New Laptop - Is Touchscreen worth it? (1 Viewer)

[This_Guy]

I'm looking at new laptops. I have figured out what I am looking for with most of the specs and features.

The one thing I'm not sure about is touchscreen. Is it worth the $100-$200 extra for this? Will I use it? I plan to get 5 years of useful life out of it and wonder if the touchscreen will become more useful down the line.

I'll be using it for general business purposes, MS Office, accounting, email, web browsing, light gaming, etc.

Here are the keys I am looking at if you want to provide any other input there:

Windows 8 - I like apple but for a number of reasons I have already chosen to go MS here

15 or 17 Inch True HD display

Intel i7 - 4th generation processor

8 GB - 12GB Memory

500 GB - 1TB Hard Drive

Backlit keyboard

DVD Player (Do I want / need a blue ray player?)

Right now it looks like I can get the most bang for the buck with a Toshiba but I am open to hearing peoples experiences. Also considering HP & ASUS machines I have found.

 

[Limp Ditka]

had a tower with a touch screen and never used it. can't imagine a laptop being any different.

Unless it can be used like a tablet, I find it pretty much useless.

 

[Dr Oadi]

Windows 8? Touch screen is a must.

 

[msommer]

Bought an Asus Transformer tf810c four months ago, it is awesome. Even when in Notebook mode with the keyboard I use the touch schreen for clicking.

Except for highlighting copy/cut/paste

 

[Bri]

Pretty good specs you're looking for.

Go with alienware. I totally hate wondering about a computer now-I just want assured good quality. I'd guess that was part of your interest in mac, so that's also why I say alienware. They're expensive but they're beasts and you're looking for five years out of it.

I have touch screens and it totally depends what you are doing. Business-stuff, i don't get much use out of the touch screen. Oddly enough the remote gets tons of use and there are still laptops that come with a remote. If you are using powerpoint, a remote is nice.

I bought this

http://us.acer.com/ac/en/US/content/model/UM.WD0AA.A01

which idk if they make anymore, they sold out quick and it didn't seem they would. HP makes something similar for about 300 too.

It's a monitor that is also HUGE tablet. You switch from monitor mode to tablet mode.

I'm no gamer but I like to mess around especially when I'm on hold listening to a recording-android offers me more than enough for this.

I use it as one of two monitors, so if the kids come by work I can also keep them busy and just revert to one.

 

[Bri]

All I7s are not equal at all

check here http://www.cpubenchmark.net/

specifically here http://www.cpubenchmark.net/high_end_cpus.html

 

[Big Cat]

Windows 8? Touch screen is a must.

 

[Limp Ditka]

Windows 8? Touch screen is a must.

haven't used 8. any reason why?

 

[Big Cat]

Windows 8? Touch screen is a must.

haven't used 8. any reason why?

It's like they're trying to make everything app-centered like on an iPhone or android. The desktop is totally different. A lot of appearances are different. Underneath, it's the same ol' windows, but the presentation of the functions makes one want to grab the screen and point to what one wants. Hence the touchscreen is better.

 

[Bri]

I find that annoying and just hit windows-D and install a start menu from iobit

 

[tommyboy]

I'm looking at new laptops. I have figured out what I am looking for with most of the specs and features.

The one thing I'm not sure about is touchscreen. Is it worth the $100-$200 extra for this? Will I use it? I plan to get 5 years of useful life out of it and wonder if the touchscreen will become more useful down the line.

I'll be using it for general business purposes, MS Office, accounting, email, web browsing, light gaming, etc.

Here are the keys I am looking at if you want to provide any other input there:

Windows 8 - I like apple but for a number of reasons I have already chosen to go MS here

15 or 17 Inch True HD display

Intel i7 - 4th generation processor

8 GB - 12GB Memory

500 GB - 1TB Hard Drive

Backlit keyboard

DVD Player (Do I want / need a blue ray player?)

Right now it looks like I can get the most bang for the buck with a Toshiba but I am open to hearing peoples experiences. Also considering HP & ASUS machines I have found.

i've bought 4 laptops for my business in the last year, they all came preloaded with Windows 8, which is basically an Android clone setup designed for touch-screens. I would say touchscreen is worth it, if they are using windows 8 as the main operating system

 

[Maelstrom]

Windows 8? Touch screen is a must.

haven't used 8. any reason why?

