Envy or Vaio... what would you do?

So I'm in the market for a lightweight but poky laptop for editing video/photo on the move.
Big projects will be catered for by desktops, but I'd like to at least be able to do a bit of editing stress-free on a laptop using Photoshop and Premiere.

So far I've considered a few different laptops, and It's come down to..

- Refurbished HP Envy 15", 1st gen i7 quad. eSATA, no optical drive, up to 16GB. Between £650-700
or
- Brand new Sony Vaio SB series 13", 2nd gen i5. USB3, optical drive, backlit keyboard. £699

I'm drawn to the Envy's power, although it's getting a little old now. I'm drawn towards the Sony's size/looks and backlit keyboard.

What would you advise... is it only worth going brand new?
Also you can recommend any other slim laptops if you have ideas. Needs to be at least 2nd gen i5 and under £800 really.

Cheers!

I personally am not a fan of Sony. I've used HP laptops in the past with great success. I'm now a true believer in Lenovo in my business and personal worlds. A little more expensive, but well worth the money.

After doing some research I just ordered a Lenovo for my Mum. I've recommended Sony to friends and family in the past and they're happy with them.

Between those two, based purely on specs, I like the Sony. USB 3.0 is BIG for laptops, which only have one drive, that limits the speed heaps.

Editing on a laptop is a bit slower than a desktop no matter what you do.

Yeah the USB3 could be very useful I'm thinking. I'm leaning towards the Sony. I thought about a Macbook Pro... but I'm not a fan of the trackpad, so don't really enjoy using them.

Could you edit off a drive via USB3 like with thunderbolt?