macbook pro 15" lighter alternative

[quimere]

Greetings,

I'm a web developer and designer, and I would like to know my options in replacing my current laptop for something lighter and with similar power.

Usually I have opened:
- 2 desktop spaces
- +20 chrome tabs
- Transmit (ftp)
- Sublime text 3, with many packages and +10 files opened
- Skype
- Mail app
- iTerm
- adobe photoshop
- Second screen

I also sometimes use:
- adobe illustrator
- adobe premiere
- VMWare with Windows 10 64bits (Bootcamp)

My current laptop is a Macbook pro 15 inch mid 2012, with:
- macOS Sierra
- i7-3720MQ 2,6gh (according to everymac.com)
- SSD samsung evo 850 500gb
- RAM 2x8gb ddr3 1600Mhz
- Intel HD 4000 and GeForce GT 650M
- Battery 77,5Wh (+1400 cycles already)
- ~2.56kg (~5.6lb)

Since I usually work with a second screen, I don't mind using a 12-13inch laptop, but I would like the processing and graphic power to be somewhat similar. I also don't mind the OS, since I need adobe I would use windows, mac, or linux with a VM for windows whenever I need it.

I'll also answer the questions in the buying laptop guide faq, for completeness sake:

1. What is your budget?
1800€ max

2. What is the size of the notebook that you are considering?
12-14 inch

3. What screen resolution do you want?
HD at least

4. Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop?
powerful laptop replacement

5. How much battery life do you need?
5-7 hours

6. Do you want to play games with your laptop? If so then please list the games that you want to with the settings that you want for these games. (Low,Medium or High)?
Torment Tides of Numenera, and emulators

7. What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? (Photo/Video editing, Etc.)
Photo editing, web developing, video editing

8. How much storage (Hard Drive capacity) do you need?
500gb

9. If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post their links.

10. How long do you want to keep your laptop?
as long as possible, latest generation intel processor preferred

11. What kind of Optical drive do you need? DVD ROM/Writer,Bluray ROM/Writer,Etc ?
I don't need an optical drive

12. Please tell us about the brands that you prefer to buy from them and the brands that you don't like and explain the reasons.
Nothing preferred

13. What country do you live in?
Spain

14. Please tell us any additional information if needed


Thanks in advance!

 

[Frustrated_1]

The new Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon "."

 

[jaguarskx]

The new Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon "."

No.

It only has a dual core CPU. I assume the OP wants to stick with a quad core CPU.

For the moment the best laptop I can think of is the Dell XPS 15 which has a 15.6" screen with very thin bezels making it similar in size to a 14" laptop rather than a 15.6" laptop and weighs in at 3.9lbs with the standard 56WHr battery and 4.4lbs with the 74WHr battery. However, the 74WHr battery occupies the free space where a 2.5" hard drive / SSD could be installed if the laptop had the 56WHr battery. That leaves only a PCie m.2 port available for the SSD.

Based on the link below for Ireland, if you want a quad core i7 CPU with Hyper Threading (HT), then the version with a Core i7-6500HQ starts at €1,629.00. It has a 1080p screen, 256GB SSD, and GTX 960m dedicated GPU. I likely comes with the 56WHr battery but it is always a good idea to confirm with Dell. The price in Spain is the same, but I cannot read Spanish.


http/www.dell.com/ie/p/xps-15-9550-laptop/pd?ref=PD_OC

 

[jaguarskx]

Forgot to mention....


The Dell for €1,629.00 only comes with 8GB of DDR4 RAM, that means you need to purchase another stick of 8GB DDR4 RAM to get 16GB total.

Based on a few reviews, the screen is calibrated very well for color accuracy right out of the box. However, using a colorimeter can further improve color accuracy. Is it necessary? That depends on how important color accuracy is to you, but you will need a good colorimeter (hardware) to further improve it and good ones do not come cheap.

 

[quimere]

Forgot to mention....


The Dell for €1,629.00 only comes with 8GB of DDR4 RAM, that means you need to purchase another stick of 8GB DDR4 RAM to get 16GB total.

Based on a few reviews, the screen is calibrated very well for color accuracy right out of the box. However, using a colorimeter can further improve color accuracy. Is it necessary? That depends on how important color accuracy is to you, but you will need a good colorimeter (hardware) to further improve it and good ones do not come cheap.

Thanks for all your answers, hell of a month. Looking at Dell's website I found this one, too:

http/www.dell.com/es/empresas/p/xps-15-9550-laptop/pd?ref=PD_OC

Here appears to be a configuration with 16gb RAM and 512gb ssd at 1659€, I find it's quite right.

If no one else gives another similar option soon, I'll mark your answer as solution.

Thanks again!