MacBook Air M3 vs Dell XPS 13?

For coding and light photo editing within that budget, the M3 MacBook Air is probably the better choice. The M3's efficiency gives it a significant battery life advantage, often lasting several hours longer than the XPS 13. While the latest Intel processors are decent, the M3's performance-per-watt is superior. The macOS ecosystem can be a plus, especially if you value a Unix-like environment for development, but it does have a learning curve. Regarding screen quality, both are excellent, but the MacBook Air tends to have slightly better color accuracy out of the box, which is beneficial for photo editing. If you prefer Windows, the XPS 13 remains a solid option, but be prepared for shorter battery life. Test drive both if you can.

For your usage, the M3 MacBook Air's base model should be sufficient, especially if you're primarily doing light tasks. The integrated graphics share memory, but the M3 chip is efficient enough to handle those tasks well. If you're concerned about future-proofing or tend to keep many browser tabs open, the 16GB upgrade might be worth considering, but it's likely not a necessity. Also, the MacBook Air will probably give you more battery life.

If battery life and portability are your priorities, the MacBook Air M3 is generally the better choice. While the Dell XPS 13 is also very portable, the M3 chip is more power-efficient, leading to longer battery life. The screen on the MacBook Air is also excellent for text-based tasks. For coding, both are more than capable, but the Air will likely stay cooler under sustained load. As price isn't a factor and you're not gaming, the Air seems the more sensible option.