Laptop for music production

[ThorBuildingLegos]

Hey-ho! Thor here again.

 

This time around I'm looking for a new laptop, for use in music production - to use with my newfound love. Initially I thought about buying one of these Intel 2-in-1 laptops, like the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro. I wanted to get a laptop/powerfull x86_64 tablet (plz) so that I could make a costum dock for use with the Ableton Push, which then creates a sort of mobile production and performance computer with a dock that you could just plop the 2-in-1 laptop in, push the Push in under it, and everythings connected. It would require me cutting wires and soldering, but I would love to do something like that. I'd gladly share the pictures with you as well, to see how a keyboard is not the end-all human interface for computers.

 

But I asume I also might have to bite the bullet, as it were, and just get a proper workstation laptop. Here are the highest specs I could imagine (though they aren't all required):

• Intel i5-i7, based on performance to noise output ratio (I want performance, but not a helicopter)
• Intel Iris, Intel 4xxx graphics or similar, as the GFX are down-prioritized to limit heat levels (and Intel drivers vs ATI/Nvidia wins any day on any OS)
• 8GB or 16GB of RAM, 1600MHz CL8 or most likely CL9 (ECC could be keen, but is it beneficial for heavy audio production?)
• Good/Great battery - visa vi the longest lasting and most stable battery, though the latter would ofc require beforehand knowledge
• SD-Card reader could be a plus, since some MIDI/Audio equipment uses SD cards
• It would be preferable that the machine does not weigh the equivilant to a sack of bricks
• EDIT: If it can be a hackintosh I'd be much obliged - CoreAudio is still the prefered choice by musicians, as DX Audio/WDM will give you incredibly high latency issues with external instruments and devices.

So give me some suggestions, please! I'm still pretty keen on getting a powerfull x86_64 tablet that I can make a costum cradle for, but that might just be a couple of years away and I'm not sure I can wait that long. I needs it NAO!

 

Thanks a bunch

Edited July 16, 2014 by ThorBuildingLegos