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What kind of laptop should i get?

I need a laptop for college next year. I really like the HP DV5T right now and have not looked at much else. I know things will change quite a bit but I don't plan to buy until June 09. Any guess on what might be available in June? 1) What is your budget? around $1400 (hopefully some coupons will give me a little bit more speding room) 2) What size notebook would you prefer? Pretty much set on about a 15" 4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like? No, just needs to be reliable. It is going to be my only computer. 5) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook? Internet(with multiple windows/tabs open all the time), music, videos, movies, possibly a TV tuner 6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk? Not sure yet but i don't think this is an issue for me. 7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games? Yes, I don't play computer games right now because I have a PS3 and a horrible computer but I do plan to play some games on it. Nothing too intense though. Maybe call of duty or something... 8) How many hours of battery life do you need? The more the better but it is not a need. I expect to be plugged in most of the time. 9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person? Perfectly fine 10) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS, Linux, etc. Well I will probably be buying it with Vista and if I end up not liking Vista I will downgrade to XP or Linux. (I've never used linux before but as soon as i get my new computer my current computer is going to become linux instead of XP) 11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer? at least 1680x1050. The bigger the resolution the better but its not a deciding factor. 12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen? Hopefully not too glossy if I have a choice. I've heard the the infinity display's on the HP's are really reflective so i wont be getting the infinity display. Not a big deal. Build Quality and Design 13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you? Not a big deal as long as it works really well. 14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last? I will be buying it around June 2009. I figure i need to find out what im going to get and then buy it when it is on sale. 15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 500GB? 200-300GB+ unless there is a free upgrade 16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive? DVD burner at least. I do like HP's lightscribe technology and would pay $15 for it. I'm looking for recommendations or confirmation of the computer im already looking at. I will be using skype on it so a webcam is a priority but if i have to buy an external one its not too big of a deal. A couple more questions... Is it true that the AMD processors in laptops get hotter and use more power than Intel?

Public Comments

1. anything sony vaio is kewl! get the series ux to have the solid state drive with a touchscreen
2. I really like the way you answer the questions. ;) I have worked in a consumer electronics shop before, and from my experience Sony Vaio laptops are the most reliable ones, however they are a little bit more expensive than other brands with similar specs. On the other hand you can go for an Apple Macbook, they are much faster and durable than pc laptops but you should get Mac compatible software to use with them. Intel's Centrino processors use less power and produce less heat compared to latest AMD processors