u/Emergency-Cry2741

LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE
Country
USA
Budget
$1,500
Are you open to refurbs/used options?
Yes, preferably only one to two generations back though
Screen size
Any
Weight limit
Any
Purpose
College from home, light work such as website management, writing and coding, entertainment, very light gaming (
Form factor
Standard/clamshell
Intended usage
YouTube, Netflix, Minecraft, gmod (if available on OS and cpu) VScode (or Mac equivalent)
Desired battery life
8 hours minimum if I am doing mid to heavy usage
Please list, in order of most important to least important, the priority between Size, Weight, Performance, Battery life
Battery life, performance, size, weight
Info/Requirements
Minimum of 16 gb of ram, 512 gb of storage.
My current main choices are either a MacBook Air M5 or a Lenovo Thinkpad L14 (possibly p14s if on sale)

Dedicated gpu is not needed, and integrated graphics are preferred, provided of course that they are well performing integrated graphics capable of light gaming.

As of now, on my current computer, I mainly play light video games, do web based school, study, watch TV and YouTube, but I intend to do more.
I’m trying to learn software development and experimenting with various ideas and ambitions, and I want a machine that can keep up with the future and last at least 5 years.

I value the power and battery life over the looks, aesthetic and feel of the computer, but I also love MacBooks premium feel, contradictorily.
But generally I am fine if the machine’s build quality isn’t that great, such as if the screen is wobbly or if the plastic is mushy.
I tend to have at least two programs open at once, as well as two or more tabs open. For instance, I may have Netflix open, Amazon open, Wikipedia and my online classes portal open at once, all in the browser, as well as having Spotify, calculator, and Minecraft open in the background.

Generally, efficiency>power>aesthetics

I should also mention that with one of the machines would be a huge upgrade over my current one.

I’m currently using a Dell Optiplex 5050 SFF with an intel core i5 6500 and 32 gb of DDR4 ram

I specifically mean the Thinkpad L14 by the way.
On one hand, I feel so drawn to Apple and the MacBook, as they seem so premium and aesthetic. I also love how they function seamlessly with other Apple products, and of course, Apple silicon is fantastic.

However I also feel drawn towards thinkpads. They are upgradable, durable, and also slightly cheaper. The CPU isn’t as fast as apple silicon however.
To be honest, I feel like having a Thinkpad is more “cool” due to it still being niche outside of the tech community, also I love the Linux support, as cringe as that all sounds.

But I don’t know if I’ll like MacOS. I’ve used windows my whole life and I love the task manager, the desktop shortcuts, everything. I don’t know if I’ll like MacBooks until I use one, and I can’t use one unless if I buy one, and I can’t stop worrying about which to purchase unless I know which one I’ll like more. It’s cyclical
So, in your opinion, which one is worth it over the other?
Thanks!