A very specific laptop recomendation request

gcb

Honorable
Nov 6, 2012
3
0
10,510
1) matte screen (is gorilla glass still synonym with mirror?)
2) at least 4Gb ram (better if i can upgrade)
3) regular video out (either VGA or full size HDMI. nothing of those display-port jokes)
4) at least one USB3
5) at least 2 total usb ports (3-4 ideally)
6) 3rd gen i5 or i3
7) under 14"
8) under 2Kg / 4lbs
9) multi touch touchpad (ideally clit mouse like thinkpads)
10) page/up/home/end down keys that can be pressed with one hand [*1]
11) insert key
12) either backlit keyboard or top light for the keys
13) any webcam
14) storage, i don't care about ssd or HD as long as i can put my ssd there.
15) more than 2h of real world battery life

and finally
15) that i can install a modern linux with little trouble?
ok, you can ignore Linux on the recommendations... if i can get the rest i will be already glad that such machine exists



[*1] unlike eeepcs that have them on the arrow keys at the right and the function key to activate it on the left
 

gcb

Honorable
Nov 6, 2012
3
0
10,510
i'm temped to go with the S200e from asus. (a.k.a x202e)


It fails:
#1, #10, #12
and sucks at
#2 (soldered ram - single channel 4G) and
#14 hd is easy to access, buyt it only takes 7mm drives and both SSDs i have lying around are 9mm
and almost fail #15, as the battery barely get to 2h on all reviews.

Also, it seems to be the only model i could find linux install experiences (not that they are any good so far)

upside, it's around $500, and show up on deals for $400 from time to time. I really wanted something more high end, but i think that's the only one i can buy with a minimum of confidence. As in I could see one at a store. I'd like to check the lenovo X1, but i loved my T410 from work and some time ago got an E serie from lenovo online. the pics looked like the t410, when it arrived it looked/performed/felt like a $10 toy. and they wouldn't accept it back without some ridiculous 30% fee. sold it on craigslist for 20% loss...

anyway, back on track :) I will probably wait one week to see if i can find something better or one of the $400 deals on this. if not i will just buy it.