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The MacBook Air features a high-resolution display with excellent brightness and a wide color range, including DCI-P3, which makes its screen clear, vibrant, and suitable for engineering and design tasks. The HP 14" Laptop has a moderate-resolution screen that sacrifices some brightness and color accuracy, which is adequate for general tasks but lacks the precision needed for professional design work. While both laptops do not cater to 3D applications due to their lower refresh rates, their screens fall short for 3D environments where fluid motion and sharp details are crucial.
Battery
15.0 Hours
8.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The HP 14" Laptop 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.
Portability
Excellent
Very Good
13.6in
SIZE
14.0in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.2 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the HP 14" Laptop has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
6.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has best in class build quality, while the HP 14" Laptop has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$899
$418
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $899 and the HP 14" Laptop costs $418.
"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."
"This feels like an ideal laptop for someone who doesn’t want to spend a lot of money on a laptop and isn’t too bothered by things like build quality or construction. It’s a laptop that will be used to pay bills, keep track of expenses, do some online shopping, and will be tucked away in a spare bedroom/home office. It’s an appliance designed to do a job without fuss. It’s not a premium experience—the materials do feel a little cheap, the display won’t exactly wow you, and the battery life is nothing to write home about, especially if you’ve used more expensive devices. But overall it’s not too shabby, especially for the price."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2022) or the HP 14" Laptop
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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