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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated March 21, 2024·
The Apple MacBook Air is more affordable and known for its light weight and long battery life, making it a good option for everyday tasks, while the HP Omen Transcend 14, typically more expensive, offers high performance suitable for gaming, 3D rendering, and intensive engineering software. Consider the MacBook Air if portability and value are priorities, or the HP Omen if you need a laptop for resource-heavy applications and are willing to invest more for that capability. 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)
- Best in class overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the HP Omen Transcend 14
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.4
7.9
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.9/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The HP Omen Transcend 14 is good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Air, with its integrated graphics, may struggle with the demands of 3D applications and higher-end games, especially considering its screen refresh rate and the fact that many popular games are incompatible with macOS. In contrast, the HP Omen Transcend 14 is built with a dedicated GPU and a higher screen refresh rate, making it more suitable for gaming and 3D tasks, complemented by a capable CPU and good screen quality.
Engineering and Design
7.5
8.5
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
4.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The HP Omen Transcend 14 is very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
The MacBook Air, while sleek and portable with a high-quality screen, may lack the more powerful CPU, RAM, and dedicated GPU present in the HP Omen Transcend 14, which are crucial for demanding engineering software and tasks. Although the HP has superior performance capabilities, the tradeoff includes less portability and potentially louder operating noise compared to the MacBook Air.
Screen Quality
7.6
8.6
13.6in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The HP Omen Transcend 14 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Air for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
The Apple MacBook Air's screen is known for its high resolution and brightness along with impressive color representation, making it an excellent choice for everyday tasks and detail-oriented work in engineering and design, where accurate colors are crucial. However, its display typically does not prioritize high refresh rates, which is a significant drawback for 3D applications where smoothness of motion is essential. On the other hand, the HP Omen Transcend 14, while also offering a high-quality display with great color accuracy for general use and professional design work, may fall short for gaming and 3D due to a similarly lower refresh rate, despite good resolution and panel quality.
Battery
15.0 Hours
11.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The HP Omen Transcend 14 has 11 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
14.0in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.8 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the HP Omen Transcend 14 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
7.2
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has best in class build quality, while the HP Omen Transcend 14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$899
$1,699
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $899 and the HP Omen Transcend 14 costs $1,699.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
8.2
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
486.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
9.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP Omen Transcend 14 to be very good for general use, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
The Apple MacBook Air excels in portability and has a high-quality screen along with long battery life, making it ideal for on-the-go users who prioritize ease of carrying and longevity away from a power source for everyday tasks. The HP Omen Transcend 14, while also having excellent screen quality and good performance due to its superior CPU and RAM, is designed with a focus on more demanding applications, which can compromise its portability and battery life compared to the MacBook Air.
Content Creation
7.9
8.3
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP Omen Transcend 14 to be very good for content creation, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
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
8.1
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The HP Omen Transcend 14 and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both very 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.
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2022) and the HP Omen Transcend 14 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air (2022) | HP Omen Transcend 14 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$899 | $1,699 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | July 1, 2022 | February 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12'' x 8.5'' x 0.44'' | 12.3'' x 9.2'' x 0.71'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.7 lbs | 3.87 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 11.97" | 12.32" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.46" | 9.19" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M2 | Intel Core Ultra 7 155H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 11 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 52.6 Wh | 71 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 13.6" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1664 | 2880 x 1800 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 486 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9.4/10 | 8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
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 | 10/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 6.3/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 3 | 4 | |
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."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2022) or the HP Omen Transcend 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.
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About the laptop team
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CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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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.
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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.
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