Buying new "laptop". Thoughs on the models? surface book? xps13? yoga 900

[+E.Worm Jimmy Subscriber¹]

i am looking to update my small lenovo miix 10  2in1 into something that is really productive.   13-14 inch is ideal, tablet functionality is desired, not needed.
after reading a truck load of reviews, and because i liked the tablet functionality, i decided on surface pro 4

however, today i went to MS store to try it out, and even though every review said how much better then new attachable keyboard it, i still disliked the feel of the material and the buttons.
loved the new surface book.   i am quite enjoying the aspect ratio as i find 16:9 to be very hard to use on a smaller screen for web or word or excel, or code.   which will be my primary use.

however, the price makes me look at alternatives, of which the obvious ones, are Lenovo Yoga 900 (light, tranformable), Dell XPS13 (feels much smaller then other 13") and maybe others?

thoughts??

PS. i like the dedicated graphics, like on surface book, but the cost is crazy. 
asus has a good one, with 940m for much much cheaper, but the reviews say the yellow color is messed up, and hinges break after 6 month
i am sure, i can live without dedicated card though.  latest gen i5 is good, m3 is not.  4gb of memory is ok. 8 is good. 128gb ssd is good.

also, if it not a convertible or detachable, touch is not necessary!   but i would like the functionality if i am using it as a reader tablet.

EDIT:   LAPTOPS THAT LOOK BUSINESS ONLY. NO LAPTOP THAT LOOK GAMING PLEASE!

Edited November 28, 2015 by E.worm Jimmy
ultrabook looking ones.

[zhangm Supervisor]

i am looking to update my small lenovo miix 10  2in1 into something that is really productive.   13-14 inch is ideal, tablet functionality is desired, not needed.
after reading a truck load of reviews, and because i liked the tablet functionality, i decided on surface pro 4

however, today i went to MS store to try it out, and even though every review said how much better then new attachable keyboard it, i still disliked the feel of the material and the buttons.
loved the new surface book.   i am quite enjoying the aspect ratio as i find 16:9 to be very hard to use on a smaller screen for wed or word or excel, or code.   which will be my primary use.

however, the price makes me look at alternatives, of which the obvious ones, are Lenovo Yoga 900 (light), Dell XPS 13 (feels much smaller then 13) and maybe others?

thoughts?? i like the dedicated graphics, like on surface book, but the cost is crazy. 
asus has a good one, with 940m for much much cheaper, but the reviews say the yellow color is messed up, and hinges break after 6 month

i am sure, i can live without dedicated card though.  last gen i5 is good.  4gb or memory is ok. 8 is good. 128 ssd is good.

If you can't get the base model SB, then maybe the XPS would be the next most appealing option. Lenovo has a curious difficulty with sourcing excellent displays - typically the panels are only passable, on otherwise well-constructed machines. The reviews that I've read are generally positive about the display on the XPS unit. Of course, you do give up the tablet functionality.

Alternatively, depending on your usage patterns, you might find it acceptable to get the SP4 (or a discounted SP3 + dock) and use it primarily with an external keyboard and mouse. This is how I use my laptops when I'm not on the move.

[+E.Worm Jimmy Subscriber¹]

 

Alternatively, depending on your usage patterns, you might find it acceptable to get the SP4 (or a discounted SP3 + dock) and use it primarily with an external keyboard and mouse. This is how I use my laptops when I'm not on the move.

 

yeah, external displays are a plenty at work and home, and keyboard and mouse are easy to get...    might be an option.   

damn, i need to go to store again, i am not comfortable picking one product online without trying them all again.

[Draconian Guppy]

+1 asus has really good warranty, look at he rog oness, been using one for the past year, no issues

[Draconian Guppy]

http://www.amazon.com/GL552VW-DH71-15-Inch-Discrete-GeForce-Metallic/dp/B01578ZKPO/ref=dp_ob_title_auto

 

 

 

[+E.Worm Jimmy Subscriber¹]

http://www.amazon.com/GL552VW-DH71-15-Inch-Discrete-GeForce-Metallic/dp/B01578ZKPO/ref=dp_ob_title_auto

TOO BIG. 14" is already pushing it. also too heavy. also looks like a gaming laptop.

this is for work, more then fun.   so it has to be smaller, lighter, and look all business.    

i like that asus, but i cannot whip it out in front out a client or at a meeting....

[BinaryData]

TOO BIG. 14" is already pushing it. also too heavy. also looks like a gaming laptop.

this is for work, more then fun.   so it has to be smaller, lighter, and look all business.    

i like that asus, but i cannot whip it out in front out a client or at a meeting....

Well, in all honesty, you can whip it out in front of a client. People don't seem to really understand that most laptops don't work for certain fields. I know several people who are lawyers, programmers, heck even my company, Intuit, buys "gamer" quality laptops for it's people that travel a lot.

Considering your criteria is incredibly tight nosed, it'll be hard to find something that isn't "gamer" related or isn't incredibly high priced.

I've found two, mind you the price is well over $700 USD. Neither look gaming, however the price is tough. Also, ever thought about putting your company logo over the top of any "gaming" Icon or putting client logo's on it?

Device #1

Device #2

[+E.Worm Jimmy Subscriber¹]

I've found two, mind you the price is well over $700 USD. Neither look gaming, however the price is tough. Also, ever thought about putting your company logo over the top of any "gaming" Icon or putting client logo's on it?

 

 

Asus Transformer Book Flip TP300LD Convertible Laptop look great.    And the price is right  

 

Thank you for this suggestion! I will seriously consider it.

[BinaryData]

Asus Transformer Book Flip TP300LD Convertible Laptop look great.    And the price is right  

 

Thank you for this suggestion! I will seriously consider it.

No problem bro. Can you explain what you're going to be using it for?

[adrynalyne]

Well, in all honesty, you can whip it out in front of a client. People don't seem to really understand that most laptops don't work for certain fields. I know several people who are lawyers, programmers, heck even my company, Intuit, buys "gamer" quality laptops for it's people that travel a lot.

Considering your criteria is incredibly tight nosed, it'll be hard to find something that isn't "gamer" related or isn't incredibly high priced.

I've found two, mind you the price is well over $700 USD. Neither look gaming, however the price is tough. Also, ever thought about putting your company logo over the top of any "gaming" Icon or putting client logo's on it?

Device #1

Device #2

For business use, you don't really want to be hunting for a place to plug in and that's precisely what you run into with gaming laptops. It's also why I went with a Spectre x360. It looks professional, is compact, versatile, and has good battery life. 

[BinaryData]

For business use, you don't really want to be hunting for a place to plug in and that's precisely what you run into with gaming laptops. It's also why I went with a Spectre x360. It looks professional, is compact, versatile, and has good battery life. 

Maybe over time. My current battery for my laptop lasts for 6+ hours just doing basic word processing, 5 hours or so for running Visual Studio. It's not until I turn the brightness up to 100%, and play a game that I get 2 hours or less.

I get your point though..