My previous laptop was a Macbook Pro that is ~3 years old. I love its build but I am kind of balking at spending $2100 to get a new one (that's how much it would cost with a student discount with the components that I want). I will buy it if I cannot find any other options.
For tl;dr see the bottom of my post.
Here is what I am looking for:
A Quad Core Intel - The 2720 QM is fine. I don't need a ton of raw computing power in each core but I want the laptop to last for 3 years and I think that a quad core will scale better in the long run.
Mid-high range graphics card - I'm not looking for a ton of performance. I'd like to be able to play WoW with max view distance and decent graphics settings. I'd also like to be able to play Diablo 3 and Guild Wars 2 on mid-high graphics settings (when they come out).
Ram - I'm flexible here. If it is easy to replace then anything 4+ is fine.
HDD - Preferably 7200 rpm or a 5400 rpm that is easy to replace. I'd definitely consider an SDD but I'd like at least 500 GB storage in total on my computer so I'll need a HDD anyways
Display - Must be between 15-16 inches and the resolution must be better than 1366x768. I don't like glossy displays.
Weight - Less than 6 pounds. I need to be able to comfortably carry this around.
A good build - I love the touchpad on my old macbook pro and while I'm willing to sacrifice all of the gesture support if I can get a laptop that is better in other areas, I really want one that is responsive. I also don't want flimsy plastic and I want to be able to open the screen with one hand.
Good battery life - Ideally 4+ hours when surfing the web
Budget is up to $2100 but I am aiming for $1500.
What I'm really looking for is information on which laptops have the best build quality. I can pick out the other components myself but I'm really interested in personal anecdotes on build quality. My company laptop for the summer is a Lenovo T410. I think the build is pretty good overall however the plastic is a little flexible around the trackpad and it sometimes registers clicks if I put too much pressure there with my wrist. I'm going to be using my new computer a ton and I want it to last 3 years so I don't want to deal with something like that.
For tl;dr see the bottom of my post.
Here is what I am looking for:
A Quad Core Intel - The 2720 QM is fine. I don't need a ton of raw computing power in each core but I want the laptop to last for 3 years and I think that a quad core will scale better in the long run.
Mid-high range graphics card - I'm not looking for a ton of performance. I'd like to be able to play WoW with max view distance and decent graphics settings. I'd also like to be able to play Diablo 3 and Guild Wars 2 on mid-high graphics settings (when they come out).
Ram - I'm flexible here. If it is easy to replace then anything 4+ is fine.
HDD - Preferably 7200 rpm or a 5400 rpm that is easy to replace. I'd definitely consider an SDD but I'd like at least 500 GB storage in total on my computer so I'll need a HDD anyways
Display - Must be between 15-16 inches and the resolution must be better than 1366x768. I don't like glossy displays.
Weight - Less than 6 pounds. I need to be able to comfortably carry this around.
A good build - I love the touchpad on my old macbook pro and while I'm willing to sacrifice all of the gesture support if I can get a laptop that is better in other areas, I really want one that is responsive. I also don't want flimsy plastic and I want to be able to open the screen with one hand.
Good battery life - Ideally 4+ hours when surfing the web
Budget is up to $2100 but I am aiming for $1500.
What I'm really looking for is information on which laptops have the best build quality. I can pick out the other components myself but I'm really interested in personal anecdotes on build quality. My company laptop for the summer is a Lenovo T410. I think the build is pretty good overall however the plastic is a little flexible around the trackpad and it sometimes registers clicks if I put too much pressure there with my wrist. I'm going to be using my new computer a ton and I want it to last 3 years so I don't want to deal with something like that.