thin and light all around usage laptop

[Sgh4888j]

General Questions

1) What is your budget?
~ $1500 or less but flexible

2) What size notebook would you prefer?

c. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
d. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen (15" preferred)

3) Where will you buying this notebook? You can select the flag of your country as an indicator.
USA

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
a. Like: any
b. Dislike: apple


5) Would you consider laptops that are refurbished/redistributed?
No

6) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?
misc. work (documents, emails, etc). Web browsing, youtube, hulu, music editing, skype

7) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both?
both

8) Will you be playing games on your notebook? If so, please state which games or types of games?
no. maybe some casual games

9) How many hours of battery life do you need?
6+

10) Would you prefer to see the notebooks you're considering before purchasing it or buying a notebook on-line without seeing it is OK?
prefer to see, but willing to buy online without seeing if needed.

11) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista or Windows 7), Mac OS, Linux, etc.
Windows 7. Would like free/cheap upgrade to windows 8

Screen Specifics

12) From the choices below, what screen resolution(s) would you prefer? Keep in mind screen size in conjunction with resolution will play a large role in overall viewing comfort level. Everyone is different. Some like really small text, while others like their text big and easy to read. Click here for Screen resolution information.
Midrange Resolutions: WXGA+, HD+, 900p
Actual resolutions: 1440x900 and 1600x900

Maximum Resolutions: WSXGA+, WUXGA, FHD, 1080p
Actual resolutions: 1680x1050, 1920x1200 and 1920x1080
Offered on Notebook 15" and larger

Overall would prefer higher resolutions but it may depend on screen size. 1600x900 minimum

13) Do you want a Glossy/reflective screen or a Matte/non-glossy screen?
prefer matte

Build Quality and Design

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
yes

15) When are you buying this laptop?
asap

16) How long do you want this laptop to last?
2-3 years

Notebook Components

17) How much hard drive space do you need; 80GB to 640GB? Do you want a SSD drive?
256GB+, prefer SSD

18) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD Burner, Blu-ray Reader or Blu-Ray Burner?
no

I checked out the new macbook pro retina 15", I really liked the form factor of ~4.5lbs and less than an inch thick (I do not want a mac though). I am willing to go thicker than ultrabooks but would want 4.5lbs max weight. I have a preference towards 15" over smaller screens but I am willing to consider smaller screens if they are high quality and good resolution. I also would like good sound quality for playback and recording. Trackpad isn't too important because I use an external mouse most of the time. I also need HDMI out (or an adapter). I also want my laptop to be robust and reliable, the past few laptops I've had had issues with the fans burning out over time.

[DaCM]

I suggest checking out the Gigabyte U2442N. It has an Ultrabook-like shell, but a normal voltage CPU giving it more power and also an Nvidia GT 640M GPU. These specs will be up to pretty much any task, even playing newer games in the 1600x90 native resolution. It's battery life doesn't reach 6 hours though, but it's still pretty decent.

[rvd123]

Check out asus zenbooks, ips screens.