another question - what about video outputs?  on modern laptops can I connect TWO external monitors to them?  if so, how?
 
some of the specs say:

HDMI output expands your viewing options

Connect to an HDTV or high-def monitor to set up two screens side by side or just see more of the big picture.
 
but I"m not sure exactly what that means.  does that mean two monitors can be connected to the HDMI output?
 
here's one of the laptops which says that statement above (several others with HDMI or mini HDMI or MINI VIDEO port says the same thing)
 
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/lenovo-yoga-900-13-2-2-in-1-13-3-touch-screen-laptop-intel-core-i7-8gb-memory-256gb-solid-state-drive-platinum-silver/5207000.p?id=bb5207000&skuId=5207000
 

I use quite an old (2006 maybe) laptop with sonar. it has 4GB of Ram and I've upgraded the drive to a 1TB with a big frontside cache.
 
It works ok for recording where it's ok if it doesn't work for minute or two.

Beagle
another question - what about video outputs?  on modern laptops can I connect TWO external monitors to them?  if so, how?
 
some of the specs say:

HDMI output expands your viewing options

Connect to an HDTV or high-def monitor to set up two screens side by side or just see more of the big picture.
 
but I"m not sure exactly what that means.  does that mean two monitors can be connected to the HDMI output?
 
here's one of the laptops which says that statement above (several others with HDMI or mini HDMI or MINI VIDEO port says the same thing)
 
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/lenovo-yoga-900-13-2-2-in-1-13-3-touch-screen-laptop-intel-core-i7-8gb-memory-256gb-solid-state-drive-platinum-silver/5207000.p?id=bb5207000&skuId=5207000
 

Good question. No HDMI listed under connectivity specs. Based on the description of the included ports and optional accessories for that listing, I assume it supports one external monitor via the USB Type-C-to-HDMI Adapter, listed under accessories frequently bought together.  http://www.bestbuy.com/si...9289&skuId=4480802
 
The Lenovo site lists 1 x USB Type C 3.0 with Video-out.
http://shop.lenovo.com/us...00-series/yoga-900-13/
 
This similar listing for a 15.4 inch Yoga lists one HDMI output, but under accessories it lists a HDMI-to-Micro HDMI cable.  Either case it, it looks like just one external monitor capability.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/lenovo-yoga-710-15-2-in-1-15-6-touch-screen-laptop-intel-core-i7-16gb-memory-256gb-solid-state-drive-black/5225018.p?id=bb5225018&skuId=5225018
 
Seems that they are cutting back on extra connectivity in slim designs these days.  So it depends on your needs.  Best bet, go visit a store, if you can.

thanks abacab, very helpful 

Hey, you got me curious, so I had a look around.  If you are set on the 13" ultrabook convertible style, I ran across this at the Microsoft Store.  USB 3.0 only, but does appear capable of supporting 2 external monitors.
 
This store sells the "Signature Edition", meaning Windows without the junkware or 3rd party trialware.
 
HP Spectre x360 13-4195nr Signature Edition 2 in 1 PC

• 13.3-inch WQHD touchscreen
• Intel Core i7-6500U
• 8GB memory/512GB SSD

https://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/HP-Spectre-x360-13-Signature-Edition-2-in-1-PC/productID.323246400
 
Spotted this in the Q & A: There is a HDMI and a mini Display Port, so you can get two external monitors, but you might need adapters.
 
EDIT: other thoughts on the ultrabook form factor... I cannot find one that has an optical drive bay where you could swap in a 2nd hard drive.  Plus there was another recent thread on the Sonar laptop topic, with some good advice offered.  I did notice you were looking to use this as a desktop replacement, so some due diligence is definitely required, in that case.
 
That said, I could imagine using the small touchscreen in tablet mode as a mixer control surface, with one or two large external monitors for tracking views, etc :-)
 
http://forum.cakewalk.com...Platinum-m3461160.aspx

thanks abacab.
 
 

I did purchase one.  It does not have a second hard drive nor an optical drive where I could change it out, but it does have a Type C port where I can add an external 2nd drive.
 
what I do is not sample heavy at all.  I have moved to a more direct audio environment and moved away from heavy use of Kontakt or other samplers.  the ones I do use can easily be bounced to audio.
 
I looked at the Lenovo you posted, abacab, they had it at bestbuy last night when I went to check out the laptops.  it was a close second choice, but I ended up with an HP Spectre x360
 
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-spectre-x360-2-in-1-15-6-4k-ultra-hd-touch-screen-laptop-intel-core-i7-16gb-memory-256gb-solid-state-drive-natural-silver/4864800.p?id=bb4864800&skuId=4864800
 
256 SSD 16G DDR3 (would have preferred DDR4, but...)
i7 2.5GHz Dual Core 
4k UHD touchscreen 
1 HDMI
1 Displayport
3 USB 3.0
1 USB Type C
 
the only thing I wish was different would be I'd like to have a 2nd HDD or SSD.  but as I said, I think I can get away with an external on the Type C.
 