It's like they're trying to make everything app-centered like on an iPhone or android. The desktop is totally different. A lot of appearances are different. Underneath, it's the same ol' windows, but the presentation of the functions makes one want to grab the screen and point to what one wants. Hence the touchscreen is better.

You can navigate Windows 8 just fine without a touchscreen. There may be an app or two that function better with one, but overall, I rarely find myself touching my laptop screen, even though it is a touchscreen. Of course, I also hate having fingerprints on my laptop screen. I bought a touchscreen because if I want to develop Windows 8 apps, I'll need to test it on a touchscreen.

The other thing to seriously consider is portability. Think there isn't much difference between the 7lb laptop and the 3lb ultrabook? Think again, it can be the difference between whether you want to take it places or if it just sits on your desk at home.

 

[This_Guy]

Windows 8? Touch screen is a must.

haven't used 8. any reason why?

It's like they're trying to make everything app-centered like on an iPhone or android. The desktop is totally different. A lot of appearances are different. Underneath, it's the same ol' windows, but the presentation of the functions makes one want to grab the screen and point to what one wants. Hence the touchscreen is better.

This is more or less my take. Right now the touchscreen is really a novelty layer and the core functionality is still the same. For that the touchscreen really doesn't do much for me for the price. But over the next couple of years I think it will become more integrated and I may regret not having it.

Seems like the majority here feel that it adds decent value now so I will likely go with it.

 

[This_Guy]

Windows 8? Touch screen is a must.

haven't used 8. any reason why?

It's like they're trying to make everything app-centered like on an iPhone or android. The desktop is totally different. A lot of appearances are different. Underneath, it's the same ol' windows, but the presentation of the functions makes one want to grab the screen and point to what one wants. Hence the touchscreen is better.

You can navigate Windows 8 just fine without a touchscreen. There may be an app or two that function better with one, but overall, I rarely find myself touching my laptop screen, even though it is a touchscreen. Of course, I also hate having fingerprints on my laptop screen. I bought a touchscreen because if I want to develop Windows 8 apps, I'll need to test it on a touchscreen.

The other thing to seriously consider is portability. Think there isn't much difference between the 7lb laptop and the 3lb ultrabook? Think again, it can be the difference between whether you want to take it places or if it just sits on your desk at home.

Yeah - I've thought about this. I am just mobile enough with it for the weight to matter and I need the larder screen size (15in+) because I use it so much and I need the 10 key.

 

[Vike Me]

Windows 8? Touch screen is a must.

No, it isn't.

http://www.startisback.com/

 

[Long Ball Larry]

I would definitely do a lot of research on TOshibas before buying. I am not an expert, but in speaking with IT people that I know, their quality has gone way downhill and they have a lot of problems with overheating.

As for the touchscreen, I did not think that I would care about it, but I find it a lot easier than the touchpad mouse.

 

[gsmayes]

I recently got a laptop with windows 8 and touchscreen. After a few weeks I installed a start menu replacement (classic shell), turned off gestures and never use the metro interface. I also don't use the apps, because you have to sign up for a microsoft account for most of them to work. I never use the touchscreen and wouldn't pay extra just for the feature, but most off the high end laptops with the specs you list have it anyway.

 

[Maelstrom]

Windows 8? Touch screen is a must.

No, it isn't.

http://www.startisback.com/

Absolutely no need for something like this. Really...don't do it. Particularly with Windows 8.1, which is what any new machine would come with now.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Yeah, I got a new laptop about 6 months ago. The specs OP is looking for is more high end in some areas, but I was told with windows 8 the touch screen is a must. Based on the price range I was looking at ($600-800) and certain specs I wanted, I dont think the touch screen really added much to the cose so I went with it. Im almost always just on the desktop portion and I very rarely use the touchscreen, usually only when I search for certain things. Like others have also said, I dont use the apps or like fingerprints on my screen so maybe thats part of it as well. Plus, Im just so used to a regular laptop I dont think of using most of the time anyway. I like having it as an option though.

 

[towney]

Windows 8? Touch screen is a must.

No, it isn't.

http://www.startisback.com/

Absolutely no need for something like this. Really...don't do it. Particularly with Windows 8.1, which is what any new machine would come with now.

We have 8.1 but cannot find the start menu. Where is it...

 

[Maelstrom]

Windows 8? Touch screen is a must.

No, it isn't.

http://www.startisback.com/

Absolutely no need for something like this. Really...don't do it. Particularly with Windows 8.1, which is what any new machine would come with now.

