You keep music files on your hard drive? 2012 just called and they want their technology back.

Man, 2012 wasn't that long ago! Do you have a suggestion on music storage? Cause if there's an alternative that's as convenient, I can probably save a lot of money by getting a smaller SSD in my new laptop.

Consider the OS and what you want to run. Is it available on Mac's latest OS? I will say don't do a Sony after my experience of late. The Dell's are good but overpriced if you ask me.

I 've gone Mac some years ago and havent looked back. Sitting behind the Win7 machines at the office seems like being behind a typewriter now. So many useless warnings where I have to choose: OK? / Cancel? Whatever.

Anyway, Mac is immensely switch friendly, with one notable exception: Finder. It's Macs rendition of Windows Explorer, but loses on all fronts. I invested in a third party explorer just to survive. But other than that, I find almost all relevant software to be perfectly compatible (check that for your own software!) and all OS functions to be seamless.

I guess it's different if you want a laptop with touchscreen, I have no exp with that.

I can get 10-30% off Dell products through a deal with work, so that might make a big difference there.

I don't really have any specific application needs, since I have a separate work laptop where all my important applications are. If I was still in school, Mac wouldn't be an option because some of the applications I need to use for work aren't awesome on Macs. But my work laptop eliminates that issue.

This laptop is literally just for watching/stream movies, playing music, and browsing, so I basically have no specific application needs.

Music goes on the cloud now.

For what you want to do, invest in a tablet.

I've thought about that, but I'd like to be able to sit down and enjoy something on a larger screen than is convenient for tablets. I don't really want to watch an HD movie on a 9" screen, and I don't want to have to always use headphones.

Can anyone recommend a good music cloud storage service?

I bought my Mac in early 2007, it's got a 40 GB hard drive, 2GHz dual core, and I maxed out the memory at 2GB after I boosted it last spring. It's a bit slow on startup but otherwise it's been the best technology purchase I've ever made. I keep very few files on my actual computer - a few pictures, old college work, job searching materials - and only have a few actual "programs" other than my browser. I do all my word processing/spreadsheet/powerpoint work on Google Docs, keep all my music on Spotify, and a few other cloud-based options for extra storage and light work tasks.

The point being is that you can easily get away with a lower-end computer with the right adjustments. A Mac is expensive now but will last much longer in my experience. But nearly anything you want to do is browser based now anyway, so as long as you get a good processor and good RAM and good display, everything else is mostly superfluous.

Spotify isn't available in Canada, is it? I remember being disappointed that I couldn't make a Spotify account because I live in Canada. I don't actually know anyone personally that uses music cloud storage, so I've just assumed there isn't a good product available in Canada.

I suppose I could always use a proxy to access it, but sometimes proxies are slow and that can be inconvenient for music.

Hmm, I don't have music on a cloud either... How exactly does it work? Does it cost anything? Now I feel old, with the old guys knowing their shit about modern technology and me not knowing it :(

And is it for mobile too? Thanks.

Google and Amazon both have decent cloud storage for music. While I get the desire for the larger screen, the added weight of the full laptop makes it uncomfortable to haul around. Perhaps something lile the Surface would serve you well.

Thanks, I'll check out Google/Amazon's offerings. If I can cross off a larger SSD from my list, that'll probably save me a good chunk of change.

And good point on the weight. I suppose I would like something 3 lbs or less, which is why the new Macbook Air looks attractive. Dell's XPS 13 also weighs in right around there.

I support the tablet idea for your needs.

And if you absolutely want to link it to large screen, get an iPad and Apple TV (~100USD) to instantly connect to your TV or any other large screen. And you can use iTunes match as cloud service to boot. That way, you can hook up your Apple TV to your stereo and TV and be able to stream any video and audio at will from the cloud.

Yeah, but then I also have to buy a TV :p I've worked hard to not buy a TV.

Thats a fair and admirable point. :-)

I must say I have a Tv now, without connection to any channels. Just for dvds and computer streamed vids. Suits me fine.

A lot of the good tablets also have HDMI ports in them now. I think even the latest ones from Amazon (Kindle) and Borders (Nook) come with an HDMI port. Hell, my Samsung Droid Charge has an HDMI port in it.

Buy a $100 monitor at MicroCenter or some place similar (didn't notice the no TV thing before) for viewing in the viewing room of your choice.

I'd have to spend a bit more than $100 for an HD monitor and speakers, wouldn't I? But even then, say, $400 tops for a tablet and $100-200 for a monitor comes in at half the price of a laptop with a good HD panel. Seems less convenient/mobile, though, especially if I need to be plugged in to use the monitor, and I'm not sure how I feel about not having a physical keyboard.

I have a 23" HD monitor right now, but it's big enough that it's annoying to move around, so I keep it on my desk and use my laptop screen when I'm in any other room.

If you use it for music, movies and browsing, you don't need a keyboard. This will surprise you if you havent used a tablet before, but is seriously the case. Even basic emails are easily done with touchbased keyboards.

If you already have a monitor, what is it connected to? If it is an apple, then iPad streaming over wifi should be simple - though admittedly I havent done it myself.

It all comes down to what you want to do with it.

If you seriously only browse and watch, get a tablet. If you want a big screen, either get a big tablet or some way to project it (I agree, the cable doesnt cut it, but there are several alternatives). I've also seen friends use their monitor on their desk during the day, then simply swivel it in the direction of the couch for the evening. If you want to use Word/Excel or email for business purposes, get a laptop.

I've got this great little 16 or 17" USB monitor I pack with my folding keyboard and track ball when I'm on the road. Cost $85 I think.

As far as speakers... You get what you pay for. Laptop speakers are all for shit anyhow. If you don't want to use headsets, you are gonna have speakers to lug around so you may as lwell lug around a 22" or 23" Full HD LCD monitor.

My current monitor (basically this one, too lazy to check exactly: http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&sku=320-2807) is being used with my current laptop, a Lenovo x220i with an SSD that's a couple years old. You guys are making me wonder if all my problems can't be solved by just keeping my current laptop, getting some cloud storage for music (I'd need like 100 GB), and buying some WiFi speakers.

I've used a tablet before and I find it annoying to do stuff like play diplomacy on it. Which is also something I will be doing with this machine.

From what I understand about your uses, I'd suggest the new Macbook Air. It has a very nice screen (although not Retina). The battery life is insane (10+ hours) and it should be able to crunch out some MATLAB, if not without complaints.

I wouldn't buy any PC laptop until they're fitted with the new Haswell chips. From what I've seen, only Macs have the new chipset so far.

If you're looking to save some money, Asus makes excellent laptops at very reasonable prices.

This is coming from a die-hard Lenovo fan, mind you. But, my next laptop is very likely to be the Air.

Get a used IBM-branded ThinkPad like I did: my $125 X60s "slimline" (free shipping and ultradock base) serves me well (right now, in fact); clit-mouse is win-mouse.

@Gnome

I don't think most lenovos will have the screen quality he's looking for.

@abge, yeah, I've been a Lenovo buyer for a while. But the Haswell chips is why the new MBA caught my eye. Right now, there doesn't seem to be anything else out there that has the same combination of battery life, weight, and screen quality.

If you're willing to wait a couple months, I'm sure PC OEMs will be coming out with some nice Haswell laptops. But, if you want it soon, I'd go with the Air.

ThinkPad X200s & X201s are about to get mass-dumped onto the market by upgrading corporate users; you should be able to get one for $200.