New Computer Time?

[jasonishibashi]

It's time to replace my MacBook, and I'm very conflicted about how to go about doing so.
Why replace my MacBook?

• It's been dropped twice and makes funny noises when processor utilization goes up
• It might fail during a "mission critical" time, say State Business Leadership Conference
• Hard Drive has been replaced once (three years ago), RAM has been upgraded, and battery has been replaced
• It cannot upgrade to OS X 10.8
• It's over six years old

Requirements

• Run Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint
• Run Microsoft Access (eliminates Windows RT devices)
• Run Notepad++
• Run Google Chrome

Features I'd Like

• Solid build quality
• 6+ hour battery life
• Greater than 800px vertical resolution
• Intel Core i3 or greater system architecture
• Touchscreen
• Small and light
• 4GB RAM for Windows
• Run iTunes 11 for OS X
• Solid State Drive

Devices to Consider

1. Apple Laptops


• MacBook Air 11s are too small and underpowered for virutalizing Win8
• MacBook Air 13s are underpowered for virtualizing Win8 unless upgraded
• MacBook Air 13 MD231LL/A upraded to 8GB and 128GB SSD maybe... but the storage space... maybe...
• MacBook Air 13 MD232LL/A upgraded to 8GB and 256GB SSDs are too expensive
• MacBook Pro 13s screen resolution sucks, but maybe...
• MacBook Pro 13 Retinas are too expensive
• MacBook Pro 15s are too large
• MacBook Pro 15 Retinas are too expensive
2. Systems Under Consideration


1. Acer Aspire S7-391-68xx
   Really like the 1080p screen and looks like a solid performer
2. Lenovo Yoga 13
   Build quiality is decent and the screen looks reasonable, probably won't ever use as a 13" heavy tablet though.
3. Dell XPS 12
   Again with the 1080p screen, but I doublt I'll ever flip it over, so that's somewhat pointless
4. ASUS VivoBook S400
   I like the price point.
5. Acer Iconia W510 Tablet
   Interesting alternative but not sure if I really want to sacrifice screen resolution for tablety-ness.
6. Dell Latitude 10 Tablet
   Interesting, but probably won't get.
3. All Windows RT devices


Windows RT devices cannot run Microsoft Access which is essential during conference.

4. All Android devices


Android devices cannot run Microsoft Office which is essential during conference.

5. All iOS devices


iOS devices cannot run Microsoft Office which is essential during conference.