We have 8.1 but cannot find the start menu. Where is it...

Think of it this way, the start menu was replaced by the Start Screen. The button for the Start Screen was put back in Windows 8.1, in the bottom left corner. You can also use the Start key on your keyboard that has been there on most keyboards since Win95 was released. On the Start Screen, it will show the apps you have pinned to it, or you can click the Down Arrow link in the lower left to see all apps installed (or swipe up on a touchscreen).

 

[BoltBacker]

The one thing I'm not sure about is touchscreen. Is it worth the $100-$200 extra for this? Will I use it? I plan to get 5 years of useful life out of it and wonder if the touchscreen will become more useful down the line.

Windows 8 - I like apple but for a number of reasons I have already chosen to go MS here

15 or 17 Inch True HD display

- You can save a bundle and have a lot more options with a 15" screen. As long as it has HDMI out(almost all of them do) the cost/quality of external monitors make a dual monitor setup a much bigger deal than the difference between 15" and 17"

Intel i7 - 4th generation processor

- If I could find an i5 with a discreet graphics card I'm not so sure I'd be hung up on an i7

8 GB - 12GB Memory

500 GB - 1TB Hard Drive

- This is something to spend the $ on. Make sure you do no worse than a 7200rpm drive unless you plan on simply buying a cheap rig with a small 5400rpm drive and swapping it out for a SSD drive. If you don't want to swap it out I'd even consider paying extra for a hybrid drive.

Backlit keyboard

- I don't know why all laptops don't have this. It does really cut down on your options though, inexplicably.

DVD Player (Do I want / need a blue ray player?)

- I haven't used the media drive on my computer in a long time. Unless you plan on watching movies when you travel(and there are other options there as well) this wouldn't be a consideration for me today, let alone 5 years from now.

I think the key here is you are planning on owning this laptop for 5 years. Today, you may not even care if you have a touchscreen but in 5 years(when every screen around you has been a touch screen for a long time) it may be more of an annoyance if you don't have touch screen. To me the extra cost spread over the course of 60 months is definitely worth it. That's why I would also spring for an SSD or SSD hybrid drive. You DO NOT want to get stuck with a 5400rpm drive today, let alone for the next five years.

 

[This_Guy]

The one thing I'm not sure about is touchscreen. Is it worth the $100-$200 extra for this? Will I use it? I plan to get 5 years of useful life out of it and wonder if the touchscreen will become more useful down the line.

Windows 8 - I like apple but for a number of reasons I have already chosen to go MS here

15 or 17 Inch True HD display

- You can save a bundle and have a lot more options with a 15" screen. As long as it has HDMI out(almost all of them do) the cost/quality of external monitors make a dual monitor setup a much bigger deal than the difference between 15" and 17"

Intel i7 - 4th generation processor

- If I could find an i5 with a discreet graphics card I'm not so sure I'd be hung up on an i7

8 GB - 12GB Memory

500 GB - 1TB Hard Drive

- This is something to spend the $ on. Make sure you do no worse than a 7200rpm drive unless you plan on simply buying a cheap rig with a small 5400rpm drive and swapping it out for a SSD drive. If you don't want to swap it out I'd even consider paying extra for a hybrid drive.

Backlit keyboard

- I don't know why all laptops don't have this. It does really cut down on your options though, inexplicably.

DVD Player (Do I want / need a blue ray player?)

- I haven't used the media drive on my computer in a long time. Unless you plan on watching movies when you travel(and there are other options there as well) this wouldn't be a consideration for me today, let alone 5 years from now.

I think the key here is you are planning on owning this laptop for 5 years. Today, you may not even care if you have a touchscreen but in 5 years(when every screen around you has been a touch screen for a long time) it may be more of an annoyance if you don't have touch screen. To me the extra cost spread over the course of 60 months is definitely worth it. That's why I would also spring for an SSD or SSD hybrid drive. You DO NOT want to get stuck with a 5400rpm drive today, let alone for the next five years.

Thanks for all the info here. Tell me more about the HD options here. Almost everything I am seeing is a 5400 rpm drive. Almost no options to get a factory 7200 rpm drive. I know I could get an aftermarket HD but I'd rather not go that route.

I am seeing hybrid drives as well as options to add a SSD HD Acceleration Cache. Is there a better option here? Will this make up for only having the 5400 rpm drive? Also if I get the SSD HD Acceleration Cache I can only get 8GB RAM. Would I be better off getting the hybrid drive with 12 GB RAM?

