Y510p vs Y500 4 Web Developement?

Dearest NBR Lenovo Enthusiasts,


I am in a pickle.

I've been searching for a way to take my work/studies outside, to a coffee shop or a park. I am an aspiring web developer - I will be using programs like Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Fireworks. I am also a 'rig' guy - I have an incredible gaming rig, so needless to say, I like my performance.


Looking into the laptop business for the last several days, I've come to the conclusion that:

a. I really like Accutype keyboard that Lenovo offers
b. I would greatly prefer 1080p for real estate of web development, however if others that develop on 900p could chime in on their feelings towards the slightly lower resolution, I would appreciate.
c. I love performance (CPU + RAM) I would prefer upgradable laptops so I can stick 16GB on there, however 8GB will carry me for a little while. 4GB seems to little for the desired performance of multiple programs.
d. As everyone else, I love battery life.
e. I would like to play non-demanding games like dota2/sc2, on low, if i have to, so GPU is a factor, but not a great one. Probably the least considerable when you consider the spectrum of:
performance + keyboard (accutype) + 1080p + portability + battery life


Along a few other choices which de-emphasize GPU (ultrabooks, maybe thinkpads, still researching!) I am left with the
Y500 and Y510p as two choices I am strongly considering due to :

.under $1000
.amazing performance which will carry my web development strongly for at least 2-3 years.
.ability to upgrade the laptop (16GB of RAM if I find 8GB not enough)
.i like the looks (will buy anti-glare for glossy screen, and carbon-fiber sticker for the fingerprint-ridden casing)
.not an ultrabook, but somewhat portable. 5-6lbs I can manage cuz I'm a big boy (my friend has a 10lb Asus, but he lifts, so..)
.my fav keyboard (accutype)
.1080p


Now my only gripe about this laptop is:

-----battery life


It is because of battery life I am considering Y510p over the Y500, mainly due to iGPU (Optimus) which allows the Y510p to have a longer battery life. HOWEVER,

According to NBR, the Y510p has less battery life than the Y500. I am not sure if they used the same configuration (SLI or not; Y510p Optimus disabled? ) in the Y510p vs Y500, so my questions to all of you wonderful Lenovo-owning people are:

1))))) What can I expect the battery life to be during Photoshop use? (It's not as demanding as say BF3, although I would have a few tabs of Interwebs open)
2))))) Could you imagine it lasting 2.5-3 hours on the Y510p when Optimus is enabled when working with Adobe programs?
I ask this because the whole idea of me getting a laptop/ultrabook is to be mobile. I have a kick system at home, but sometimes I wish to go to the park for a few hours to get some inspiration.

I do have a 250GB Sammy 840 I will be swapping the 5400RPM drive with to improve battery life, if I get one of these Lenovos (leaning towards Y510p over the Y500 based on optimus and haswell, but not entirely sure on battery life of either)

Please give your input! I'd love to hear what you have to say

 

Y510P has lower battery life due to a 10W smaller battery.

But because of Optimus (which NBR didn't test) it can outlast the Y500.

Also, if you want to swap in your Sammy SSD, you can alternatively buy a caddy for 10$ and just put it in the ultrabay, unless you really need SLI.

All in all, the Y510P has maybe 10% more performance + Optimus. As for Photoshop, it's only intensive if you start applying lots and lots of filters.