I will be starting work at a law firm in September, and they are giving me $1600 to buy a computer. I have to buy it within three months of when I start so between June and December. To add a complication, I take the bar exam in late July, and I would like to use the new computer to take the bar exam because the one I have bluescreened once recently. I know haswell is coming out in June but probably won't make it into consumer computers until, what, October? I am choosing between buying before haswell but in time for the bar or using my potentially faulty computer for the bar and waiting for haswell (and suffering the pain of waiting, period, because of course my impulse is to rush off and buy an awesome computer on June 1).
Thus, I have two questions. The first is whether I should wait for haswell (actually, preliminarily to that, does anyone have a good sense about when haswell will be available in consumer laptops?) The second question is which computer (laptop) I should buy. The latter may be hard to answer without knowing what laptops haswell will bring, so I suppose it is, which laptop should I buy if I don't wait for haswell? As an aside, since I am not a heavy-duty user aside from the occasional video-streaming or processor-taxing game, I don't think I need anything that is more powerful than what is currently available. I know, however, that haswell will bring improved battery life, and it will make current non-haswell computers cheaper, so there are reasons to wait other than faster processing.
The firm uses windows so whatever I get will be running windows but I am not opposed to a MacBook bootcamped and running windows since they have nice hardware (hate iOS and OSX, though). I want something that is very portable; switching from a 4.5-pound laptop to my sub-3-pound asus zenbook made a huge difference for my back. Like I said I am mostly not a heavy user but since I get a $1600 discount I figure I may as well get a very fast machine. (The way it works is I get reimbursed for whatever I buy, so there is no incentive to buy something cheaper to keep the extra $ - if I buy a $1,000 computer, they'll cut me a $1,000 check.) I am willing to pay up to maybe an extra $1,000 on top of the $1,600.
Laptops I have seen that interest me are the Inbon Blade 13; the Samsung 9 series; the Lenovo helix or yoga (hybrid/convertible is fine); possibly the kirabook although I am unsure about the lack of Ethernet. If the Pixel could run windows I would seriously consider that because I love its screen (except for it being 3:2) and the way it looks. I currently have a surface pro (love it!); an asus zenbook UX31A; an asus vivobook touchscreen laptop (U400?) and an older Lenovo thinkpad with a docking station so I can have two screens; and an assortment of tablets. (I am a gadget junky, haha....current high is trying to find this hisense sero 7 pro tablet.) I think I also have the option of buying a laptop and a tablet, but since I already have a few tablets, I think I'd rather put the money toward a really great laptop.
Sorry for the length. LMK if there is anything else that it would be helpful to know.
Thus, I have two questions. The first is whether I should wait for haswell (actually, preliminarily to that, does anyone have a good sense about when haswell will be available in consumer laptops?) The second question is which computer (laptop) I should buy. The latter may be hard to answer without knowing what laptops haswell will bring, so I suppose it is, which laptop should I buy if I don't wait for haswell? As an aside, since I am not a heavy-duty user aside from the occasional video-streaming or processor-taxing game, I don't think I need anything that is more powerful than what is currently available. I know, however, that haswell will bring improved battery life, and it will make current non-haswell computers cheaper, so there are reasons to wait other than faster processing.
The firm uses windows so whatever I get will be running windows but I am not opposed to a MacBook bootcamped and running windows since they have nice hardware (hate iOS and OSX, though). I want something that is very portable; switching from a 4.5-pound laptop to my sub-3-pound asus zenbook made a huge difference for my back. Like I said I am mostly not a heavy user but since I get a $1600 discount I figure I may as well get a very fast machine. (The way it works is I get reimbursed for whatever I buy, so there is no incentive to buy something cheaper to keep the extra $ - if I buy a $1,000 computer, they'll cut me a $1,000 check.) I am willing to pay up to maybe an extra $1,000 on top of the $1,600.
Laptops I have seen that interest me are the Inbon Blade 13; the Samsung 9 series; the Lenovo helix or yoga (hybrid/convertible is fine); possibly the kirabook although I am unsure about the lack of Ethernet. If the Pixel could run windows I would seriously consider that because I love its screen (except for it being 3:2) and the way it looks. I currently have a surface pro (love it!); an asus zenbook UX31A; an asus vivobook touchscreen laptop (U400?) and an older Lenovo thinkpad with a docking station so I can have two screens; and an assortment of tablets. (I am a gadget junky, haha....current high is trying to find this hisense sero 7 pro tablet.) I think I also have the option of buying a laptop and a tablet, but since I already have a few tablets, I think I'd rather put the money toward a really great laptop.
Sorry for the length. LMK if there is anything else that it would be helpful to know.