Anybody uses one of those 12 inch 2 in 1 hybrids as their daily driver?

[-AAG-]

Anybody? Here is what I need to know:

1. Can these things really replace your Windows laptop/desktop/tablet and and be your all in one solution? I need them all but only have money for 1 and I really don't want another Android device ( don't care about iOS).
2. Is the battery life as good as they claim?
3. Is 12 inches too big for a tablet?
4. Those type covers, are they any good for programming?
5. I couldn't care less about the pen but, does it have any use for a developer?
6. How do they handle when hooked up to a monitor?

If you care about stories read on...

WHY I NEED BOTH

While my laptop is still doing its job fine, it doesn't have a screen so It isn't mobile at all plus its really old and even if it had a screen the battery wont last more than an hour. I dropped my Nexus 7(2013) and the screen cracked and the digitizer with it and it wouldn't work so I got really mad and threw it away. Now that was beyond stupid, I know, the thing is more expensive now than when it first came out!

WHAT IT IS THAT I AM LOOKING FOR

1. All day battery life: I live in Puerto Rico and just got my electric back 5 days ago after more than 60 days without. This hurricane thing could happen here every year and the electric will go even before the hurricane hits. 
2. Windows OS: I am a GameMaker: Studio user and that requires Windows. Even if it worked on either Linux or Mac ( or Android or iOS ) I still wouldn't go that way. It has to be Windows.
3. Portability
4. Long Lasting: As in good internal components ( 8th gen Intel CPU?) and port selection that wont be obsolete next year. I can't buy a new toy every other year, whatever I get will have to run with me for a very long time ( or till I drop it )
5. Within the 1000 budget

WHAT I DON'T CARE ABOUT

1. Gaming: I love gaming but it makes me unproductive (and yet I make games for a living...).
2. Insanely high resolution screens: 1080p should be more than enough. I am not an artist and I have to buy a monitor anyways. Not to mention the impact on battery life.
3. Really good audio: Any audio at all should suffice. Headphones.
4. Cameras: Never use them.
5. Cosmetics: It doesn't have to be the thinnest or the lightest. Huge vessels around the screen do bother me a bit.
6. i7: GameMaker Studio and most other things I use are not so demanding but I don't want a slug (or something that will quickly become one) either.
7. Buying it right now: I don't have to.

I AM CONSIDERING ONE OF THESE SURFACE CLONES:

1. Lenovo Miix 520 (intel 8th gen - no reviews yet - starting at 1000 )
2. Acer Switch 5 ( better bang for the buck without completely sucking? - about 800 )
3. Eve V (unproven yet promising  but those cpu choices... starting at 800)

Any suggestions? What about those upcoming ARM based Windows devices coming soon? Worth waiting?

I never thought buying a new gig would be such a pain. Shouldn't I just be happy that I can finally get me a new toy? Too many options...

[ivanix]

IMHO,   

First, I would think about getting one or two large power banks that can output  19v as well as 5v.

Then look at getting a second hand i5 laptop with decent memory. 

If you are doing any kind of real work,  no lightweight laptop is going to last all day on its own battery.

As a guy with old eyes,  my laptop with15" laptop display is often too small for real work and I need a second large screen, usually 24" ~ 34" to extend the work space.  

 

 

[-AAG-]

Thanks. I do have a power inverter, 1500-3000 watts, that I hook up to a car that we can't run on the streets (long story). But we only use that for about 5 hours a day and that's when I usually work when the electric is gone. But it would be ideal if during that time I could charge up my laptop or 2-in-1 or whatever and then be able to use it for another 6-8 hours.

I would really like to get myself a brand new device this time, and since I can spend around 1000 on it, I would like it to be a nice one with relatively recent and decent specs, ports, and battery life. I do understand that battery claims from manufacturers are just not real but I have read plenty of reviews for newer devices that can handle rather demanding apps like photo shop ( which I don't use at all ) and still give you a days of work worth of battery.

A 15 inch laptop or even a 13 inch one are starting to look like great options too.  I am seriously considering a Dell XPS either 13 or 15. The current models have all of the horse power and every port one could ask for and they certainly don't feel flimsy on the hands plus the battery life is among the best on any device. I tried a similar and cheaper HP Envy 13 with 8th gen intel side by side and it felt like it was ready to fall apart and I was afraid to get cut by the edges on the thing. The 17 inch model didn't appeal to me at all.