Laptop buying advice forum: HP Spectre XT TouchSmart Ultrabook 15t-4000 Vs. Dell New Ins

My current laptop is nearly 6 years old and I am looking to replace that. Since all the new laptops come with Windows 8, I think touch is a necessity. So in short, I am looking for a laptop under 1400$ with touch.

1) What is your budget? Max 1400$

2) What size notebook would you prefer? Touch screen most preferably HD

3) Where will you buying this notebook? India

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
a. Like: HP, Dell, Lenovo, Sony, Acer
b. Dislike: None
5) Would you consider laptops that are refurbished/redistributed? No

6) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook? Watching HD videos, downloading, some video editing and photoshop work.

7) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both? Mostly indoors.

8) Will you be playing games on your notebook? If so, please state which games or types of games? I have a XBOX, so I wouldn't play here that much.

9) How many hours of battery life do you need? Atleast 3 hours.

10) Would you prefer to see the notebooks you're considering before purchasing it or buying a notebook on-line without seeing it is OK? I want to see the notebook.

11) What OS do you prefer? Windows 8

Screen Specifics

12) From the choices below, what screen resolution(s) would you prefer? 1920*1080

13) Do you want a Glossy/reflective screen or a Matte/non-glossy screen? Glossy/reflective screen

Build Quality and Design

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you? Not that much.

15) When are you buying this laptop? As soon as possible.

16) How long do you want this laptop to last? Minimum 3 years.

Notebook Components

17) How much hard drive space do you need? Do you want a SSD drive? Atleast 500 GB, SSD - Yes

18) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD Burner, Blu-ray Reader or Blu-Ray Burner? Not really.

It seems you did make your choice known as you want 1080 on the LCD. My kid has a 15 inch 1080p display and while nice, we won't do that again.
Bob

Why? Should I go for the Inspiron then?

Screen is not the deciding factor actually. I am a little confused regarding that. Most people are saying that 720p screen resolution is very dated. Do you agree?

You set the criteria above so how can I guess it's not what you want?

The Inspiron is OK but if you care about screen quality then be sure to inspect the display. I find most inspirons to have barely acceptable displays. Useable? Yes. Photoshop users as defined by those that get color calibrators and such would not select one. I can't guess if you can use that model. It will run PS but will you live with that display?
Bob

So if you were in my position, which laptop would you have chosen personally?

No HP (they never could fix my last laptop and walked out on the warranty.) No more HP.

The Inspiron is a little too on the low side as to LCD quality. It's acceptable but I want a little better. For my dad I picked up a simple Samsung rv515 and it's OK for the buck. My workhorse is a nice Samsung RC512 but I did swap the HDD for that hybrid hdd.
Bob