As a student or researcher in the social or physical sciences, this device provides a good balance of portability (with it's 13.5 inches screen size) and performance so that you're free to roam the labs or libraries with a machine that can competently multi-task your data crunching, "multi-tabbed browsing" and the production of academic content.

Developing your own tunes and mixes is important to you, so we've recommended a laptop that has got an advanced audio system on-board with HD sound capabilities.

The presence of a 2 cores core process will help speed up music format conversions or codec-based compression.

The 13.5 inches screen gives you enough screen-space to wade through columns and rows

Excel, Quicken etc, don't need much power so this option won't up the requirements on processor. 

Your 's 8 GB RAM will ensure large sheets and accounts wont undermine performance

Facebook, twitter etc require little processing power or screen specification so the Latitude 3490 will do just fine.

Facebook, twitter etc require little processing power or screen specification so the Surface Laptop will do just fine.

All components of your Dell will easily handle the web as surfing requires minimal resources

All components of your will easily handle the web as surfing requires minimal resources

Presentations, spreadsheets and documents, don't need much, but your Intel Core i5-7200U processor and 4 GB RAM ensures even image laden files won't leave you watching the 'spinning wheel'!

Presentations, spreadsheets and documents, don't need much, but your Intel Core i7-7660U processor and 8 GB RAM ensures even image laden files won't leave you watching the 'spinning wheel'!

Email demands very little from a laptop. We've taken this into account.

Email demands very little from a laptop. We've taken this into account.

The 15 hours battery life in the Latitude 3490 is sufficient for short sessions of use in coffee shops, parks etc.

The 14.5 hours battery life in the Surface Laptop is sufficient for short sessions of use in coffee shops, parks etc.

The 15 hours battery life in the Latitude 3490 has got enough juice to help you work while on the move during quick trips around the city.

The 14.5 hours battery life in the Surface Laptop has got enough juice to help you work while on the move during quick trips around the city.

With a great run time of approximately 15 hours, there isn't a huge need to carry a charger each time your about.

With a great run time of approximately 14.5 hours, there isn't a huge need to carry a charger each time your about.

The 15 hours battery life in the Latitude 3490 can keep you going while moving from one meeting space to another.

The 14.5 hours battery life in the Surface Laptop can keep you going while moving from one meeting space to another.

With a great run time of approximately 15 hours, there isn't a huge need to carry a charger each time your about.

With a great run time of approximately 14.5 hours, there isn't a huge need to carry a charger each time your about.

Because this has got a weight measuring in at 3.8 lbs, it'll help you stay light and nimble. 

Because this has got a weight measuring in at 2.8 lbs, it'll help you stay light and nimble. 

As you'll be needing to move about now and then, it's 3.8 lbs weight should suit your needs just fine.

As you'll be needing to move about now and then, it's 2.8 lbs weight should suit your needs just fine.

It's got clean lines and a premium look, which showcases a refined taste in mobile devices.

It looks simple, capable and doesn't stand out in any particular way.

It looks simple, capable and doesn't stand out in any particular way.

It's got the traditional corporate look and will definitely blend in within the enterprise environment.