15" Windows laptop

[Dusty Chalk]

Not sure it needs a dock.  It’s already got 3 USB 3.0 ports, 1 USB-c port, an HDMI port, and a Thunderbolt port.  I think a USB hub might be adequate, if at all necessary.

 I do agree with the spare battery, though.  Hardly used it with the Sony, but was glad I had it the one time I needed it.

Yes, I’m actually looking at getting it myself.  

I just have to remember to register it within the timeframe this time.

[TMoney]

The one thing I'd chime in with that differs from the advice offered so far is that, having just upgraded to 4k myself a few weeks ago, 4k at 200% scaling in windows looks amazing! Text is razor sharp in office apps, and I'm sure it wouldn't hurt in photo/video apps either.

Running a 4k laptop at native resolution is insane, but doing 200% scaling is really nice. Everything is the same size as a "normal" 1080p screen, it just looks better and is rendered with twice the pixels.

Good luck with the purchase!

Edited September 22, 2020 by TMoney

[n_maher]

I'll throw this out and say neither, without first knowing your budget to be able to say whether or not there may be significantly better options for the same dollars. I see almost no value in purchasing a PC locally, haven't done so for over a decade, and given the use case it sure looks like you are way over-buying and if you do decide to go off leash, both will likely have suboptimal battery life because they appear to be gaming focused.  

[robm321]

^ Agree.

[jpelg]

Wow! Thank you all for your thoughtful & extensive responses.

They each offered valid perspectives (some I had considered, some not), and expressed in a much more lucid manner than I could have.

I promise I will consider them all. Much appreciated, truly.

[jpelg]

For anyone still interested, the MSI came in yesterday.

To Nate's point, I probably did overbuy. But my overall thought was to get something that will last me, as I keep my home PC around 7+ years on average. So I wanted to max-out the stock configuration (processor, RAM, SSD HD) within a reasonable budget, as access to the innards of laptops for future upgrades gets more difficult with each new model. Off-grid battery life is less of a consideration, as this will be pretty stationary in my home office & won't be taken on travels (an old Android tablet and/or my cellphone serve that purpose sufficiently). Legacy ports were important to keep things simple for older peripherals & hardwired network connectivity. Buying through Costco leverages the kickback I get at the end of the membership year, as well as their stellar customer service should anything go awry. Having the MSI go on-sale this month was the tipping point.

I fired it up last night & applied the outstanding Windows OS updates. That took much longer than updating my wife's Macbook when she got it a few months back. Now to transfer my files & install applications.

TL;DR - seems pretty good for basically a fast Windows PC. #fingerscrossed

Thanks again all for your inputs to my query.

[Dusty Chalk]

Two things: register it right away!  They only give you 30 days.  Even if you go through CostCo, you don’t want to rule that out as an option.  That’s the mistake I made and vowed to never make again.

Also, yes, still interested, so please do report back if things change.  Decided to remain ultra frugal (or, “turboskint“) for now, but still following since I have similar priorities.