The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is more expensive but offers a premium build, excellent screen quality, high performance for general use as well as engineering tasks, and a long battery life with silent operation. The Dell Inspiron 14 7435 is less expensive, provides more storage space, and has a touchscreen, but the build quality and speaker performance are not as high. If your priority is portability with high-end build and display, the MacBook Pro is suitable, while the Dell Inspiron is a more budget-friendly option that offers a larger screen and more storage for general use with moderate performance needs. 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 Pro 13 (2020)
Good overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Best in class battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Inpsiron 14 7435
The Dell Inpsiron 14 7435 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020).
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.6/10
6.1/10
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
491.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
216.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has a better screen than the Dell Inpsiron 14 7435 for general use, AI, engineering and design, and software development.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) likely offers a higher resolution and brighter display, which enhances clarity and visibility for general tasks, as well as a wide color gamut ensuring accuracy crucial for engineering and design work. Conversely, its poor screen quality for 3D can be attributed to a lower refresh rate, not meeting the smoothness required by high-frame-rate applications. The Dell Inspiron 14 7435's fair screen quality across general use and engineering suggests it has competent, but not exceptional, resolution and color reproduction, while its inadequacy for Gaming and 3D could stem from similar limitations in refresh rate and possibly lower display fidelity.
Battery
20.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has 20 hours of battery life. The Dell Inpsiron 14 7435 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
Very Good
13.3in
SIZE
14.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Dell Inpsiron 14 7435 both have very good portability, though the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has best in class build quality, while the Dell Inpsiron 14 7435 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,249
$779
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has a price of $1,249 and the Dell Inpsiron 14 7435 costs $779.
The Dell Inpsiron 14 7435 and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is well-suited for general use due to its high-quality CPU and RAM, excellent screen quality, and strong battery life, making it highly portable. On the other hand, the Dell Inspiron 14 7435 offers more storage and RAM with a decent CPU, a touchscreen for added versatility, and good screen quality, though it is slightly heavier with lesser battery life, making it also suited for general use while offering a 2-in-1 convertible experience.
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
6.3/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Inpsiron 14 7435 and Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) has an integrated GPU that is less powerful for 3D rendering compared to dedicated gaming GPUs, and its operating system does not support many popular games, limiting its gaming capabilities. The Dell Inspiron 14 7435, while also featuring an integrated GPU, runs on Windows which supports a broader range of games and has a slightly better GPU for gaming and 3D tasks, yet it still may not offer the high performance required for the most demanding games and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
7.1/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Dell Inpsiron 14 7435 are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) is optimized for engineering and design due to its strong CPU and GPU provided by the Apple M1 chip and its high-quality screen with wide color coverage and brightness, while the Dell Inspiron 14 7435 offers more RAM for multitasking, a powerful AMD Ryzen CPU with integrated graphics suitable for less demanding design tasks, and the adaptability of a 2-in-1 design with touchscreen capabilities. Both are highly portable with silent operation and good keyboards, but the MacBook stands out with its silent, fanless design and the Dell Inspiron offers a larger, user-expandable storage.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.6/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Dell Inpsiron 14 7435 are both 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
7.8/10
7.4/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) and Dell Inpsiron 14 7435 are both 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 Pro 13 (2020) and the Dell Inpsiron 14 7435 compare to other laptops
"The MacBook Pro 13 is still a very good subnotebook. The 2022 MacBook Pro 13 might look like recycling at first, because the device is completely identical to the old model expect for the new M2 SoC. We have to admit that we were surprised to see another iteration of the MBP 13 as well. The laptop is obviously familiar, but this does not change the fact that it is still a very good subnotebook. You get an excellent chassis with good stability, a very good display, good input devices and the new M2 chip is very powerful and efficient."
"We see no shame in an economy laptop missing the four-star mark. Frankly, we considered giving the Inspiron 14 2-in-1 three-and-a-half stars for its low price, competitive performance, and long battery life. Unfortunately, working with a screen that can't deliver at least 300 nits of brightness is simply no fun to the point of detrimental. Still, if you're looking for a convertible laptop on a tight budget, it's worth keeping an eye on Dell's sales and discounts. That Lavender Blue model is fairly tempting."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2020) or the Dell Inpsiron 14 7435
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 Dell
Dell is a highly recognizable American technology company, and is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. Their laptops are very popular for both personal and professional use, and they also own the Alienware brand which makes mid to high end gaming laptops. Their premium XPS range of laptops offer great build quality and portability, while Latitude and Precision laptops are known for reliability, repairability and performance for business users.
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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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