The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) offers high performance with its Apple M3 chip, making it ideal for tasks like video editing, 3D rendering, or other intensive engineering applications. The Mini LED display with a high resolution affords better image quality, which is great for creative professionals. However, it comes with a higher price tag, and at 3.4 pounds with a thickness of 0.61 inches, it might not be the most portable option.
On the other hand, the Dell Latitude 14 7490 is a more budget-friendly laptop. While it has an Intel i7 processor which is suitable for general use and moderate professional tasks, it won't match the performance of the MacBook Pro for more demanding applications. The Latitude offers a lower screen resolution on an IPS display, which is still suitable for general usage but not as sharp or clear as the MacBook's. However, it's lighter and slightly thinner at 3.11 pounds and 0.8 inches, making it more portable than the MacBook Pro. Choose the MacBook Pro if performance and display quality are your priority and you're willing to pay for it; otherwise, the Latitude offers adequate performance and better portability for everyday tasks at a lower price. 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 (Late 2023)
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 (Late 2023).
Key differences
General Use
8.2/10
7.2/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
489.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
17.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.1/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is very good for general use, while the Dell Latitude 14 7490 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
6.7/10
5.9/10
4.5/10
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 (Late 2023) is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Dell Latitude 14 7490 is poor.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is better for 3D applications due to its superior built-in GPU and a high refresh rate screen, which enhance visual performance and fluidity; however, some popular games may not run on its MacOS. On the other hand, the Dell Latitude 14 7490's less powerful GPU and standard refresh rate make it only fair for gaming and 3D tasks, but it runs on Windows which supports a broader range of games.
Engineering and Design
8.1/10
6.5/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.8/10
4.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Dell Latitude 14 7490 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) excels in areas most important for engineering and design, including a higher quality screen, more powerful integrated GPU, and better speakers and keyboard quality than the Dell Latitude 7490, which has an older CPU and lower screen resolution, impacting its performance in intensive tasks. However, the Dell does have more RAM, which could help with multitasking and running complex applications, but it still lags behind the MacBook in terms of overall capability for demanding engineering applications.
Content Creation
8.4/10
7.3/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.8/10
3024 x 1964
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) 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
8.2/10
7.1/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.8/10
8.0 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 (Late 2023) 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
489.0 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 MacBook Pro 14 offers superior screen resolution and brightness, which enhances the visual experience for general tasks like browsing and video streaming. For engineering and design, it boasts high color accuracy, covering a wide range of color gamuts, ensuring that professionals see precise colors. However, for 3D applications, the MacBook Pro’s lower refresh rate could hinder the smooth rendering of fast-moving visuals, while the Dell Latitude 14 7490, despite having good color accuracy suitable for engineering tasks, falls short on refresh rate for gaming and 3D, and its lower resolution impacts the sharpness and clarity for general use.
Battery
17.0 Hours
9.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 17 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 (Late 2023) 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
$1,499
$300
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) has a price of $1,499 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 (Late 2023) 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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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
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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Laptops Expert
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