 

[Clifford]

I'm looking at new laptops. I have figured out what I am looking for with most of the specs and features.

The one thing I'm not sure about is touchscreen. Is it worth the $100-$200 extra for this? Will I use it? I plan to get 5 years of useful life out of it and wonder if the touchscreen will become more useful down the line.

I'll be using it for general business purposes, MS Office, accounting, email, web browsing, light gaming, etc.

Here are the keys I am looking at if you want to provide any other input there:

Windows 8 - I like apple but for a number of reasons I have already chosen to go MS here

15 or 17 Inch True HD display

Intel i7 - 4th generation processor

8 GB - 12GB Memory

500 GB - 1TB Hard Drive

Backlit keyboard

DVD Player (Do I want / need a blue ray player?)

Right now it looks like I can get the most bang for the buck with a Toshiba but I am open to hearing peoples experiences. Also considering HP & ASUS machines I have found.

Was just at CES demoing the newest 2 in 1s. The top of the line Lenovo Yoga seems to fit your specs perfectly and it's MSRP 1k so you can probably find it somewhere for around $850. Do you care about having a 2 in 1? I kind of liked the Sony VAIO line as well but heard bad things about them from folks visiting the booth.

As for touchscreen if you are diving into Win8 you are going to want 1. Especially if you go the 2 in 1 route, as a 2 in 1 would be useless in tablet mode without it.

 

[This_Guy]

I'm looking at new laptops. I have figured out what I am looking for with most of the specs and features.

The one thing I'm not sure about is touchscreen. Is it worth the $100-$200 extra for this? Will I use it? I plan to get 5 years of useful life out of it and wonder if the touchscreen will become more useful down the line.

I'll be using it for general business purposes, MS Office, accounting, email, web browsing, light gaming, etc.

Here are the keys I am looking at if you want to provide any other input there:

Windows 8 - I like apple but for a number of reasons I have already chosen to go MS here

15 or 17 Inch True HD display

Intel i7 - 4th generation processor

8 GB - 12GB Memory

500 GB - 1TB Hard Drive

Backlit keyboard

DVD Player (Do I want / need a blue ray player?)

Right now it looks like I can get the most bang for the buck with a Toshiba but I am open to hearing peoples experiences. Also considering HP & ASUS machines I have found.

Was just at CES demoing the newest 2 in 1s. The top of the line Lenovo Yoga seems to fit your specs perfectly and it's MSRP 1k so you can probably find it somewhere for around $850. Do you care about having a 2 in 1? I kind of liked the Sony VAIO line as well but heard bad things about them from folks visiting the booth.

As for touchscreen if you are diving into Win8 you are going to want 1. Especially if you go the 2 in 1 route, as a 2 in 1 would be useless in tablet mode without it.

2 in 1 isn't that important for me. I'm not a big tablet user. I have an ipad and rarely use it.

That said, I've checked out the Lenova Yoga a it is great. It is pretty much what I want except it doesn't have a 10 key. I do a lot of accounting work and rely heavily on the 10 key. Not sure I can live without that.

 

[Clifford]

I'm looking at new laptops. I have figured out what I am looking for with most of the specs and features.

The one thing I'm not sure about is touchscreen. Is it worth the $100-$200 extra for this? Will I use it? I plan to get 5 years of useful life out of it and wonder if the touchscreen will become more useful down the line.

I'll be using it for general business purposes, MS Office, accounting, email, web browsing, light gaming, etc.

Here are the keys I am looking at if you want to provide any other input there:

Windows 8 - I like apple but for a number of reasons I have already chosen to go MS here

15 or 17 Inch True HD display

Intel i7 - 4th generation processor

8 GB - 12GB Memory

500 GB - 1TB Hard Drive

Backlit keyboard

DVD Player (Do I want / need a blue ray player?)

Right now it looks like I can get the most bang for the buck with a Toshiba but I am open to hearing peoples experiences. Also considering HP & ASUS machines I have found.

Was just at CES demoing the newest 2 in 1s. The top of the line Lenovo Yoga seems to fit your specs perfectly and it's MSRP 1k so you can probably find it somewhere for around $850. Do you care about having a 2 in 1? I kind of liked the Sony VAIO line as well but heard bad things about them from folks visiting the booth.

