New laptop/ tablet/computer

Tablets are toys, they don't replace the productivity of a proper laptop.  HOWEVER we are seeing a new trend of REAL PCs being crammed into a tablet , for example the Microsoft Surface Pro that comes out this week i believe.  It has a real Intel i5 inside it and Windows 8 Professional, exactly what you'd be buying in your next laptop probably except it's crammed into a 10 inch tablet.  It'll run any program you're running now on your laptop, its a full windows PC.  You can get a keyboard cover for it to give you that laptop/desktop experience and it has bluetooth 4 built in so you can hook up a whole host of devices wirelessly.

If you're not ready to make that jump, another new trend is transforming laptops.  These are laptops that come with a touch screen that either twists around and lays flat on top of the keyboard, or the screen folds backwards and lays on the bottom of the laptop and you flip it over (so the keyboard now the bottom) .  eitherw ay you end up with a laptop when you want it or a tablet when you don't.

Performance wise, these types of transforming tablets and real tablet PCs have about the same specs so there's no a real advantage either way picking one over the ohter specifically for performance reasons.  They're all based on i5's and Intels HD4000 intergrated GPU and an SSD .  personally i think the transforming ones where you end up making the keyboard be the bottom is a little goofy.  I'd rather have one with the screen that twists around and lays flat on the keyboard when in 'tablet' mode.  Or just get a Surface Pro.

If you decide to go with a laptop, look for one that has a dedicated GPU in it, don't go for those integrated intel HD4000 things in a traditional laptop.  Then decide if you want a touch screen or not because it'll come with Windows8 and the Metro interface is designed for touch.  Also decide if you wnat an SSD or a proper hard drive, if you go SSD you'll gain a ton of performance at the cost of storage capacity.  Of course make sure it has all your wireless tech builtin  like wifi N and Bluetooth 3 or 4.  Laptosp are kind of boring to me, they just really haven't changed too much over the years.  the technology has gotten better but it's still a clamshell keyboard/screen device.  I'm mroe excited about the Tablet PCs.

Yes get an Apple. They need all the help they can get latley. (Don't buy one )

Anyway.

I was going to get a new laptop as the misses got fed up of me using the PC for racing all the time and our old laptop fell from the upstairs landing to the porch.

While looking around I decided to go the Tablet way. Got myself a Nexus 7 (32gb ect) and Ive never looked back.

I only used for laptop to go on here, buy shit and watch YouTube and Porn. If I needed to do any doc / Vid / Pic editing ect I would just use the Desktop as you cannot beat a real Keyboard, Mouse and an office chair.

The wife at first was a bit funny about it but now she's used to it she loves it. The best thing about it for me is the mobility. Just been able to lay in bed and watch random shit or tap crap on here is so much easier than having to sit up with the laptop (Laptop was a bit heavy to hold it on its side!)

It also does everything the Laptop use to for me, and the wife loves it as she can now read books, and download apps that enable her to buy more things faster than before.

Just my 2c. (also Tablet are way cheaper and the games on them are epic! Especialy the Disney ones)

Also if you do get a tablet be sure to buy a USB OTG cable then you can plug shit into it (Xbox joypad, Camera ect)

Dont listen to the above posts.. get a Windows 8 PC

how much are you looking to spend?  I would look for something with a dedicated video card (2gb) and something with an i5 or i7 processor.

I would look at something with TOUCH screen.  You will love Windows 8 with touch on your computer.  I can reccomend a few:

$599 | Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 11.6-Inch Convertible Touchscreen Laptop | http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-IdeaPad-11-6-Inch-Convertible-Touchscreen/dp/B009AEPIPE

or if you have a few more $$, go with something with an actual video card and go with the Asus U500vz: http://zenbook.asus.com/zenbook/?c=u500vz

Good luck playing any games with a Mac, and good luck having it be compatible with all of your PC accessories.

Windows 8 (Tablet OS) is pretty lame in MY opinion. Won't play rFactor correctly and kiss good bye to a nice tidy desktop to a Tablet style home screen.

Dont by an Apple. Only people who thinks apple are cool buy Apples. (You may notice I hate apple)

I still stick to what I said above. Especially if you dont want to blow loads of cash and need the mobility of a Tablet.

Slightly off topic - I was listening to someone talk about how Apple are trying form a deal with Sony as they think in a few years time the market will be just one device and it will do everything, as such they want to do a deal now so they are ready for this when 'this' happens.

These comments above prove to me this will never happen in reality because I for one think Fuck Apple and Sony.

Cheers

I will second Fatlunch's suggestions. I just dropped a few thousand on a Mac for video editing, and it's far more powerful than any PC I've ever owned but gaming is a joke. I still use my 3 year old HP laptop far more often, for gaming and web stuff. 

I can't personally speak to Windows 8 though I know one person who has it (on a non-touchscreen device) and doesn't like it at all. My HP has Windows 7 on it and it works great on all the things you'd need it to do.

Apple makes good hardware if you don't mind spending 50% more for the same specs you get on an HP, Dell, Lenovo etc.   If i had an apple laptop i'd just format it and put windows on it LoL

Windows 8 though, i wouldn't bother with unless you have a touch screen.  I'm a microsoft guy myself like FatLunch but I wasn't compelled to upgrade to windows 8 from my touchscreen less win7 laptop.  I really don't want the metro thing on my laptop.  But Iove it on my phone and tablet.

If you are just going to be surfing the internet and posting on some forums, maybe watching a movie here and there, then I say tablet. If you want to work on the device then laptop. If you have other computers in the house, then that's all the more reason to get a tablet if you are just going to be surfing the net.

I have a Nexus 7 tablet and the only time I touch a laptop at home is when I'm uploading a bunch of pictures, playing around in Photoshop, or working. Sometimes I can even do my work from my tablet.

That's an unbiased to Windows response unlike the people above :p

Had win 8 for a week before returning to 7.

Hence knowing rf won't work on it. Just another vista to me. ;-) 

Shit Wam, I am a dedicated Console/Mac guy and even I am building a PC. Build a budget desktop.^^

I own a Macbook Pro from 2009 that still smokes most laptops.  When I sell it I'll probably get back 1/3 of the cost.  The same laptop 5 years old would be worth $100.

I also built my own HTPC for $500ish that runs great and plays anything, even full BD rips over the network (XBMC).  Should be great for photo editing.

Really, if you want portable that lasts, get a Macbook or Air.  If you want home computing, build your own.

Have 7 and 8 in the house, ( and Xp!!! ) and hate 8.

If you aren't going to use touch screen avoid it. If you aren't using a tablet avoid it.

If you're using a touch screen tablet, it might be ok...

(wife HATES it, which I told Knight when he got his, and he was all  "I like it" and a week later he's "$#!%#@!%", so....)

Please let us know what you want to do. There are some reasonable budget builds out there.

http://www.frys.com/product/7535376?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

Try that as a baseline and shop around some. Maybe you can get more performance or a better price.

Ya seems like all the touch screen stuff is Intel HD 4000.  Only touch screen i know of is the Razor Edge gaming tablet which is cool but over priced.

I linked one with discrete graphics.