Reddit mentions of HP Spectre x360 13-AC023DX 2-in-1 13.3in Touch-Screen Laptop - Intel Core i7 - 16GB Memory - 512GB SSD - Natural silver (Renewed)

I would recommend this Spectre-x360 because it comes with everything you need , i7 dual core CPU which is one of the best in the market and great for your usage, 16 GB of ram for smooth multitasking, Good SSD storage of 512GB for faster boot up and loading, Full HD screen which is a must have for this price range, high build quality, backlit keyboard, 2 in 1 features, very light weight under 3 lbs(2.9), long battery life, comes with Stylus and Thunderbolt 3, and it is within your budget.

If you want to save some 100s you can get this refurbished version.

Honestly, if I were you I'd stay away from Linux-- if you are not too technical, it can be pretty daunting at times! I've had experience with Linux, Mac, and Windows laptops and I'd rank them from easiest to *hardest to use in this order: Mac, Windows, Linux.

Mac laptops, to me at least, are the easiest laptop to use. Updates are applied easily, and often times you should not have any issues with the laptop. Based off of your needs, I would think that if you choose the Apple road you would be well suited with a Macbook air or a Macbook (the 12 inch model one, not the pro). I've tested both the air and the normal macbook and both appear to run very fast for your uses (writing/typing, web browsing, email, possible video editing, etc.). Sure, the internal specs might not be as strong on paper as a similarly priced Windows laptop, but Apple's laptops are optimized VERY** nicely and I bet you would find them fast.

Between the Macbook Air and the normal Macbook, I'd reccommend the normal Macbook-- it cost around 200-300 more, but the quality of the machine feels a lot better! I think it's made with some type of aluminum compared to the Air's plastic casing. Not to mention, the normal macbook has the retina screen which appears light years better than the air's 1440 by 900p screen :D Also, there seems to be some kind of status symbol around owning a Macbook if that means anything to you.The macbook air can be had for $800, while the normal macbook costs around $1000-$1200


http://www.microcenter.com/product/463569/MacBook_Air_MMGF2LL-A_133_Laptop_Computer_-_Silver

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-MacBook-MF855LL-A-12-Inch-Laptop-with-Retina-Display-Silver-256-GB-New-/272702476809?hash=item3f7e559209:g:Xf8AAOSwZ4dZK-VC



On the other hand, windows laptops are nice too. I have noticed though that with windows laptops, over time they seem to get slower and the battery life will become dismal if you use it often. Unlike Macs, windows laptops come in all shapes and sizes and a plethora of different internal parts. Honestly, based on what you said the laptop would be used for, almost any recent windows laptop would do you well. One I can reccommend is the HP Spectre x360.

https://www.amazon.com/2017-HP-13-AC023DX-Touch-Screen-Refurbished/dp/B0716DMS15/ref=sr_1_13?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1496802497&sr=1-13&keywords=hp+spectre+x360

Here is a refurbished listing, brand new they are like $1400 to $1500 :O. This laptop is very strong because it has a Kaby Lake i7-7500u, 16gb of ram, and a 512gb ssd. The resolution is 1080p, and I know there are higher resolutions out there but the screen is 13.3 inches so you should be just fine. And the higher the resolution, the lower the battery life so 1080p is adequate. One thing really nice about this laptop is that it folds 360 degrees, so not only can you use it as a laptop but also as a tablet which is nice to watch movies on or to just relax and browse the web.

I personally prefer windows laptops-- that is because I do lots of gaming on PCs. If you are gaming, I would reccommend a windows laptop 100% because I'd say 99.9% of games are programmed initially for windows. If you aren't gaming, I'd suggest staying with Apple for its ease of use and style. Some windows laptops look nice, but some can get pretty hot and like stated before battery issues and speed issues in my experience arise. Hope this all helps, and good luck finding a laptop! Let me know if you want me to search for any good deals on a certain model.