Looking for a Laptop for school - my rationale is inside.

[matrodriguez]

Hey Everyone,

I've done a ton of research and I'm plain having problems deciding on what my next laptop is going to be.

To give you a little bit of information on me, I am a computer nerd (like most of you) and I want the best of the best. When looking for a laptop I realize that I can't get everything at once because it's not practical. I have a high powered desktop I use for gaming and I don't need that for this laptop.

I only want to use this laptop for schoolwork. What I mean by that is I want it to have; 12.5-14" screen, 1080p screen resolution, have enough graphics capability for Netflix or YouTube at 1080, be lightweight, be portable, and have amazing battery life. Having a touch screen isn't important to me at all (why would you reach over your keyboard to touch the screen) unless it's a 2 in 1 or a convertible laptop.

My preferred hardware would be:

i5-6200/6300u
256+GB ssd
8GB+ RAM
Battery life 11+ hours

I originally wanted to get an Asus, but I hear their build construction, track pads, and battery life are all really bad. Although I will be using a mouse often, I still like for the trackpad to be amazing. The Zenbook didn't impress me as much as I wish it would have.

Since Asus is not going to be my next laptop, I need help. Which manufacturers are good now? What would last me the next 5+ years? I need this laptop to help me finish up undergrad and my Masters.

I've heard good things about :

Dell XPS 13 - The non-touch version gets amazing battery life and is incredibly light and thin

Lenovo Yoga 900 - Best convertible

Macbook Air 13" - 12 hr battery life

Microsoft Surface Pro 4

Is Dell still absolutely horrendous to deal with? Or am I safe in liking the XPS 13.

What else would you guys recommend? Keep in mind, battery life and portability are what is most important to me.

Lastly,

Is Kaby Lake coming out soon enough for it to be smart for me to wait? Or should I get something now. Semester starts at the end of August in exactly 30 days.

Thank you!

 

[Snipergod87]

I personally love my Yoga 710 11" not exactly the model specs wise you are looking for but a 900 series has those specs.

In regards to Kaby Lake that will be coming out around November/December.

 

[matrodriguez]

I personally love my Yoga 710 11" not exactly the model specs wise you are looking for but a 900 series has those specs.

In regards to Kaby Lake that will be coming out around November/December.

Thanks for the input. Lenovo has their keyboards down well. I love typing on those. They have some ThinkPad models that are good too.

What kind of battery life do you get with the Yoga?

 

[Snipergod87]

My 710 11" model gets about 9-10 hours, I use it for browsing or reading mostly, nothing intensive. The keyboard is nice, build quality is solid, touch pad is great, (my other laptop it is absolutely horrible). Only thing I don't like about the 710 11" model is one USB port, but as I use it as a portable it has not been an issue.

Unlike other laptops I have purchased there wasn't a boat load of crap preinstalled either which is a plus.

 

[matrodriguez]

My 710 11" model gets about 9-10 hours, I use it for browsing or reading mostly, nothing intensive. The keyboard is nice, build quality is solid, touch pad is great, (my other laptop it is absolutely horrible). Only thing I don't like about the 710 11" model is one USB port, but as I use it as a portable it has not been an issue.

Unlike other laptops I have purchased there wasn't a boat load of crap preinstalled either which is a plus.

This is really good info. Damn. I hope some other people chime in, want to hear what they have to say. How long have you had it again?

 

[Snipergod87]

I have had it about a month