Try the dell XPS 13. It beats the MacBook in everything but storage space and somwhat similar build quality at $300 less. Most people get it for the sleek design and non-existent bezels.

If that still isn't in your budget. Try the Asus UX305CA. You can see how badly it destroys a laptop that costs 2x as much that only has a better build quality HERE. At only $650, you can't beat it.

Anyway, aluminum doesn't cost $650 more. If you really care about build quality, you could easily buy a brick of it for a couple $$ and commission someone to build a macbook chassis. Then simply transfer your laptop's componenets. Obviously, you'd need to make the schematics for the chassis in a way your parts would fit and give it to the person making it. I had to do something similar 2 years back and it was no where near the asking price of a macbook.

EDIT: try /r/pcmasterrace next time.

If she wants something really thin and stylish, which is what is "most popular" right now, she'll have to pay a premium. E.g.:
https://www.amazon.com/ZenBook-UX305CA-13-3-Inch-Laptop-Windows/dp/B01578SQFU/
An XPS 13 can also be had for $800 or less. Overkill for what she needs, obviously, but the best laptops for her purposes nonetheless due to superior screens, touchpads, keyboards, portability, build quality, wireless cards, etc.

Asus UX305

It is basically a new MacBook in terms of internals without the USB C for half the price. Listed at Amazon for 699.

I wiped windows off and installed elementaryOS, it is perfect for work. I havent done any 3D gaming on it, but it streams from Steam well enough, and plays 2D games without issue.

I agree with rikimaru98 the
Asus Zenbook UX305CA would be perfect for you based on your requirements of a 13.3inch and fits your budget perfectly. As it relates to power, it is stocked with with a great 6th Gen Intel Core M3-6Y30 Processor, 8 GB RAM which is fantastic, you can get up to 8-10 Hours Battery Life out of it. This laptop also has a 256 GB Solid State Drive which is great. Designed to be ultra-slim with an all-aluminum body. The unit weighs only 2.6 lbs, is less than .5-inch thin.

It's not 15, but:


ASUS ZenBook UX305CA-EHM1 13.3-Inch FHD Laptop, 6th Gen. Intel Core M, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01578SQFU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_nuGGwb5J3CKF0

I've liked Asus Zenbooks. This one here looks like it meets your specs. There is also a slightly more expensive version but with a better processor here.

Zenbook. Aluminum body, good keyboard, great screen, great battery, very light, fanless. Not a performance moster, but fast enough for everyday tasks and light gaming.

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Asus-Zenbook-UX305CA-FB055T-Subnotebook-Review.160939.0.html / https://www.amazon.ca/ASUS-ZenBook-13-3-Laptop-Windows/dp/B01578SQFU/

Hopefully I met all your requirements. If you need additional help or have questions, lemme know! Also I'm open to criticism from other users so long it doesn't make me look wrong ^^/s

___

For your ultrabook I give you... The ASUS ZenBook UX305CA, priced currently at $723.63 on Amazon. This'll more than fulfill your requirements. Tbh you could get by with an i3 and 4GB of RAM based on what you said you'll use it for, but why not max out the budget. Lmk if you want a cheaper option as well.

Ultrabook:

• Screen: 13.3 inches, 1920 x 1080. IPS and Matte display. It's a small screen for a smaller laptop. I'm sure I can find an ultrabook with a bigger screen if you'd like.
  
• CPU: Core M-6Y30 (Skylake, a bit above an i5 6200u).
  
• RAM: 8 GB DDR3-1866 with decent timings (CL9 as far as I can tell)
  
• Storage: 256GB SSD. Unfortunately that's it, which is the only weak point on this ultrabook.
  
• Connectivity: 802.11 A/C, Bluetooth.
  
• Weight: 2.6 pounds. Pretty good for an ultrabook, hefty for a tablet. Still what I'd consider very portable.
  
• Dimensions: 8.9 x 12.8 x 0.5 inches
  
• battery Life: Seems to be a bit inconsistent, but I've been getting 8-12 hours, although it's advertised around 12. Decent by all means, but not spectacular.
  
