Recommend a small laptop that is easy to carry around?

For a user prioritizing portability above all else, the current market strongly favors the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air with the M3 chip. This recommendation is based on its exceptional balance of weight, performance, and battery life within the ultraportable category. At just 2.7 pounds and 11.3mm thick, it is physically effortless to carry, while the efficiency of Apple Silicon ensures it can handle a full day of productivity, browsing, and media consumption without needing a charger, further reducing what one must carry. The build quality is robust, the keyboard is excellent for extended typing, and the lack of a fan means it operates silently under most loads. While its port selection remains limited to two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports and a MagSafe charging port, this trade-off is a direct contributor to its slim profile, and for many mobile professionals, the unparalleled battery life and seamless integration within the Apple ecosystem justify this compromise.

The primary alternative for Windows users or those with specific compatibility needs is the Dell XPS 13 Plus, which represents a pinnacle of Windows-based ultraportable engineering. It achieves a similarly compact footprint through an innovative, minimalist design that integrates a seamless haptic touchpad and capacitive touch function keys. Weighing approximately 2.7 pounds, it is a direct competitor in portability. Its key strength lies in offering powerful Intel Core Ultra processors within this form factor, providing strong performance for more demanding applications. However, this performance comes with the traditional trade-offs of the Windows-on-Intel platform: notably shorter battery life than the MacBook Air and the potential for fan noise under heavy load. Its design-forward approach also means the typing experience and port selection—limited to two Thunderbolt 4 ports—are areas where user preference must be carefully evaluated.

The decision mechanism between these two leading options hinges on the user's operating system allegiance and their specific performance-versus-endurance calculus. The MacBook Air’s M3 provides more than adequate power for general use with transcendent efficiency, making it the definitive choice for maximizing unplugged usage. The XPS 13 Plus caters to those who may require peak CPU performance for specialized software or who are invested in the Windows environment, accepting the necessity of more frequent charging. It is also critical to consider ergonomics; the MacBook Air’s wedge shape and key travel are subjectively favored by many for long sessions, whereas the XPS 13 Plus’s flat, rigid chassis and touch-capacitive top row represent a more avant-garde, and potentially divisive, interaction model.

Beyond these two, the framework for selection should include an assessment of connectivity needs. If the limited ports on these flagship models are a constraint, slightly thicker options like the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon or the Asus Zenbook S 13, which often include a USB-A port and HDMI, offer greater physical connectivity at a nearly identical weight. The ThinkPad, in particular, is renowned for its best-in-class keyboard and durability, appealing to users for whom typing comfort and ruggedness are critical. Ultimately, the "easiest to carry" laptop is not solely defined by its physical dimensions but by a system that minimizes ancillary burdens—most significantly, the charger. By that holistic measure, the MacBook Air M3 currently sets the benchmark, with the Dell XPS 13 Plus serving as its most capable Windows counterpart for users whose workflow priorities align with its particular strengths and compromises.