ティージェーグレェIf you want FOSS down to the bootloader: https://minifree.org is based in the UK and operated by @libreleah and has extremely good prices on a variety of decent looking laptops with Libreboot preinstalled.
I think Apple's Macs are pretty much running circles around most other things with widespread availability w/ regards to battery life and solid build, but their "ecosystem" is annoying a.f.
Deals on M2 MacBook Airs and maybe even M3 MacBook Airs new, would probably fit within your budget?
Some guy just posted a video of having found a M1 Max MacBook Pro with 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD for $120 with a busted backlight (but he uses an external display so he basically scored).
M4 stuff, probably not OK with your budget. ;(
M2 is kind of weird due to SSD choices, you basically want 512SSD for performance equivalent to M1 and M3 SSDs at their minimum density.
M3 and M1 you can skimp on SSD without performance concerns, RAM might be a bigger thing to opt for since doing that after market is not likely given the "unified memory" design of Apple Silicon.
You can also use 3rd party services (e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xrg7nPG6_UU dosdude1 in the USA, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGaUAP2VKY0 is another, not sure about UK after market shops but they probably exist) to upgrade the SSDs for roughly 1/2 the cost of what Apple charges for equivalent density storage.
Supposedly some of the newer Intel based laptops are better on battery life (e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1VC2SiUaz0)?
Definitely NVidia based GPUs still run circles around everything else if that's a concern, but the pricing is not likely to match your budget unless you buy something used.
Admittedly, even a 2016 vintage Clevo I had with an GTX 1080 I am pretty sure would outperform an M4 Max in the GPU department (it ran this: https://www.pouet.net/prod.php?which=68239 better than any Apple Silicon Mac I have tested) but it was also like 13 lbs!
Yet it would probably fit your budget. Terrible battery life, but upgradable CPU, GPUs, etc.
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