I am looking for laptop recommendations ahead of starting a STEM research degree. My budget is around $1500. I expect to be doing a lot of handwriting so am exploring tech solutions over filling notebook after notebook.
My main considerations at the moment are:
| Consideration | Comment |
|---|---|
| Form factor | 2-in-1. Tent mode and tablet mode. |
| Pen/stylus input | Very essential for handwriting. |
| Writing experience | Should feel acceptable to write with stylus on screen for extended periods of time. |
| Portability | Prefer around 14", certainly not much bigger. Also lighter the better. |
| Battery life | May be using it on the go quite often. |
| Interoperability | HDMI. USB-C port(s) for charging and DisplayPort. USB-A port(s). |
| Screen brightness | Should ideally withstand a wide range of indoor and outdoor lighting conditions. |
| Performance | Not expecting to handle very intense workloads per se. Needs to readily support web browsing, handwriting notes and diagrams, typesetting notes, presentations, and documents, and maybe some software development. |
| Operating system | Windows preferred. |
A point of indifference is probably graphics. I'm not expecting to use this for gaming.
Noting down thoughts on some models below.
ASUS ROG Flow X13
Actually found this series very appealing overall, but had some concerns stopping me from committing.
✔️ Acceptable port selection.
✔️ Great portability by both size and weight.
✔️ Available with AMD Ryzen option which I suspect helps the battery go further compared to Intel.
❌ 2023 series pricing is far beyond budget.
❌ 2022 series seems to suffer from poor quality control. (Or so Reddit tells me.)
HP ENVY x360 2-in-1
Seems to be a lot of models in this series.
✔️ Great port selection.
❌ Would prefer something smaller than 15.6".
❓️ Unsure about 250 nits for max screen brightness.
❓️ Potentially poor quality control? Some negative reviews on HP's own website for one of the models (15-ey0007AU).
Lenovo Yoga 7i
Again, a lot of models in this series.
✔️ This one from Officeworks looks promising. Lenovo 14" Yoga 7i 2-in-1 Laptop EVO Core i5/16GB/512GB (82YL001LAU).
❌ Cautious about screen brightness, arising from this review.
ASUS Vivobook S 14 Flip
Review of an OLED model.
Concentrating on this Officeworks offering: ASUS 14" Vivobook S Flip R5 16GB/1TB 2-in-1 Laptop (TN3402YA-LZ234W). The screen here is IPS.
✔️ Acceptable port selection.
✔️ AMD Ryzen option, hopefully for better battery life.
Lenovo yoga 7i