As for touchscreen if you are diving into Win8 you are going to want 1. Especially if you go the 2 in 1 route, as a 2 in 1 would be useless in tablet mode without it.

2 in 1 isn't that important for me. I'm not a big tablet user. I have an ipad and rarely use it.

That said, I've checked out the Lenova Yoga a it is great. It is pretty much what I want except it doesn't have a 10 key. I do a lot of accounting work and rely heavily on the 10 key. Not sure I can live without that.

Do you travel a lot and if so is the 10-key pad important for travel? Do any laptops have the 10 key in the native keyboard?

If not sounds like a fairly easy fix with a $35 investment in a nice wireless keyboard.

 

[Maelstrom]

I'm looking at new laptops. I have figured out what I am looking for with most of the specs and features.

The one thing I'm not sure about is touchscreen. Is it worth the $100-$200 extra for this? Will I use it? I plan to get 5 years of useful life out of it and wonder if the touchscreen will become more useful down the line.

I'll be using it for general business purposes, MS Office, accounting, email, web browsing, light gaming, etc.

Here are the keys I am looking at if you want to provide any other input there:

Windows 8 - I like apple but for a number of reasons I have already chosen to go MS here

15 or 17 Inch True HD display

Intel i7 - 4th generation processor

8 GB - 12GB Memory

500 GB - 1TB Hard Drive

Backlit keyboard

DVD Player (Do I want / need a blue ray player?)

Right now it looks like I can get the most bang for the buck with a Toshiba but I am open to hearing peoples experiences. Also considering HP & ASUS machines I have found.

Was just at CES demoing the newest 2 in 1s. The top of the line Lenovo Yoga seems to fit your specs perfectly and it's MSRP 1k so you can probably find it somewhere for around $850. Do you care about having a 2 in 1? I kind of liked the Sony VAIO line as well but heard bad things about them from folks visiting the booth.

As for touchscreen if you are diving into Win8 you are going to want 1. Especially if you go the 2 in 1 route, as a 2 in 1 would be useless in tablet mode without it.

2 in 1 isn't that important for me. I'm not a big tablet user. I have an ipad and rarely use it.

That said, I've checked out the Lenova Yoga a it is great. It is pretty much what I want except it doesn't have a 10 key. I do a lot of accounting work and rely heavily on the 10 key. Not sure I can live without that.

Do you travel a lot and if so is the 10-key pad important for travel? Do any laptops have the 10 key in the native keyboard?

If not sounds like a fairly easy fix with a $35 investment in a nice wireless keyboard.

I would look at adding the 10key itself as an external keyboard and widen your laptop options:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA30E1086591

http://www.amazon.com/Adesso-Numeric-Keypad-Retractable-Cord/dp/B0000TW3N8

http://www.amazon.com/Targus-PAUK10U-Ultra-Keypad-Black/dp/B00008NG7N

From my experience, most 10-key keypads on laptops are compressed anyways, so your muscle memory is going to suffer. The externals are going to be, in general, regular sized keys.

 

[This_Guy]

Most 15 In + laptops have a 10 key. That is what I have had for the last 6 years. I don't think an external would work well for me. I am moving around a lot and it would be a pain to not always have it right there.

If I found the right thing at a price that worked a would consider an external but that just I haven't come across that yet.

This is what I am leaning towards now, for under $900:

HP ENVY TouchSmart 15t-j100 Quad Edition Notebook PC (ENERGY STAR)

• Windows 8.1 64
• 4th generation Intel® Core™ i7-4700MQ Processor
• NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 740M Graphics with 2048MB of dedicated video memory
• 15.6-inch diagonal Full HD BrightView LED-backlit Display (1920x1080)
• 8GB DDR3 System Memory (1 Dimm)
• 1TB 5400 rpm Hybrid Hard Drive
• 6-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery
• Backlit Keyboard
• HP TrueVision HD Webcam w/ integrated digital mic
• 802.11b/g/n 2x2 WLAN and Bluetooth® [2x2]

 

[gianmarco]

Not 100% relevant, but I just got both an All-In-One Desktop with Windows 8.1 as well as the new Dell Venue 11 tablet with keyboard/dock (like the Surface). I'm new to Windows 8 and I'm VERY impressed so far. They did a very nice job, IMO, integrating the tablet/smartphone interface with the desktop interface in a seamless manner. The AIO desktop has a touchscreen and I absolutely love it. I find myself going back and forth between using mouse/keyboard and touching and don't regret getting the touch screen at all.