  Now onto the PC.
  ___
  
  

  PC:
  

  
  PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
  
  Type|Item|Price
  :----|:----|:----
  CPU | Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor | $197.99 @ SuperBiiz
  Motherboard | ASRock H110M-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard | $67.99 @ SuperBiiz
  Memory | Crucial 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory | $26.99 @ SuperBiiz
  Storage | Intel 540s 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive | $49.99 @ SuperBiiz
  Storage | Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive | $47.49 @ OutletPC
  Video Card | PowerColor Radeon R9 380X 4GB PCS+ Myst. Edition Video Card | $189.99 @ Newegg
  Case | Phanteks Enthoo EVOLV ITX Mini ITX Tower Case | $85.98 @ Newegg
  Power Supply | EVGA 650W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply | $69.99 @ Amazon
  Operating System | Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit | $84.99 @ NCIX US
  Monitor | Acer K272HULbmiidp 27.0" 60Hz Monitor | $326.60 @ B&H
  Keyboard | Logitech K120 Wired Standard Keyboard | $9.95 @ Amazon
  Mouse | Gigabyte GM-M6800 Wired Optical Mouse | $11.99 @ NCIX US
  | Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
  | Total | $1169.94
  | Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-06-15 18:45 EDT-0400 |
  
  

• CPU: Core i5. On the lower end, but still a full desktop quad core Skylake i5.
  
• Mobo: Standard stuff here. Cheapest available with Wifi connectivity and all the ports you'll need. No XFire or SLI but I don't see that as a problem for your needs.
  
• RAM: Not the prettiest, sure, but RAM nonetheless. 8GB standard DDR4 RAM. 2133mhz since the mobo will downclock anything higher.
  
• Storage: Intell SSD for OS and programs, 1TB WD Caviar Blue HDD for everything else. Both extremely reliable and well reviewed components.
  
• GPU: Did my best to squeeze in a 380x. You can swap with anything else as your budget allows. The PSU can handle it no problem.
  
• Case: In my mind, the Phanteks Enthoo Evolv line have some of the sleekest ITX cases available on the market. The one selected is the white model (because you said apple fanboyism was strong), but you can go for the black one with or without the window for cheaper instead, if you prefer. ALternatively, the Thermaltake Core V1 Snow Edition has that Apple look at a lower cost. Less sleek imo though.
  
• PSU: It's high quality. higher quality than mine tbh XD, and I havea gaming rig. It'll last a long time, and you won't have to worry at all about it dying or surging or damaging anything. If you want to cheap out you could go for an EVGA 600B which is a fine PSU, but nowhere near the quality of the GQ or GS lines.
  
• OS: It's Windows 10? 64-bit flavour? Need I say more?
  
• Monitor: It's great. 1440p (sorry, not 4k), thin bezels, great backlight and contrast, and for relatively cheap too.
  
• Peripherals: Mice and keyboards look pretty generic so I tried to choose well reviewed but sleek and business-y models. I did my best :/. Feel free to research and buy your own though. I'm not really great at this part. Maybe ask around tech stores and see what they think? Or google? The ones I chose were black, so they don't match the Apple theme of the case.
  
  ___
  
  Hopefully this helped! you have aenough space in the budget to flex around on some options. You can drop a grand on the ultrabook you want instead of the one I suggested, or upgrade the RAM in the PC to 16Gb if you prefer. Or the GPU. Or get an i5-6600. Idk. Up to you. Or save 300$. Either way, you'll have two monsters on your hands :D
  
  

The Asus Zenbook UX305CA covers your description.

If you not using it for anything demanding this one is just great for a second computer.

http://www.amazon.com/ZenBook-UX305CA-13-3-Inch-Laptop-Windows/dp/B01578SQFU/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1463720749&sr=1-2&keywords=asus+zenbook&refinements=p_n_size_browse-bin%3A3545275011%7C2423841011

Yeah said you wanted to use it for coding though... 13.3inch might be annoying to code on

No real benefit or drawback to them. The Asus Zenbook UX305CA has a 256GB SSD, while the Asus Zenbook UX360CA has a 512GB SSD, more than making up for the price difference.

If you use the tablet functionality, great. If not, oh well. It can be nice to watch movies in bed on a convertible in tablet mode, though, so you aren't always looking over the keyboard.

I recently purchased an ASUS Zenbook UX305CA (Full-HD version) and run Ubuntu MATE on it. Ubuntu runs well and the battery life is excellent (estimated 10 hours, but haven't clocked it). The trackpad didn't work during installation, but worked fine when I rebooted after installation. It's not a particularly powerful machine, but I don't require much power from my laptop. I browse the web, edit documents, watch videos, or ssh into remote machines.

It meets all of your listed requirement, but as I don't know your workflow I have no way of knowing if it's powerful enough for you. There's another version with an i5. It's more powerful, but isn't passively cooled and I don't know how much less battery life it has.

its best to consider the models as oppose to the brand because there are very good models that some brands offer as well as bad ones. but how about this ASUS ZenBook but its 13 inches.

Oh by the way what exact model of Asus did you return?

I did some search on amazon.com and found this ASUS ZenBook UX305CA where the top reviewer says it's a great Linux machine.

