Non gaming noise and heat levels

I'm thinking about getting the Alienware 13 R2 Skylake version with the IGZO 3200x1800 and an SSD.
I'm not a gamer. I'm a programmer, looking for a quiet laptop that has a regular keyboard, as I can't stand the island chiclet keyboard that "every manufacturer" seem to be going for these days.

So, to any owners of this machine out there, do you think it's possible to use it while half-sitting / half-lying in bed, for instance, having a movie on while programming away, essentially with the computer on the cover without the fans coming on (and thereby needing the bottom vents, that would - in the case of using it in bed - not providing a free airflow). The programming is usually not that CPU heavy, only during compilations and even then it's not something like working in Adobe Premiere or playing games.

Also, is it quiet - absolutely quiet - when not gaming, performing work like described above?

Thanks much for considering these questions.

 

While doing just some browsing, light coding the fans should stay off. But more heavy webpages (i look at you flash) etc can cause the fans to power up ofcourse. But in general it runs with fans on idle during mild productivity.

I use the AW15 R1 though. But from what I have understood the Skylake versions runs with less heat.

 

Thanks for taking the time to answer. So, when you say that fans are off or idle, does that mean that the computer is fairly quiet? Compare it to having your Samsung Ativ Book 8 on your lap or near you, running something like Chrome and not too heavy web pages. Is the AW13 as slient as your Ativ Book or is it "humming and clicking"? I'm quite anal when it comes to mechanic sounds. Right now, as I type this sentence on my MacBook Air, the fans have come on just ever so slightly and it's annoying as hell.

Thanks.

 

with idle I mean the fans arent spinning at all. The mechanical drive does click sometimes. The fans only spin up when the PC reaches around 65c on cpu.

 

There!^^ Also, you could decrease the fan speed manually using a 3rd party software like MSIAfterburner or HWInfo.