Best multimedia laptop under $1,000?

Right now I’m running an Apple MacBook Air 13 with an i5, 4GB RAM, and a 128GB SSD. Even though there are things I actually love about it—it's light, sleek, has a great screen, boots fast, and the battery life is solid (plus it's basically immune to viruses)—the downsides are driving me nuts. The storage is too small, moving files to a Dell or my phone is a headache, and the lack of compatibility with Xcell files between Mac / PC is a real pain.

So, I'm thinking about selling it (I already have an offer for $1500) and heading back to the Windows ecosystem. I loved it up through Windows Vista / 7; the newer versions haven't really done it for me, but it is what it is.

Basically, I want to keep the perks of a MacBook Air: lightweight, fast boot times, long battery life, and a killer screen. I don't need anything bigger than 13-15 inches; I mostly just watch movies and do Office work. The audio needs to be top-tier—the best possible—because I don't want to carry external speakers.

The first thing that caught my eye was the HP Pavilion Star Wars edition. It comes in two versions; the pricier one has better graphics thanks to a dedicated GPU.



HP 15-an 000 Laptop Star Wars SE P0S46EA $2000

HP 15-an 000 Laptop Star Wars SE P0S47EA $2167

The cheaper one would probably suffice since I can't remember the last time I actually played a game.
The catch is the weight (it's definitely not light), the screen (TN panel, max res around 13xx * 9xx), and the nagging question of whether there's something better out there for the same price.

I also looked at the HP Envy 15, but the reviews aren't exactly glowing.

HP Envy x360 15-w 101

Aside from HP, I like Asus, but I'm having trouble finding anything from their "N" series.

As for Toshiba, given my bad experiences with their importer and how much of a nightmare it is to actually use the warranty, they are completely off the table. They might as well not exist.

If you have any suggestions, I'm all ears.

If you're looking to swap parts in a laptop, I guess those guys over there might know more than I do.

Thanks, fadedorca66.

By the time I realized where I was, I'd already lost my connection and my chance to edit.

Let’s take this one step at a time...

Comparing a Mac to a PC is a thankless task. You’re either a PC person or a Mac person... you pick a side and stick to it despite the flaws both sides inevitably have.

Looking at those HP models you linked, I don't see much reason to buy them, though I wouldn't rule out the Envy quite so fast. It has its downsides, sure, but it brings enough to the table. We're talking about a solid Full HD touchscreen 2-in-1 with great build quality, about 6.5 hours of battery life while browsing the web, and Bang & Olufsen speakers that actually sound decent. Since you mentioned audio is a dealbreaker for you, the Bang & Olufsen name carries weight—they aren't usually cutting corners on their audio solutions. I'm not sure where you've been reading reviews, but if you check Notebookcheck (one of the most reliable sources out there), the second link shows that exact configuration, while the first one covers the chassis, keyboard, touchpad, and speakers—which are identical across the whole series:

http://www.notebookcheck.net/HP-Envy....125162.0.html
http://www.notebookcheck.net/HP-Envy....150554.0.html

If you're interested in the Asus N series, just keep in mind that I wouldn't bet the house on the battery life given how beefy those processors and GPUs are:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-notebook...ducts_id=12637
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-notebook...ducts_id=13087

When it comes to battery life, the Asus Pro wins with over 10 hours of web surfing. It has its own set of pros and cons, though finding detailed info is a chore since they seem to be drip-feeding specs to Eastern markets first to test the waters. Even though the Pro line acts like a business machine with some killer features, it feels a bit overpriced to me. A reinforced chassis, an SSD, Windows, and a great battery shouldn't cost nearly $1,500... 🤷

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-notebook...ducts_id=13112

I almost forgot—both the Asus Pro and the Asus N series also feature Bang & Olufsen audio, specifically their ICEpower tech...

I should also mention the Lenovo Yoga 500 in the 2-in-1 category. Like everything else, it has its ups and downs:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/lenovo-notebook...ducts_id=12766
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenovo-....150778.0.html

The situation is pretty much the same for 13.3" laptops; you've got the HP Pavilion x360, the Asus ZenBook, and the Dell Inspiron 7359 to consider:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-notebook...ducts_id=12814
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-notebook...ducts_id=13091
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-notebook...ducts_id=13110

Look, you basically just need to decide what you actually want: do you need raw power to crush heavy software and get some decent gaming done on an Asus N550JX, even if it means dealing with crappy battery life? Or would you prefer slightly weaker hardware that won't murder your battery—in which case, these other options or the 13.3" models might be more your speed...

Thanks for the suggestions, darkowl72.

I’ve owned way more PCs than Macs over the years. I lean toward Windows, though I'm not strictly exclusive—the dream machine would be an Apple hardware/Microsoft software hybrid, but we all know that doesn't exist.

At one point, I was fully committed to the Apple ecosystem (Mobile-laptop-tablet), but now that they're pushing these annoying proprietary constraints, I'm slowly backing out. Honestly, I think only the Mobile side will remain relevant for them in the end.

The Envy is decent, but the glossy screen is a dealbreaker for me; it's impossible to use in daylight.
Reviews also mention you can see the touchscreen grid and that the build quality isn't anything to write home about... so I'll pass.

That makes the Pavilion more interesting to me. It has a Non-glossy screen (though the resolution isn't great), a newer gen processor, and those B&B speakers. The real downside is the "plastic-fantastic" build—it looks nice, sure, but based on my experience tearing down my old Pavilion from years ago, HP designs their connectors so poorly that you basically need luck and a surgeon's hands to open or clean it without snapping something.

My old HP was a different beast entirely; you could take it apart and put it back together endlessly without worrying about damaging the ribbon cables or connectors.

The Lenovo Yoga caught my eye, as did the Asus N550JX.

They're all different concepts, but each has "that certain something" I actually like.

I have a soft spot for Asus. I used to own one, and my wife's Asus has been running flawlessly for years. In the time her Asus has stayed alive, I've already laid a Sony Vaio to rest and, predictably, grown frustrated with the quirks of Mac.

I'll probably settle on a compromise again. I don't need massive power, but it's nice to know a laptop can actually handle a game if needed. On the flip side, when it comes to size and weight, smaller is better, and battery life should be as long as possible.

Sound needs to be great, and the screen absolutely has to be Non-glossy.