My current laptop is literally dying on me and I have a flight to Lisbon in exactly twelve days for a three-month remote stint. The screen flickers every time I tilt it and the battery lasts maybe forty minutes now so I am in a total panic. I do digital marketing and project management so my day is basically 40 Chrome tabs, Slack, Zoom, and some light Canva or CapCut editing. I need something that weighs basically nothing because I only travel with a 40L backpack and every ounce counts.

I have been doing some research and the MacBook Air M3 seems like the obvious choice but I am honestly so torn. My logic was that the battery life is unbeatable but I read a bunch of threads saying that because it has no fan it might throttle if I am working in a hot cafe or doing a video export. Then I looked at the Dell XPS 13 because it is so sleek but that new capacitive touch row and the invisible trackpad look like a usability nightmare for someone who actually types for a living. I am also seeing a lot of hype around those new Snapdragon Windows laptops like the Surface Laptop 7 but I am terrified that my legacy apps or some weird printer driver in a co-working space wont work.

What I need:

• Must be under 2.8 lbs
• Real world battery of 10+ hours since I dont always find a plug
• Bright screen for working near windows
• Budget is around $1500 but I could stretch to $1700 if it is perfect

I am really stuck on whether the 13 inch screen is going to be too cramped for all-day work or if I should risk the extra weight of a 15 inch. But then will the 15 inch even fit on those tiny fold-down airplane trays? I am just going in circles and the clock is ticking... what are you guys actually using for long-term travel that doesnt kill your back?