I know the Venue 11 is probably too small for you, but at least based on my initial impressions on both devices, I think i would regret not having the touch interface with how well Windows did putting it all together.

 

[This_Guy]

Not 100% relevant, but I just got both an All-In-One Desktop with Windows 8.1 as well as the new Dell Venue 11 tablet with keyboard/dock (like the Surface). I'm new to Windows 8 and I'm VERY impressed so far. They did a very nice job, IMO, integrating the tablet/smartphone interface with the desktop interface in a seamless manner. The AIO desktop has a touchscreen and I absolutely love it. I find myself going back and forth between using mouse/keyboard and touching and don't regret getting the touch screen at all.

I know the Venue 11 is probably too small for you, but at least based on my initial impressions on both devices, I think i would regret not having the touch interface with how well Windows did putting it all together.

This helps a lot. Seems like people are generally liking the touchscreen and getting more use out of that they though. I think I will go with the touchscreen.

Now I just need to figure out the best option with the hard drive:

1TB 5400 rpm Hybrid +12 GB RAM

VS.

1 TB 5400 rmp + 24GB SSD HD acceleration cache + 8 GB RAM

 

[Maelstrom]

Not 100% relevant, but I just got both an All-In-One Desktop with Windows 8.1 as well as the new Dell Venue 11 tablet with keyboard/dock (like the Surface). I'm new to Windows 8 and I'm VERY impressed so far. They did a very nice job, IMO, integrating the tablet/smartphone interface with the desktop interface in a seamless manner. The AIO desktop has a touchscreen and I absolutely love it. I find myself going back and forth between using mouse/keyboard and touching and don't regret getting the touch screen at all.

I know the Venue 11 is probably too small for you, but at least based on my initial impressions on both devices, I think i would regret not having the touch interface with how well Windows did putting it all together.

This helps a lot. Seems like people are generally liking the touchscreen and getting more use out of that they though. I think I will go with the touchscreen.

Now I just need to figure out the best option with the hard drive:

1TB 5400 rpm Hybrid +12 GB RAM

VS.

1 TB 5400 rmp + 24GB SSD HD acceleration cache + 8 GB RAM

You will get significantly more performance out of the second option with the SSD cache drive and a little less RAM. Plus, wouldn't be surprised if on that machine you can add another RAM socket to up the RAM at a later date? (Edit : yup, looks like the 12GB is 2 DIMMs, the 8 is one, and the max is 16GB. I'd go with 8 and if you want more RAM, buy an extra 8GB DIMM aftermarket and add in yourself).

Worth checking, but either way, 8GB is plenty of RAM for your described needs. Win8 actually performs better than older Windows OSes with the same hardware, so don't think you need more RAM just because it's Windows 8.

 

[This_Guy]

Not 100% relevant, but I just got both an All-In-One Desktop with Windows 8.1 as well as the new Dell Venue 11 tablet with keyboard/dock (like the Surface). I'm new to Windows 8 and I'm VERY impressed so far. They did a very nice job, IMO, integrating the tablet/smartphone interface with the desktop interface in a seamless manner. The AIO desktop has a touchscreen and I absolutely love it. I find myself going back and forth between using mouse/keyboard and touching and don't regret getting the touch screen at all.

I know the Venue 11 is probably too small for you, but at least based on my initial impressions on both devices, I think i would regret not having the touch interface with how well Windows did putting it all together.

This helps a lot. Seems like people are generally liking the touchscreen and getting more use out of that they though. I think I will go with the touchscreen.

Now I just need to figure out the best option with the hard drive:

1TB 5400 rpm Hybrid +12 GB RAM

VS.

1 TB 5400 rmp + 24GB SSD HD acceleration cache + 8 GB RAM

You will get significantly more performance out of the second option with the SSD cache drive and a little less RAM. Plus, wouldn't be surprised if on that machine you can add another RAM socket to up the RAM at a later date? (Edit : yup, looks like the 12GB is 2 DIMMs, the 8 is one, and the max is 16GB. I'd go with 8 and if you want more RAM, buy an extra 8GB DIMM aftermarket and add in yourself).

Worth checking, but either way, 8GB is plenty of RAM for your described needs. Win8 actually performs better than older Windows OSes with the same hardware, so don't think you need more RAM just because it's Windows 8.

