The MacBook Pro 14 (2021) typically offers a higher build quality, better performance for demanding tasks like video editing or 3D rendering, and a longer battery life. It's more suited for professionals and creators who need robust capabilities and can justify a premium price. On the other hand, the Gateway 14.1" provides basic computing needs at a more affordable price, good for everyday tasks like web browsing, document editing, and media consumption, but it may not handle intensive tasks as well. If you prioritize portability and casual use, consider the Gateway, but for higher performance and better screen quality, the MacBook Pro is superior. 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 Gateway 14.1"
The Gateway 14.1" has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021).
Key differences
General Use
8.4/10
5.6/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
479.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
208.0 nits
13.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for general use, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
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
6.8/10
5.4/10
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
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 14.1" 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
8.2/10
5.5/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
4.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 14.1" 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
8.4/10
5.8/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for content creation, while the Gateway 14.1" 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
8.3/10
5.8/10
6.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is very good for software development, while the Gateway 14.1" 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
9.2/10
6.0/10
14.2in
SIZE
14.1in
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
479.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
208.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Gateway 14.1" for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) offers superior screen quality for general use and engineering tasks due to its high-resolution and bright display with wide color gamut coverage, ensuring crisp and vibrant visuals. However, its screen may fall short for 3D use where a high refresh rate is crucial for smooth motion rendering, and the MacBook's standard refresh rate isn't tailored for that. Conversely, the Gateway 14.1” provides adequate display quality for general use and engineering with fair resolution and sufficient brightness, but it lacks the high refresh rate and color fidelity needed for optimal 3D and gaming experiences.
Battery
13.5 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 hours of battery life. The Gateway 14.1" 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
14.2in
SIZE
14.1in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
3.3 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and Gateway 14.1" both have very good portability, though the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
5.1/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the Gateway 14.1" has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,905
$99
$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 Gateway 14.1" costs $99.
"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 Gateway Ultra Slim 14" is surprisingly quiet with long battery life. The inexpensive Gateway excels at maximizing performance per dollar with lots of RAM and storage, super-quiet fan, and a long battery life. It can even house up to two M.2 SSDs which we weren't expecting from such a cheap system. However, the iffy reliability of the keyboard and USB-C port on our test unit means users should double-check for these potential issues immediately after purchasing."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) or the Gateway 14.1"
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.
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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