A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
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Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024)
- Very good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Best in class overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Gateway 15.6"
- The Gateway 15.6" has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024).
Key differences
General Use
8.0
7.0
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
501.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
15.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024) is very good for general use, while the Gateway 15.6" is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.6
6.0
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2880 x 1864
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 15 (2024) and Gateway 15.6" are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024) is somewhat better.
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
7.8
6.2
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024) is good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 15.6" is only fair.
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
8.1
7.0
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024) is very good for content creation, while the Gateway 15.6" 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
8.2
6.7
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
10.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024) is very good for software development, while the Gateway 15.6" 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
7.8
6.1
15.3in
SIZE
15.6in
2880 x 1864
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
501.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
The MacBook Air 15 has a better screen than the Gateway 15.6" for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
15.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The MacBook Air 15 has 15 hours of battery life. The Gateway 15.6" 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
Very Good
Good
15.3in
SIZE
15.6in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.8 lbs
0.4in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024) has very good portability, while the Gateway 15.6" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0
5.1
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024) has best in class build quality, while the Gateway 15.6" has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,299
$400
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024) has a price of $1,299 and the Gateway 15.6" costs $400.
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How the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024) and the Gateway 15.6" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024) | Gateway 15.6" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,299 | $400 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2024 | August 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 13.4'' x 9.4'' x 0.45'' | 14.8'' x 9.5'' x 0.77'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.3 lbs | 4.8 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.4" | 14.75" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.35" | 9.5" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Apple M3 | Intel i5-1135G7 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 15 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 66.6 Wh | Unknown | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.3" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2880 x 1864 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 501 nits | 250 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 10/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 9/10 | 7.3/10 | |
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 | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
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
Gateway 15.6"
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Francisco Lahoz | July 2022
"Some concessions have to be made when shopping for a budget laptop. Walmart's Gateway Ultra Slim laptops succeeds on the affordability front and delivers serviceable specs and good battery life, though it's hard to claim it's the best (or even particularly good) at any particular aspect. Its build quality, especially the touchpad, is mediocre, and its performance is decent but doesn't lead the way. The Gateway does undercut the cost of some competitors and offers ample storage with good connectivity, so it's not to be ignored."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024) or the Gateway 15.6"
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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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
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
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
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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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