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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated March 21, 2024·
If you prioritize a lightweight and sleek design with long battery life for everyday tasks and you appreciate the Apple ecosystem, the MacBook Air is a good fit and more budget-friendly. However, if you need a laptop for heavy tasks like gaming, 3D modeling or intensive engineering software, the HP Omen Transcend, although pricier, offers a more powerful performance and could benefit you despite being bulkier and potentially having a shorter battery life. Choose based on whether your priority is portability and general use or high-performance computing. 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 15 (2023)
- Best in class overall build quality
- Very good 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 overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.5
7.9
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.9/10
2880 x 1864
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 15 (2023) is only fair.
The HP Omen Transcend 14, geared towards gaming, has a superior GPU and higher screen refresh rate, which are crucial for smooth gameplay and 3D rendering, while the Apple MacBook Air 15's GPU and refresh rate are less optimized for these tasks. Furthermore, the MacBook Air's compatibility with games is limited compared to the HP Omen, as many popular games don't run on macOS.
Engineering and Design
7.6
8.5
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
4.3/10
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 15 (2023) is good.
The HP Omen Transcend 14, being optimized for engineering and design, offers a powerful combination of CPU, RAM, and GPU, which are crucial for demanding tasks and will likely outperform the Apple MacBook Air in these aspects, though the MacBook Air boasts a high-quality screen and better portability, making it a strong contender for on-the-go use and presentations. The HP, however, may compromise on portability due to its gaming-oriented build, which often results in a heavier and bulkier laptop, but it's expected to excel in raw performance, which is key for complex engineering software and design applications.
Screen Quality
7.8
8.6
15.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
501.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The HP Omen Transcend 14 has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Air 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and software development.
The Apple MacBook Air and HP Omen Transcend both have high-resolution displays, delivering sharp and clear images essential for general use and detailed work in engineering and design. They cover a broad range of colors, meeting the needs for accurate color representation in professional design environments. However, the screens on these laptops may fall short for 3D tasks, such as gaming or 3D modeling, due to their lower refresh rates, which can lead to less fluid motion and responsiveness compared with specialized gaming laptops.
Battery
15.0 Hours
11.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air 15 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
Very Good
Good
15.3in
SIZE
14.0in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
3.8 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has very good 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 15 (2023) 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
$1,299
$1,699
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) has a price of $1,299 and the HP Omen Transcend 14 costs $1,699.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
8.2
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
501.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.9/10
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 15 (2023) is good.
The Apple MacBook Air is renowned for its sleek design and lightweight build, making it highly portable and easy to carry around, coupled with a high-resolution screen and long battery life, it's well-suited for everyday tasks and on-the-go use. On the other hand, the HP Omen Transcend offers robust CPU performance and more RAM, which are crucial for multitasking and demanding applications, but it tends to be bulkier and may have a shorter battery life, which could be a trade-off for its enhanced capabilities.
Content Creation
8.0
8.3
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The HP Omen Transcend 14 and Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) are both very 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
8.1
8.1
6.7/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The HP Omen Transcend 14 and Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) 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 15 (2023) and the HP Omen Transcend 14 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) | HP Omen Transcend 14 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,299 | $1,699 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2023 | February 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 13.4'' x 9.4'' x 0.45'' | 12.3'' x 9.2'' x 0.71'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.3 lbs | 3.87 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.4" | 12.32" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 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 | 66.6 Wh | 71 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.3" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2880 x 1864 | 2880 x 1800 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 501 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 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 15 (2023)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | June 2023
"The Apple MacBook Air 15 is boringly good. The new MacBook Air 15 is a very good, but also boring device, because apart from the larger screen and the higher price, there are no differences compared to the smaller MacBook Air M2 from last year. No new processor, no additional ports, just the usual basic hardware - but the overall package is extremely good and it simply works. Above all, the lack of fans is an aspect that should not be underestimated in everyday use. In our opinion, the Air could be a lot better, but Apple goes easy on itself here."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) 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
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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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