As of July 2024, which Debian stable laptop can rival an M1 air?

Nothing with Linux or Windows approaches the battery life.

simply not true!

My Lenovo T470 has two batteries.

I get 12 hours of life with it running all day. I also have a spare battery to take with me on long journeys and I just replace the main battery if it runs low without shutting it down.

lenovo designed this range of laptop with an inner and an external battery so you did not have to shut the laptop down if the main battery ran low.

Candidly, nothing.

The cost/performance/value of a MacBook Air is, stupid.

Buy it, buy 3 years of apple care, sell it in 2-3 years, and upgrade.

The only thing that might come close is the new surface... and thats a personal call. (I don't think I would want to daily drive win 11)

AFAIK Nothing really. I can stretch my xps to 10 hours but my friend's m1 air can easily go up to a full day.

Nothing with Linux or Windows approaches the battery life, thinness, weight and performance combined.