Replies

It looks like the current "Power User" laptop is the Lenovo ThinkPad W540. I have not seen this one, but one of my friends has the previous model (W510). He is happy with it except for the weight, particularly the "giant power brick". But I suppose people who buy this model are looking more for raw power than for light weight. There may be different configurations of this available. Here is what the MS configuration is:

OS: Windows 8.1 Pro 
Processor: Intel Core i7-4800MQ 
Memory (RAM): 16GB/2 DIMM
Hard Disk: 256GB SSD 
Dimensions: 14.8 x 9.8 x 1.1 in (WxDxH)
Weight: 5.57 lbs
Display: 15.5 3K IPS (300 Nit) (2880 x 1620 resolution)
Graphics: NVIDIA Quadro K2100M 2GB
Battery: 9 cell 10WH
Power Supply: 170w 
Network & Communication: Intel 7260-AC (802.11 ABGN+AC) with Miracast support, Intel Bluetooth 4.0 
I/O Ports: Thunderbolt, 2 USB 3.0, 2 USB 2.0, VGA, RJ-45, 4-in-1 card reader, express card, smart card, headphone/mic combo
Optical Device: Yes, attached DVDRW

My advice would be to make sure you really want a desktop replacement (i.e. large) laptop. You can do a whole lot with one of the modern ultrabooks. A Core i5 with 8GB of RAM and an SSD is plenty fast, and the light weight is great. When I got my Asus Zenbook (latest model is UX31LA), I was worried that not having a DVD drive would be an issue. It hasn't been. I was even able to reinstall the OS using a USB stick (I did have to do some extra work to create a bootable USB disk with the OS on it). Another popular light model that I think does have a DVD drive is the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch. On the other hand, if you're not carrying it around, weight really isn't an issue.

Whatever you get, I highly recommend that you make sure it has an SSD rather than a traditional (magnetic) hard disk. An SSD is the single most notable performance upgrade you can make to a modern computer - way more important than having the fastest processor. Some other things to check if you need them - things that manufacturers frequently skimp on are: USB 3.0 ports, (wired) ethernet port, and Bluetooh.

Finally, if at all possible, go look at one in person. If there is a Microsoft Store in your area, that is a good place to go look. The biggest complaint I have with my Asus is the keyboard. It is impossible to tell that from a picture on a web site. The display is also an important thing to see in person. Some people love high-res displays, some people find they make things too small (although with Windows 8.x, you can make things larger, so that is less of an issue).

I recommend that you ignore the whining from the luddites here (you know, the ones that refuse to use anything but Windows XP). Windows 7 is a better OS than XP and anyone that tells you otherwise is talking out of their backside. Windows 8 is essentially the same thing as Windows 7 with support for touch (Metro) apps and with a controversial new start menu. Windows 8.1 is Windows 8 with the Start Menu button restored and some bug fixes. It is possible to get used to, and even prefer the new start menu (hint - click the start button or the Windows key and then use the keyboard to type the first one or two characters of the app name). When I switched to Windows 8, I initially did not like it, but after a week I can't imagine that I ever used the old method of navigating hierarchical menus in the Start Menu. I'm not a big fan of the Metro interface for laptops, but I stay in Desktop mode all the time, so it does not matter to me. My laptop has a touch screen, but I never use it.

Good luck, and let me know if you have questions.