Hey dudes and dudettes, I'm going to college this fall and I'm researching laptops right now in anticipation. I was wondering what other college folks in the crowd have (or had) and what I should be looking for.

I'm looking for a laptop that will last me for my four years without collapsing under year 2010 software and something that I'll be able play some games on in my free time. (actually, my parents insist that I won't have any free time but we'll see about that) I'd like to keep things $2500 and below.

I've been told by a gazillion people to try to keep weight down but I can't see that being a tremendous issue. I already carry a crapload of stuff right now so I don't see what an extra 10 lbs. will do.

(Right now I'm trying to pass off the gaming abilities as software requirements from advanced engineering software to myself and my parents)

Here's my 2 bits.
These are my observations from several different sources, so you can take this how you like.
IBM: have a very good reputation for ruggedness (of coarse since Lenovo took over I don't know if anything has changed).

Dell's: are usually resonably priced for what you get, although the support can be spotty, unless you purchase software support seperate.

Gateway: Not sure how well they have been doing recently, so I can't give you much here, but if you match there price with Dell, Dell will pretty much be better. Hopefully Gateway supports their laptops better than Dell.

Asus: Seem to be an up and coming maker here in the U.S. I've read good things about what they have been doing, and if they are anything like the motherboard manufacturer, then there shouldn't be too much to worry about.

Acer: Also another company that is now taking market share from Dell and others, so they must be doing something right

Toshiba/Fujitsu: Not 100% on how well there systems are, but I have a friend that owns a 2 year old system and has had very few issues. 1 issue has been his hinge has lost a screw, but still opens and closes without issues.

Sager: A company not known too much, but from what I've read and heard from people that have owned them they are really nice systems.

Okay finally here is what I would consider when buying your future laptop:

1) If your going to want to play future games, get as much graphics chip that you can afford, because the requirements always go up every so often.

2) Get as much RAM that you can afford, makes multi-tasking and graphic intensive programs run smoother (and makes some games run better).

3) Make sure you get Bluetooth with your system, I believe that Bluetooth has finally starting to make progress. If you haven't noticed, there are alot of cell phones coming out with bluetooth, so you'll be able to transfer data between your laptop and the phone, pda, etch.

4) Last but not least, if your going to be using your laptop unplugged alot (don't always no until too late) you might want to get spare or upgraded battery for your system. You never know when you might be on a long road trip for the holidays and you need to work on some school papers or the like.

5) You might think that a few extra pounds is a big deal, but it adds up, especially if your carrying books too. What if you need to ride a bike or something to get around and the constant up and down from a desk can really weigh you down.

Hopefully I've pointed out a few things that you might not have thought of. Good luck with your purchase.

P.S. If I had the $ for a gaming, ahem.....engineering laptop I would probably go for the newest Dell XPS system (I think its the 1701 model?). Unfortunately it starts out at $2600, so it is above your budget. You can get other systems for less, but currently there isn't any of them that have the 7900GTX nVidia graphics chip in them.

Thanks alot. I'll remember this.

My college (North Carolina State University) is pushing the Z60 & T60 Thinkpads as of late and my dad wants to get one of those.

They're not bad systems at all. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute actually gives huge discount on Lenovo (former IBM) notebooks. Johns Hopkins University also advocates both Lenovo and Dell, so there must be some merit in both of the 2 makers.