New laptop - Macbook or not?

Hi all. I just noticed today that my current laptop (a HP 15" laptop running on Windows 10 i got in 2016) is cracked under and at the side. It seems to be mostly cosmetic damage but when I consider that and the other issues I'm having with it (webcam and mic doesn't work, very slow), I'm thinking about buying a new laptop. I hate going to places like Currys and feeling like I'm being hard-sold something I might not want just because I don't know much so I wanted to look here for advice first.

I'm a 25 year old girl. I got this one mostly for the screen size and Microsoft Office as I needed it for college assignments and Netflix/Youtube. Now i'm finished college I'll need a laptop for mostly light use I suppose, like web browsing, writing, Netflix and video calls for work.

My friend recommended a Macbook. She got one a few years ago and finds it fast and it does everything she needs it to do. Their price would be at the top end of my budget but I would be willing to invest in it if it meant the laptop was going to last for a long time.

What do people recommend?