Laptop recommendation for university student

[AncientPistol]

My current MSI laptop is falling apart after ~4 years and is very cumbersome to carry around. I am looking to buy a small and light laptop for uni. Use case will be reading books, writing code/papers, watching videos etc. I run all my code on a remote machine so don't need it to be very powerful.

 

Requirements in order of importance - 

1. Small form factor (13in)
2. Good battery life
3. Good keyboard
4. Good build quality
5. Big trackpad
6. Bright display

Basic specs - 16GB RAM / 512 Storage

 

So far I am looking at Dell XPS 13 ($1370) and HP Envy ($720). The specs are similar but the price difference is huge, other than the dell one looking much nicer what other differences are there? Also, what other options would you suggest? I am trying to keep the total under $1k otherwise I would have probably already bought the dell. 

[aramini]

Depends on your budget.

Just a few general things that come to my mind...

If you ever want to use a wired connection for whatever reason, a lot of newer, thinner laptops don't have RJ45 ethernet ports. So you might need to get a USB to RJ45 adapter dongle.

 

Also, I personally don't like the chicklet/macbook style keys on a lot of the keyboards in newer laptops. They don't provide me with the tactile feedback I prefer and I find I make a lot of typos on them. But this is down to personal preference. If you type a lot (sounds like you will be) that would be important to me. Lenovo has some models with nice keys.

 

The small size is nice for weight and portability, but I find less than 15.6" screen to be kinda cramped. Do you plan on also connecting it to an external monitor (such as when you're working in your dorm or apartment?) If so, make sure the video output connections are compatible or you'd need an adapter.

 

Basically comes down to features you want and your budget. I've had good luck with Dell, HP, Toshiba, Asus laptops.

[Darkseth]

M1 Macbook Air is pretty hard to beat, might be able to get a 16gb Ram model for 1000 dollar~.

It kinda beats a Dell XPS 13" in almost every aspect.

Performance is double as high, Battery life easily 2-3 times higher, Screen is slightly sharper (but "only" 400 nits), Best Trackpad, no heat issues and zero fan noise, because there is no Fan. Also, identical Performance plugged in or on Battery.

 

Unless you need Windows over MacOS, i don't really see a reason to chose a Dell XPS 13, if an M1 Macbook Air exists.

 

But if it had to be Windows:
Look into the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Pro 14" (2880x1800 Screen, Ryzen 7 5800H), Acer Swift X, or HP Envy 14. The last 2 were highly recommended by Just josh (Youtube, one of the best Laptop reviewer out there), he also got the last year's Yoga Slim 7 Pro with Ryzen 4000 series, and he also recommends it.

[FlyGreyWolf31]

I few of my friends have a Zephyrus g14 and it’s amazing so depending on your budget you could get that, it is a little more pricey though 

[FlyGreyWolf31]

1 minute ago, FlyGreyWolf31 said:

I few of my friends have a Zephyrus g14 and it’s amazing so depending on your budget you could get that, it is a little more pricey though 

Wow I’m smart, I for some reason did not read the hole thing including your 1k budget lol

 

[mikkelsalee]

I recommend the M1 MacBook Pro. I received mine in the mail yesterday and this far it's been awesome. Fast and with long battery life. I charged it when I got it, and after 12 hours of use, I still have 27 percent battery left.