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.

M1 MacBook Pro 14

M2 MacBook Pro 14

M3 Pro MacBook Pro 14

Get the M1 MBP! Still a great machine. Going down in laptop history like the legendary ThinkPad T480. Be part of history if it works with your goals.

512GB is preferred. The read/write speed on the M2 Air SSD is a bit slower than it should be due to one nan chip. A problem created by the chip shortage of the Covid period. 512GB of SSD corrects this issue.

Not if you don’t need it.

But 16 GB future proofs his laptop and extends it’s lifespan.

What kind of work? I ask because it may shift my recommendations.

For professional programers or video editors, go with the refurbished M2 Pro.

For basic office work, go with the M2 Air and increase the RAM to 16GB.

Go for it! Bigger screen and far better CPU/iGPU.

You may need a dongle for extra ports, but they are cheap ($20).

Yes! The M3 Air was debated to come out in January 2024 but got pushed back to June 2024.

You can find better deals with the refurbished M1/M2 MacBook Pro 14. The M2 Pro has better performance and ports than the M3 Air will have.

Where did all these “light video editors” come from? Are these the Instagram and tic toc content creators?

Light photo editing could be people creating memes, family photos, or vacation pics with friends/family. Thus, it is expected to be a casual user hobby.