Lenovo y500. Alternatives? Build Quality?

[brandontruong]

Hey guys,

I've been looking around for a new laptop recently and currently have my eyes on the Lenovo y500.
I am primarily going to use the laptop for a lot of programming (so the 1080p screen is important), some video/photo editing, and some light/medium gaming (Starcraft 2, League of Legends, Dota 2).
The specs on the y500 look pretty good for what I need, and the only main problem that I have heard of is the touch pad which is not a problem for me as I prefer to use a mouse.
I just have a few questions about the y500...

1. Are there any (possibly better) alternates to the y500 around the same price range ($800-900)?
2. How is the build quality of the y500? I need a machine that will last ~3-4 years (but still has the power to do light gaming, video editing, coding, etc.).
3. Has anybody heard of many compatibility issues with linux (ubuntu, fedora, mint, etc.)? If so, will they give me a headache?

Thanks!

 

[DiaSin]

I can speak to the build quality, at least as long as its the same quality they had before they became lenovo. Lenovo used to be IBM, and we have two IBM computers in the house. One of them is no longer used as it is massively underpowered by todays standards, and the other is an old ThinkPad laptop (Series is now called IdeaPad). The laptop is 7-8 years old and still going strong, despite how outdated its components are.