BEST non-mac Laptop

I'm sure this topic has been debated to death but i'm on the market for a new laptop that will be used primarily for editing, storing & sharing photos. I'd prefer something lighter weight and more sleek due to the fact that i'm a super petite female tog with a heavy cam bag already. Any suggestions? Laptops geared towards business use are preferred of course. Also, what do you think about the new HP Pro Book for small businesses & an external hard drive? And if you're in favor of this, what external hard drive do you reccommend?

www.notebookreview.com and check their forums...

i've been using dell business line laptops for the longest time... no complaints...
but then again, i lug around a massive 17" laptop to and fro...

What's your budget?

The pro-book isn't all that thin/light. Also, to play devils advocate - why not a macbook?

http://www.microsoftst​ore.com …bd-11e1-8e16-001b2166becc
Great system for only $799.

Here's another one great one for $699.
http://www.microsoftst​ore.com …1c-5alPFgpJRkV0X37N9Xad1A
Use Microsoft Store coupon code SUMMERPC1 during checkout. Microsoft Store has this Samsung Series 7 NP700Z5A-S0BUS 15.6'' Laptop for $1049. Use the coupon code and the price drops to $699. Shipping is free.
System Specs:

Intel Core i7-2675QM 2.20GHz Processor
15.6" LED HD non-glare (1600×900)
8GB DDR3 Memory
1TB Hard Drive
Radeon HD 6750M Graphics

MacBook Pro and run windows on it.

http://www.lenovo.com …/thinkpad/xtabl​et-series/

Small, portable and packed with power but most importantly it has a IPS dscreen that is touch and pen sensitive so you can edit images straight on the screen.

Check out this thread for more details : https://photography-on-the.net …204&highlight=l​enovo+x220

I just went through this exercise myself. I love Apple products, but there are some limitations and I am not a huge fan of the current trend of their products not being user serviceable (ram, HDDs, etc.). In any event, for the money, I decided a non-Apple laptop was the right move for me.

The first thing you'll see is that most Windows laptops are built to meet a certain pricepoint and thus have very sh*tty TN panels which are useless for any photo editing. Be prepared to easily spend over $1000. Will this be your only workstation (i.e. no desktop?)? If so, you'll need to get one with the best display you can afford.

I went through various options that included Dell, Lenovo, HP, Asus, and Sony. All have options with an IPS panel.

-Dell - The Dell with the IPS panel is the Precision business line - they are workhorse laptops that will easily eclipse $2K and be quite heavy. Dell also has some high gamut TN panels, but they are glossy, so I nixed that idea.
-Lenovo - The x230 has a decent IPS panel, but it is a little lower gamut than most would like, but still better than most TN panels. The T530/W530 have a high gamut, matte TN panel that is highly regarded.
-Asus - Zenbook Prime has an IPS display, but is limited to a paltry 4GB ram which was the deciding factor for me.
-Sony - The new 'S' line has an IPS display as well and looks quite promising, but the battery life did not meet my needs (~4hrs).

In the end, I chose the Lenovo T530 (i5 build with 1080p high gamut TN panel). I will be swapping the drives myself and using a SSD for OS and Apps and a larger drive for storage, as well as upgrading to 8 or 16GB of ram.

Lloyd recommends the Lenovo Thinkpad 220t (maybe this model is good), and I've had good experiences with them as well. Check out his thread here.

ben_r_ wrote in post #14740188
MacBook Pro and run windows on it.

A very expensive solution. Comprable and even better hardware spec Windows laptops can be had for considerably less than the rather high priced MacBook. And if you're running Windows on it there's really no good reason to even spend the extra money for the Macbook

DennisW1 wrote in post #14745647
A very expensive solution. Comprable and even better hardware spec Windows laptops can be had for considerably less than the rather high priced MacBook. And if you're running Windows on it there's really no good reason to even spend the extra money for the Macbook

Well, arguably the biggest reason to buy a Macbook is because it's a great piece of hardware, not because of OS X.
Fact is, a Macbook Pro is a well built and powerful machine with IPS display that hovers around the same price as similarly specced PCs in this case.

benesotor wrote in post #14745774
Well, arguably the biggest reason to buy a Macbook is because it's a great piece of hardware, not because of OS X.
Fact is, a Macbook Pro is a well built and powerful machine with IPS display that hovers around the same price as similarly specced PCs in this case.

Only the Retina display MacBook Pro is IPS. The other is a TN panel (arguably pretty good though).

JoeyC wrote in post #14745812
Only the Retina display MacBook Pro is IPS. The other is a TN panel (arguably pretty good though).

Forgive me! For some reason I thought all the MBP line had IPS.

benesotor wrote in post #14745774
Well, arguably the biggest reason to buy a Macbook is because it's a great piece of hardware, not because of OS X.
Fact is, a Macbook Pro is a well built and powerful machine with IPS display that hovers around the same price as similarly specced PCs in this case.

Right here. Macs are literally BUILT better than most PC laptops costing less money. You dont get similarly built windows laptops until you get into the same price range of the macs. People think just because McDonalds can sell a 99 cent hamburger and call it a hamburger its a real hamburger. I assure you its not. Just like there is no comparison in the build quality of a $599 windows laptop vs a $1199 MacBook Pro. And this is coming from someone who was a PC technician for years through college and worked on both windows units and macs as well as an individual who has owned MANY windows laptops. Its all about the materials used, especially in the chassis.

Anyway, for a non Mac laptop that is still fairly small I think something like the Lenovo X230 (like previously mentioned). It has an IPS screen and gets good reviews. Personally I have a W520 that I really like (some above mentioned this years mode, W530) but it is anything but small and/or light.

There are some ultrabooks with IPS screens that may fit your needs as well (a few of them have been talked about in other threads) but I don't know much about any specific model.

How about this? http://www.anandtech.c​om …ook-8760w-color-so-dreamy