Seems like the M2 Air should suffice. Get one with 16GB and 512GB of SSD. Total pre-tax should be around $1,499 for the 13-inch model.

An alternative model is the M1 Prro 14 refurbished. I’ve seen it get as low as 1,330 pre-tax. Comes with a 16/512 configuration as a base model and has a better CPU & iGPU than the M2 Air. The only downside is that it is a little bit heavier, and software updates will stop in 2027.

Not really. 18 hours with the M2 Air is already amazing. Unless the OP is a zombie that doesn’t need to eat, sleep, or poop, an additional 4 hours from the M3 won’t make a difference.

Needed, no. Preferred, yes.

Get a refurbished M1 MacBook Pro 14-inch. It can do everything and is light enough to carry around the college campus. The price is in the same range or less than the M2 Air. The base specs come with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD.

Could you provide some specs and other info about the laptop?

• RAM

• SSD

• Typical use

Same for me. It was always Lenovo, Dell, and Macbooks for build quality. Numerous desktop towers and laptops worked well for 5+ years with either brand.

Dell fell off in quality from 2019 to 2021, but seems like they are improving now.

Go for the MacBook Air. Easy to carry around for vacation or different locations, and comfortable to type on for writers. Also, excellent battery life.

Just make sure to get it with 16GB of RAM.

Just get a refurbished Surface Pro 8. Comes with a pen and excellent display resolution and 120hz refresh rate. Incredibly lightweight to the point you think it is a tablet.

Macbook Air.