Perfect. Thank you for the advice.

Would it make any sense to get the Hybrid Drive AND the SSD cache or is that just redundant?

 

[Maelstrom]

Not 100% relevant, but I just got both an All-In-One Desktop with Windows 8.1 as well as the new Dell Venue 11 tablet with keyboard/dock (like the Surface). I'm new to Windows 8 and I'm VERY impressed so far. They did a very nice job, IMO, integrating the tablet/smartphone interface with the desktop interface in a seamless manner. The AIO desktop has a touchscreen and I absolutely love it. I find myself going back and forth between using mouse/keyboard and touching and don't regret getting the touch screen at all.

I know the Venue 11 is probably too small for you, but at least based on my initial impressions on both devices, I think i would regret not having the touch interface with how well Windows did putting it all together.

This helps a lot. Seems like people are generally liking the touchscreen and getting more use out of that they though. I think I will go with the touchscreen.

Now I just need to figure out the best option with the hard drive:

1TB 5400 rpm Hybrid +12 GB RAM

VS.

1 TB 5400 rmp + 24GB SSD HD acceleration cache + 8 GB RAM

You will get significantly more performance out of the second option with the SSD cache drive and a little less RAM. Plus, wouldn't be surprised if on that machine you can add another RAM socket to up the RAM at a later date? (Edit : yup, looks like the 12GB is 2 DIMMs, the 8 is one, and the max is 16GB. I'd go with 8 and if you want more RAM, buy an extra 8GB DIMM aftermarket and add in yourself).

Worth checking, but either way, 8GB is plenty of RAM for your described needs. Win8 actually performs better than older Windows OSes with the same hardware, so don't think you need more RAM just because it's Windows 8.

Perfect. Thank you for the advice.

Would it make any sense to get the Hybrid Drive AND the SSD cache or is that just redundant?

That likely wouldn't be an option, generally in a case like that the SSD is part/parcel with the HD it is listed with. I don't know that'd you'd see much benefit either. I would recommend if they offer a pure SSD drive + a secondary platter based drive, you consider going that route. Even if it means having to buy an external DVD drive.

 

[This_Guy]

Not 100% relevant, but I just got both an All-In-One Desktop with Windows 8.1 as well as the new Dell Venue 11 tablet with keyboard/dock (like the Surface). I'm new to Windows 8 and I'm VERY impressed so far. They did a very nice job, IMO, integrating the tablet/smartphone interface with the desktop interface in a seamless manner. The AIO desktop has a touchscreen and I absolutely love it. I find myself going back and forth between using mouse/keyboard and touching and don't regret getting the touch screen at all.

I know the Venue 11 is probably too small for you, but at least based on my initial impressions on both devices, I think i would regret not having the touch interface with how well Windows did putting it all together.

This helps a lot. Seems like people are generally liking the touchscreen and getting more use out of that they though. I think I will go with the touchscreen.

Now I just need to figure out the best option with the hard drive:

1TB 5400 rpm Hybrid +12 GB RAM

VS.

1 TB 5400 rmp + 24GB SSD HD acceleration cache + 8 GB RAM

You will get significantly more performance out of the second option with the SSD cache drive and a little less RAM. Plus, wouldn't be surprised if on that machine you can add another RAM socket to up the RAM at a later date? (Edit : yup, looks like the 12GB is 2 DIMMs, the 8 is one, and the max is 16GB. I'd go with 8 and if you want more RAM, buy an extra 8GB DIMM aftermarket and add in yourself).

Worth checking, but either way, 8GB is plenty of RAM for your described needs. Win8 actually performs better than older Windows OSes with the same hardware, so don't think you need more RAM just because it's Windows 8.

Perfect. Thank you for the advice.

Would it make any sense to get the Hybrid Drive AND the SSD cache or is that just redundant?

That likely wouldn't be an option, generally in a case like that the SSD is part/parcel with the HD it is listed with. I don't know that'd you'd see much benefit either. I would recommend if they offer a pure SSD drive + a secondary platter based drive, you consider going that route. Even if it means having to buy an external DVD drive.

Really appreciate the input. I'm not seeing any factory SSD drive out there in the range I am looking. I am figuring I'll get the HDD drive with the SSD Cache Accelerator then in a couple of years when the SSD drive prices come down I'll switch out the HDD.

I think I'm set. I'll probably get something this week.

Big thanks to everyone for their input. This is why I love this place.