If you want performance get a high end Asus or alien wear laptop I'd stay away from Apple not because they are bad but no were near the performance for the cost and very proprietary if parts are ever needed.
We bought our son a Alienware Laptop and the keyboard and screen hinge shot craps in a little over a year. It cost almost a thousand dollars. Not worth the money in our book. Stay away from a Windows 8 machine unless you get a touch screen. The operating system was written for it. I searched and found a nice Toshiba with windows 7 for a little over $300. It works fine. I have one like it on my tool truck that has been holding up very well. tmm
