Updated January 12, 2024·Prices updated 24 hours ago
Choosing between the Apple MacBook Air (2022) and the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14" depends largely on your needs and budget. The MacBook Air, with its higher price, offers better performance, thanks to its advanced processor, and has a higher resolution and brighter display, which might be important for creative work or entertainment. Its build quality and ecosystem integration with other Apple products are notable, and it offers a long battery life and quiet operation. In contrast, the Cloudbook is more affordable and may serve well for basic tasks like web browsing, light office work, or streaming, but it has lower specs in terms of memory, storage, and processor, meaning it won't handle demanding tasks as smoothly as the MacBook Air. Both laptops weigh the same, so portability is comparable, but the Cloudbook may have a shorter battery life and could be noisier under load. If your work is intensive and budget is less of a concern, the MacBook Air is the better option, but for casual use and cost savings, the Cloudbook might suffice. 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 Packard Bell Cloudbook 14"
The Packard Bell Cloudbook 14" has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air (2022).
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
5.7/10
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
486.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
200.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
4.6/10
9.4/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.1/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good for general use, while the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14" is poor.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) excels in general use due to its powerful Apple M2 processor, 8GB of RAM, high-resolution IPS display, and long battery life, along with a lightweight and thin design that enhances portability. In contrast, the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14" has a less capable Intel Celeron processor, half the RAM, a lower resolution screen, and shorter battery life, which makes it less suitable for demanding tasks and multitasking, even though it shares a similar weight with the MacBook Air.
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
5.5/10
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
8.7/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14" is poor.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
5.5/10
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 Packard Bell Cloudbook 14" 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
7.9/10
5.9/10
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 Packard Bell Cloudbook 14" 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
8.0/10
5.9/10
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
4.6/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is very good for software development, while the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14" 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
7.6/10
5.8/10
13.6in
SIZE
14.1in
2560 x 1664
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
486.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
200.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air has a better screen than the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Air boasts a higher resolution and brightness, lending to its very good screen quality for general use and engineering, where clarity and color accuracy are paramount. Yet, its standard refresh rate limits its appeal for 3D applications where smoother motion is crucial. In contrast, the Packard Bell Cloudbook falls short in both resolution and color range, making it less suitable for any use where screen quality is key, be it everyday tasks, detailed engineering work, or gaming and 3D rendering.
Battery
15.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The Packard Bell Cloudbook 14 has 7 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
2.7 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14" has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
5.1/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has best in class build quality, while the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14" has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$839
$350
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a price of $839 and the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14" costs $350.
"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."
Packard Bell Cloudbook 14"
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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.
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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