@daw SSD and 8GiB of RAM should mean it is relatively fast-responding, even if there are multiple applications open. #Win8.1 is a miserable mess (though somewhat improved over the original #Win8). There is plenty of vertical resolution, so the somewhat common problem of application buttons being off-screen is less likely. If you have to buy a #Windows laptop, that one is better than most of the ones on display in $BIG_BOX_ELECTRONICS_RETAILER