Ok, I need some help...

http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/

 

That's really easy... I just got one for Leslie a couple months ago for $600. Just about any laptop will serve your needs. Dell has good deals at times. I like their laptops, not their desktops (I make my own)

 

You can buy an excellent DELL with many BELLS-N-WHISTLES for less than $1000

 

Look into the TOSHIBA laptops.

I have an awesome one with lot's of memory, and it don't get hot on the bottom either.

A215-S4697 is the product number.

 

I'd suggest checking out a circuit city, or best buy type store and look at the models they have available to see what model you like the best. Once you have a few models go check the companies website and see how much they cost online (this can often save you a few hundred dollars). Also check the user reviews to see what others have had to say about the laptop, the best site I found for this is http://forum.notebookreview.com/ which is much like this site (run by a person and not a corporate entity). Some companies offer substantial discounts on hardware and notebookreview.com has a deals section that has coupon codes to help you get the best buy that you can get for your money.

I'd suggest you buy a laptop that will fit your needs for the next 2 years and buy a ADP (Accidental Damage Protection) so if you drop it you get it replaced or fixed for free. Typically these insurance policies cost around $100.00 per year. The reason I suggest 2 years use is most laptops can not be upgraded like a desktop computer so you cant swap out video cards, but you can upgrade items like ram and hard drives.

I ordered an HP dv9500t cto and I've been very happy with its performance and price. I ordered it online from HP's shopping website and used a 20% off coupon and when I got my laptop in the mail HP had just released a new 30% off coupon and they refunded the 10% difference ($170.00) back to me, so you can really get a better buy online. Currently they have a $400.00 off coupon for some of their laptops, again check that link I posted for it. Here's my system spec's:

dv9500t CTO | Dual Boot XP Pro + Vista Home Premium (32bit) | Intel Duo T7500 2.2ghz 4mb L2 Cache | 17.0" WSXGA+ High-Definition BrightView Display(1680x1050) | 2GB RAM | NVIDIA 8600M GS 512mb | x2 120GB Seagate 7200rpm SATA Hard Drives | Wireless AGN | SuperMulti DVD+/-RW 8x with LS | 8 Cell Battery | HP Imprint Finish + Webcam + Mic

I know, its a monster laptop but it can rip a dvd in about 20 minutes muhahaha.

Good luck,

-Reby

 

Just bought a new Acer Extensa 4420-5237 from Best Buy for $499.00

AMD Atholon 64x2 Dual-Core processor
14.1
2 GB
160 GB
DVD
56K
Windows Vista

So far I have been very pleased with it. I signed up with Sprint Broadband. The only problem with the Acer is that the volume is very low. I purchased two speakers for $10.00 from Walmart and it greatly improved the sound.

 

I think brand name is becoming irrelevant these days. Pretty much all the big boys make excellent products. The bigger question is "what do you require", what do you want the machine to do, and who has the best pricing currently.

For me, blue tooth is a necessity as is WiFi of some sort. I would also consider something with a built in air card. Huge hard drives are over rated IMO; the bigger the hard drive the more CPU power you need to keep it all sorted; especially when external hard drives, and USB drives are dirt cheap these days. One of the biggest mistakes I made with my latest laptop *head slap* I only have 2 USB ports. I never even looked to see how many it came with before ordering. I assumed and now I have to deal with it! If you are going to splurge on something make it RAM, and a butt kicking video card.