Another vote for SSD. I went from a HDD to SSD last year and this made a massive difference in terms of speed and how quickly programs open.

SSD reluctantly.

The pricing difference is diminishing., making SSD more affordable.

For a laptop, you will need a traditional hard drive as an external drive.

Another vote for SSD. I got it on my most recent laptop and then wondered why I hadn't gotten a SSD before. From the time that I turn on the power, it takes 14 seconds (yes, I've timed it) until I am in Windows and ready to work. Shutdown is similarly efficient. My previous laptop had a HDD and it always seemed to take forever to shutdown - and even longer when I was working in the SkyClub until the last minute and needed to rush to make my flight. I can't foresee a situation when I'll ever buy another laptop with a HDD.

Buying any computer with only a spinning disk (HDD) is like volunteering to fly everywhere on a turbo prop. If you are budget conscious a 128GB SSD for your laptop is fine and you can purchase an external 2TB slimline HDD Seagate or Western Digital drive for pictures, games, music etc. 256 GB SSD would be better and would allow storing of movies on the laptop rather than having to get out the external drive when on a plane etc.

Why?

Personal experience.

Macbook Pro 13 inch 256 GB SSD. All you ever need in a laptop for normal day to day use unless you are using graphics rendering tools or do heavy gaming, etc.

I currently have the 128 GB one, not too much storage but I do mainly use my 1 TB Microsoft One Drive with my Office 365 10 EUR/month subscription, same for iphone photos as well as I do not pay for iCloud.

During lockdown, I've been doing a few laptop upgrades for friends and relatives. They all complained about how 'slow' their laptops had become. Some of this was due to malware and trying to install 2 virus scanners etc.

All of the laptops had 1TB drives. On checking, the most any of them were using was around 80GB.

So, I replaced the current drives with a cheap 240GB Corsair SSD (about �35) and cloned using Macrium Reflect. The increase in performance is substantial... getting to the Win10 login screen in 5 seconds rather than 30, and having everything loaded within 30 seconds.

So, my advice would be to get something with an SSD - even if it's only a 128GB or 250GB. From your OP, it doesn't seem like you'll need anything bigger.

Way over-specced and overpriced for what the OP is asking for. You can get a decent HP/Lenovo/Dell for a third of the price of the entry MacBook Pro.

I broke 2 Lenovos in the past, so maybe I am biased = ). Maybe also I felt that Windows OS works worse for me than Mac OS, I agree Mac is very overpriced, but if you use laptops as often as I do, it is worth paying a few hundred GBP extra, and if you are a jetsetter you know that you should either buy it in the USA or in Switzerland as they are quite a bit cheaper there!

As others have said get an SSD. SSD are also lighter and use less power than an HDD so that helps with portability and extended power availability from your laptop.

I'm all Mac myself, but I wouldn't recommend them for somebody who only needs to do basic stuff. I made a side trip to Maryland to buy my last MacBook as there was no sales tax!

The other advantage of the Lenovos/Dells/HP/Asus etc is that they are generally simple to upgrade. Try adding memory / hard drive to a Mac...

We use Lenovos for work. Mine have been bullet proof. We also went through a period where we used Dell and Lenovo. We are now back to Lenovo (or a Mac if you want be a hipster) and they just seem to be so reliable.

But, SSD, SSD, SSD. I don't see under what circumstances people could convince me to buy/use an internal HDD. I bought a 480GB for peanuts the other week and stuck it in a T430 clunker I have. With W10 there is now life in the old dog. The fan is rather noisy but I am too lazy to change it at the moment, but it boots almost instantly. I can also use it as a boat anchor too.

I'd argue Macs are a better fit for light users who only need to do basic stuff. They're also the last folks who want to add memory / hard drive to their machines. It's a more polished overall experience.

And that is not meant to perpetuate the trope that Macs are ONLY for light users, as huge swathes of the Silicon Valley techie crowd (actually, the majority of google and fb) are on Macs. I put myself in the heavy user category and also prefer Macs. (posting from a Dell)

For what it's worth, a couple of my thoughts -
1. Go with an SSD, the cost difference shouldn't be that much. Best practice (IMHO) would be SSD for boot and a keep your data on a spinner
2. Look at "business grade" laptops, stay away from the lowest priced consumer grade "sale" laptops.
3. I've been partial to Dells because of their support. Lenovo makes a good laptop, however the DOD has issued cyber-security warnings because of reported ties to the Chinese Government.
As a result DOD/State/Dept. Homeland Security will not purchase them.

FYI - I've purchased several Dell laptops and desktops from the Dell Refurbished website with good results.
They are off lease and you can specify Windows 10 Pro. From time to time they are discounted up to 40% off their sale price. (look for coupons).
Disclamer - I have no interest or ties to Dell