Looking for a new laptop

[Elmers98]

I've never had a laptop before so I don't really know what's good and what's not. What's one that's reliable as well as durable for a college student? I've been looking at some HP which seems pretty nice are they any good?

Some stuff I might be looking for in the laptop:
- 14.1ish screen size
- built-in webcam
- 3gb ram+
- solid video card for movies
- not too heavy or bulky
- 320gb hdd +

Also, should I get one with blu-ray playback feature or should I just stick with a dvd burner and wait until blu-ray price drops?

[Elmers98]

bump................

[kcphd]

In college, theft seems like a bigger issue than elsewhere, so you might look into getting a fairly cheap one, even if it doesn't have the features you might otherwise want.
Some of the newer thinkpads have a fingerprint ID scanner though I have no idea how effective they are.

Also in college, movies tend to not be distributed on discs...

[damnyou]

Goto live.com and type hp

Today they are having 20% live cashback

Customize the dv4t series

[Elmers98]

Goto live.com and type hp

Today they are having 20% live cashback

Customize the dv4t series
How does the live cashback thing work I've never used it before. Does it just automatically deduct the amount @ checkout or what?

[Kristin]

How does the live cashback thing work I've never used it before. Does it just automatically deduct the amount @ checkout or what?

Cashback basically works like a rebate (meaning you make the purchase then collect the cashback later) but it's all done online and with a lot less headache. I've only used it on eBay purchases so I can't help you a whole lot but here is a link to the HP cashback instructions:

http://shopping.hp.com/shopping/html/popup/msnlive?aoid=35252



Also, here's the thread about today's 20% deal:

http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?sduid=120096&t=1317103&highlight=hp+20%25+live



Hope this helps. :)

[lordoffire]

....might want to look for the cheapest one you can find, in case it gets broken or stolen....keep watching, new deals pop up very frequently; I know I will be, I'm in the market for one as well....

[Elmers98]

I know theft is quite often in colleges, but I don't wanna get a crappy one expecting it to be stolen. I'll try my best to keep it safe lol but I just want a good laptop that's decently priced.