Which laptop should I get?

[DamonSalvatore]

Hey! I want to get a new laptop! And I can't decide which one to get!
My budget is $1300. I was thinking of getting the new Macbook Air.
I want it to be a desktop replacement too, storage is not a problem I do have a portable hard-drive.
I was thing of Macbook Pro Retina Display too but I'll need to wait for a while to get that.
i want one which is good looking and light weight too because college is starting and I'll have to carry it all around.
Can you suggest one or should I get Macbook Pro?

 

[Labrynthian]

It depends what you're going to use it for. If you're looking for general use, then the Macbook is a good option. If you're looking for gaming, I recommend something a bit better. The Lenovo Y580 and the Asus G55VW are both good gaming laptops in your price range.

Both have 3rd gen core i7 processors and 2GB NVIDIA GTX 660M graphics cards, which are mid level class 1 cards that will play most games on medium-high settings without a problem. They both are 15.6 inch laptops with 1920x1080 resolution. The Y580 has a default RAM of 2GB, upgradable to 8GB. The Asus has a default RAM of 8GB, upgradable, not sure if its to 16GB or 32GB. The Asus has the added benefit of running it's hard drive at 7,200 RPM as opposed to the default 5,400 RPM.

The Y580 is the best gaming laptop in the under $1,000 category, and the G55VW has amazing performance and delivers 100%.

Here's the Y580 - http/www.theverge.com/products/ideapad-y580/4604

Here's the G55VW - http/www.amazon.com/G55VW-ES71-15-6-Inch-Gaming-Notebook-Black/dp/B007Z9WWDW

 

[cats_Paw]

Generally i dont like apple products, but for video edition they are quite simple to use (when you spend a lot of cash on their software).

In my opinion PC beats apple since it has more options in terms of hardware customization and programs (both free and not-free).

As a desktop replacement you might want to be aiming at 17 inch, perhaps even bigger (there is a Asus 18,4 inch model if i remmber correctly).

Is it for gaming or general use?

 

[Labrynthian]

Well, it's true that the Macbooks in the $1,300 range are only like 13 inches... But if they're not being used for gaming, that doesn't REALLY matter too much. The quality and functioning of it will be perfectly fine, for watching movies and checking mail and writing documents, etc.

Also, in response to the above post, 17 inch laptops are HUGE and fairly heavy. you're considering a Macbook, I'm pretty sure you want something light and mobile. Also, there are few decent 17.3 inch laptops in the $1,300 range.

 

[DamonSalvatore]

I am sorry I forgot to mansion, mostly I use my desktop for web surfing watching HD videos and movies, I don't even edit videos, I want a fast machines for more general use, I have an Xbox but occasional light gaming should be supported, are these gaming laptops you mentioned light enough that I can carry them around? And is the retina display worth the $500 extra I'll have to pay?
And currently I have an i3 530 and a FHD display with it and GT 240 2Gb ram and I am not having any problems with this kind off stuff.

 

[Labrynthian]

Why do you want to get the display if you're getting a laptop?

Yes, those laptops are good enough to carry around, but if you're not looking to game, you might want something a bit cheaper. Depends what your budget is...
If you want something fast, you'll need a 3rd gen core i7 processor with at least 6GB RAM or more.