advice on new laptop..
 

dad just retired and want to get him a new laptop.

must be windows based, price not a concern. also, he does not want a tablet styled laptop where the top screen can spin around etc.. just a standard styled laptop.

which brand would you guys recommend? thanks

What's it used for? If it's gaming I strongly recommend a Sager

no gaming at all. however the laptop must be higher end (strong cpu, big ssd) so im sure that would come stock with a decent mobile video card

What is he using it for?

Something like the Zenbook UX305CA or UX303UA will probably be fine for him.

While I prefer Thinkpad T series.. the Dell XPS 13 or 15 is very nice.. with edge to edge display.. I think they have the exclusive of that feature for the next few months.

XPS 13 High Performance Laptop with InfinityEdge Display | Dell

XPS 13" is super nice as per godwin. We deploy lots of these at work, but no room for expansion.

Lenovo Thinkpad series are very strong reliable notebook, pricier than consumer notebooks as they are business line. I would stay away from the E series and go either T, X, or Yoga(comparable to XPS).

Now I know you said he didnt want a tablet style, but I love my THinkpad Yoga.. When i'm lying in bed I can flip the screen back so that the keyboard is sittin on my belly and just get that much of a closer view of the screen without that 1' difference from the keyboard. When flipped back the keyboard then becomes flush so no keys ever get depressed. I mainly like it for this reason.

If you want to go super simple/reliable, any Asus notebook is great. Typically comes with 1 year accidental warranty, so if your dad drops it or such, its still covered under warranty.

The problem with mobile video cards is price and size. They generally cost a lot more and/or add bulk. For about a grand the Zenbook is nice. At 1100-1200 I would also consider the Dell XPS. Go to microsoft store at metro and play with them.