Instead of changing your laptop, you might consider changing what you carry it in. I go all over the world with a "desktop replacement" laptop with a 17" screen, plus all the usual other stuff and lots of etcetera depending on where I am and what I'll be doing. I have no problems with this load because I put it in a serious backpack with a waist belt and a sternum strap (the same one I use for long day hikes). If I had a typical "book bag," let alone something with a single shoulder strap or just handles, I'd feel differently about adding a 6+ pound computer to the mix.

(Of course, the places you go have to be backpack-friendly. It wouldn't fit into every business environment. And you have to be personally OK with the approach.)