Choosing between the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and the Dell Latitude 14 7490 involves some key tradeoffs. The MacBook Pro offers a more advanced processor with better graphics, a higher resolution display with a faster refresh rate, and a longer battery life, which makes it more suitable for intensive tasks like video editing, graphic design, and other demanding applications. However, it's significantly more expensive. On the other hand, the Dell Latitude is more budget-friendly, still has a solid build, and offers a range of ports that might be useful for business users but it has less power for high-end tasks and a lower-quality display. If your priority is performance and screen quality and you can afford the higher price, the MacBook Pro is a strong choice. If you need to balance cost with competent performance for everyday business use, the Latitude would be a more economical decision. 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 14 (2021)
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Excellent battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the Dell Latitude 14 7490
The Dell Latitude 14 7490 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021).
Key differences
General Use
8.4/10
7.2/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
479.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
13.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.1/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for general use, while the Dell Latitude 14 7490 is good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) offers superb performance thanks to its M1 Pro chip, excels in screen quality with its Mini LED display providing higher brightness and color accuracy, and has a longer battery life that together with its build quality and keyboard, makes it outstanding for general use. On the other hand, the Dell Latitude 14 7490, while still providing satisfactory performance, solid build quality, and good portability, has a lower-quality IPS screen and shorter battery life, which makes it a good but not exceptional choice for general use.
Gaming and AI
6.8/10
5.9/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Dell Latitude 14 7490 is poor.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) with its higher-end GPU and higher screen refresh rate is more suited for 3D rendering and smooth visuals, which enhances performance in 3D applications; however, it has limited compatibility with many popular games that don't run on macOS.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
6.5/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.8/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Latitude 14 7490 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) features a high-performance CPU and GPU combination suitable for demanding engineering and design tasks and a high-quality Mini LED screen, which is beneficial for detailed graphical work. In contrast, the Dell Latitude 14 7490, while also competent with decent RAM and an adequate processor, has a lower resolution screen and less powerful integrated graphics, making it less equipped for intensive engineering applications.
Content Creation
8.4/10
7.3/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.8/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for content creation, while the Dell Latitude 14 7490 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
8.3/10
7.1/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for software development, while the Dell Latitude 14 7490 is good.
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
9.2/10
6.7/10
14.2in
SIZE
14.0in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
479.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Dell Latitude 14 7490 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 boasts a high-resolution, bright display with a wide color gamut, delivering excellent clarity and color fidelity that's beneficial for both general users and professionals in engineering and design. However, it lacks a high refresh rate, which makes it less suitable for 3D work where smooth motion is crucial. On the other hand, the Dell Latitude 14 7490 provides decent resolution and brightness for everyday tasks and sufficient color reproduction for technical work, but its standard refresh rate and lack of exceptional color accuracy or brightness make it less ideal for gaming, 3D applications, and high-end design work.
Battery
13.5 Hours
9.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The Dell Latitude 14 7490 has 9.5 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.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.4/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the Dell Latitude 14 7490 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,905
$300
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has a price of $1,905 and the Dell Latitude 14 7490 costs $300.
"In the Apple MacBook Pro 14 2023, the M2 Pro is slowed down. From the improved 5nm process, the new M2 Pro is a very solid upgrade. Graphics performance has increased by about 25% in tandem with a clear improvement in efficiency. The processor has also seen a performance leap of up to 20%, but this is accompanied by an increase in consumption of up to 25%. Fundamentally, Apple its maintaining its advantage over AMD and Intel, particularly in optimized applications where the results are very good in view of the comparatively low power consumption."
"The Dell Latitude 7490's got the speed you need (and then some), a keyboard that's comfortable enough for writing all day long and a battery that supports a full 8-hour workday. If only the display were brighter and it managed heat better. If you need every minute of battery life you can get, the extended-battery version of the Lenovo ThinkPad T480 lasts 8 hours longer than the Latitude 7490, but its display is much less colorful."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) or the Dell Latitude 14 7490
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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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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