MacBook Recommendations

Hi all,

I'm looking to sell my existing windows laptop and buy a MacBook. It's an ASUS ZenBook 15.6 OLED with an i7-12700H, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, and 2-in-1 120hz 2880x1620 display. Simply put- it's overkill. I never max out the RAM, I don't (and probably won't) use up the SSD storage, and I don't use the touchscreen much. However, the 120hz OLED display is nice, with smooth movements and deep blacks. I should be able to sell it for around CAD$1,200.

I am invested in the Apple ecosystem. I have the phone, watch, and I'm receiving an iPad in a few weeks. I would like features like Handoff and AirDrop so that I can move scans, images, and other things from my phone and iPad to my laptop easily. I also want to make use of SideCar with the iPad.

I am a university student. I don't do any programming, video editing, or gaming, but I consistently have many browser tabs open and I frequently use Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.

I'm wondering if the base 256GB, 8GB RAM version of the MacBook is enough.

A new MacBook Air M1 with student pricing is CAD$1,169 + tax and the M2 with student pricing is $1,299 + tax. 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD cost $250 extra each.

At $130 more, I'm leaning towards the M2 as it has a better display and will be more future proofed. However, I've always wanted the Touch Bar MacBook Pro (M1 or M2 is fine), but it's no longer produced and I won't be able to take advantage of student pricing, and reviews consistently call it overpriced and a bad value. (But I've always dreamed of one!) I don't know if it would be an unwise decision to buy this laptop.

Please let me know your recommendations! I'd be glad to hear any insights into your experiences.

Thanks.