I've got a lot of installing to do before I can fully test it with sonar, but I'll let you guys know how it goes.  I've got 15 days to return it if it doesn't work for me!

I'm too late...
 
I"ve just configure one for pictures editing, Photoshop, Illustrator etc...
 
http://www.gigabyte.fr/products/product-page.aspx?pid=5647#kf
 
Very good machine.
 
2 hard drives :
1 SSD M.2 PCIe/SATA 128 Go
1 HDD 1 To mechanic
1 swappable storagebay for hard drive or DVDrom.
I7 6700HQ
8 Go ddr3 Ram (possibility to extand to 16 Go)
 
For 900€  I think it's a very capable PC.
 

I have always used a desktop but am beginning to spend time in Idaho helping my mom... 1 week/month and am looking into a laptop... best I've seen is this new laptop just out a month ago: 
 
Asus - 2-in-1 15.6" 4K Ultra HD Touch-Screen Laptop - Intel Core i7 - 16GB Memory - 2TB HDD + 512GB SSD - Chocolate black aluminum hairline with dark copper
 
Reviewed in Cutting Edge Notebook
 
$1399

Product Features

Intel 6th Generation Core i7

15.6" touch screen for hands-on control

3840 x 2160 native resolution. Natural finger-touch navigation makes the most of Windows 10. LED backlight.
 

6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6500U mobile processor

Ultra-low-voltage platform. Dual-core, four-way processing performance. Intel Turbo Boost Technology delivers dynamic extra power when you need it.
 

16GB system memory for intense multitasking and gaming

Reams of high-bandwidth DDR4 RAM to smoothly run your graphics-heavy PC games and video-editing applications, as well as numerous programs and browser tabs all at once.
 

2TB hard drive and 512GB solid state drive (SSD) for a blend of storage space and speed

The hard drive provides ample storage, while the SSD delivers faster start-up times and data access.
 

360° flip-and-fold design

Offers versatile functionality with laptop, audience, tabletop, presentation and tablet modes.
 

Cloud support lets you access your files anywhere

Store your photos, videos, documents and other files on Dropbox for secure access across multiple devices. Fees may apply.
 

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M graphics

Driven by 2GB dedicated video memory to quickly render high-quality images for videos and games.
 

Stream entertainment from your laptop to your TV

Intel® Wireless Display (c) wirelessly transmits content to your HDTV* — photos, music, Web videos, Internet TV — whether on the hard drive or online.
 

Built-in stereo speakers

Bang & Olufsen ICEpower audio optimizes the sound to generate high-quality audio from ultraslim devices.
 

Bluetooth interface syncs with compatible devices

Wirelessly transfer photos, music and other media between the laptop and your Bluetooth-enabled cell phone or MP3 player, or connect Bluetooth wireless accessories.
 

4 USB 3.0 ports maximize the latest high-speed devices

USB 3.0 ports are backward-compatible with USB 2.0 devices (at 2.0 speeds).
 

HDMI output expands your viewing options

Connect to an HDTV or high-def monitor to set up two screens side by side or just see more of the big picture.
 

Thunderbolt port for connecting advanced monitors and external drives

This single interface supports both high-speed data and high-def video — plus power over cable for bus-powered devices — ideal for digital content creators.
 

Built-in media reader for simple photo transfer

Supports SD and SDXC memory card formats.
 

Next-generation wireless connectivity

Connects to your network or hotspots on all current Wi-Fi standards. Connect to a Wireless-AC router for speed nearly 3x faster than Wireless-N.
 

Backlit keyboard

Allows you to enjoy comfortable and accurate typing, even in dim lighting.
 

Additional ports

 
Headphone/microphone combo jack.
 
Note: This laptop does not include a built-in DVD/CD drive.
 
 
Naturally, I'd eventually swap out the other HD for a large SSD...it's a crappy 5400 and both are swappable but coming up with this is challenging enough!  
I've already submitted queries as to whether I can swap out the memory and boot it up to (oh I would LOVE THIS.... 32GB...that would seal the deal for me!
 
Any thoughts???

Wow - that's a bunch of moolah.  Looks like a great laptop - I guess I would ask myself if I were going to go remote for a week where I might want to work on some music projects while gone, if I really needed a monster machine, or if I could get minor stuff accomplished with something much less expensive.
 
Still - I would likely go stir crazy to have a bunch of musical ideas in my head and being in a place where after hours there wasn't much to do.  :)
 
I used to record with Sonar all the time on a Dell laptop with 4 GB of memory running XP Pro, and as long as I didn't go nuts with plugins or too many synths, I could get a lot of stuff done.  I even gigged with it and it was stable - after some tweaking to disable a bunch of services that didn't need to run while running Sonar.
 
Bob Bone