ASUS has a laptop that has a better webcam and is thinner, faster and cheaper than the newest Macbooks here.

However, it has a larger bezel and a greater height when folded up-right. If that's a deal-breaker for you, then go for the Macbook, it's your choose after all.

If your current laptop is working fine, there's no real reason to upgrade, especially if you just surf the web etc.

With that said, here's a really nice thin/light laptop with great build quality:

ASUS ZenBook UX305CA-EHM1 13.3-Inch FHD Laptop, 6th Gen. Intel Core M, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01578SQFU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_LTqNwbNE5J3H4

http://www.amazon.com/ZenBook-UX305CA-EHM1-13-3-Inch-Laptop-Intel/dp/B01578SQFU

I think this is pretty ideal.

• 13.3-Inch Full-HD IPS Anti-Glare Matte Display with an Ultra-wide 170° Viewing Angle.
  
• 6th Gen Intel Core M3-6Y30 Processor (4M Cache, up to 2.2 GHz).
  
• 256 GB Solid State Drive. 8 GB RAM.
  
• Up to 8~10 Hours Battery Life. 1.2 MP High Definition Webcam.

Get this

From my experience, all aluminum construction laptops are usually within the "premium" range. This can mean $800-<$1000. For programming and the like, it all depends, and from what I know, hand size has a factor. For example, I have really big hands and I loath laptops 12''> while I can deal with 13'' I miss tons of keys unless the laptop is 15'' or 17'' i.e., there's a difference between this MSI laptop designed for games with a solid tactile steel series keyboard and this, the Razer Blade Stealth with tightly spaced keys, having also very short travel though given a few fancy RGB features


Now both of those are decent choices, but for your overall needs and an aluminum construction, the best I can do is suggest an ultrabook like the this Asus Dual core, SSD, good battery life, and trust me, there is no such thing as 'hard to upgrade' as long as you are careful and make sure you do your research if you are lost or unsure. (Or ask reddit)


Edit: You could also go with a Mac, but I can promise you that your game selection is likely a very closed off handful. If you would like I can suggest a few gaming laptops that would fit the bill, around say 800-1000 dollars but they are probably going to plastic, carbon fiber, etc. unless we're talking Asus' ROG "aluminum" or MSI's brushed aluminum.

Would you say that this is a good buy? About the same price, but I get the high resolution as well, and it seems to be a similar model.

• https://www.amazon.ca/ASUS-ZenBook-13-3-Laptop-Windows/dp/B01578SQFU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467388255&sr=8-1&keywords=Asus+Zenbook+UX305CA-EHM1
  
  
• https://www.amazon.ca/Acer-Aspire-NVIDIA-Windows-E5-575G-53VG/dp/B01DT4A2R4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467387979&sr=8-1&keywords=Acer+Aspire+E5-575G-53VG

I am also looking into the UX305CA model, which I think the only difference is that it is Core M.

What is the difference between the Intel i5 processors and Core M processors? I was able to find that the M processors are newer, but does that mean it is just as powerful as the i5?

http://www.amazon.com/ZenBook-UX305CA-13-3-Inch-Laptop-Windows/dp/B01578SQFU?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_2&smid=A23VG4GS6RKAK4

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GR8K01W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_6FuLxb5PDVGFJ

and

ASUS UX305 13-Inch Laptop [2015 model] https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01578SQFU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_EOuLxbN8CVFS0

The QHD+ Touchscreen model is going for the same price as the nontouch on that second link.

I was thinking of getting this laptop myself. Let me know how it is when you pick one up! ^.^

Unfortunately, I'm reasonably confident the laptop youre looking for doesn't exist. 13 inch gaming capable laptop with good battery life, 1080p and an SSD for under 600 is just a really odd combo that there isn't really a market for. This is the best I could do to meet your needs but its gonna be an extra 60 dollars.
https://www.amazon.com/ZenBook-UX305CA-13-3-Inch-Laptop-Windows/dp/B01578SQFU/ref=dp_ob_title_ce

If you still didn't get one then I would recommend this Asus UX305 because it comes with everything you need, M3-6Y30 Dual core CPU and great for your usage and falls under the fanless category as asked , 8 GB of ram for smooth multitasking, Good SSD storage of 256 GB for faster boot up,Full HD IPS screen which is a must have for this price range, good build quality,and it is within your budget.

Good point. Just realized there's this one which is i5 or i7, but there's also this one which does have an m3.

The ASUS ZenBook UX305CA would be a decent selection for you in that budget. Nice processor, memory , storage , build quality- keyboard, battery life etc.