I am just about in the same boat. I am going to be starting law schol in the fall and I am looking for something similiar. Definately wait until you take a look at the new laptops that are supposed to be introduced next week before you make any decisions. The Sonoma platform is supposed to improve performance.
When you buy, I would go to the manufacturers site to purchase, just so you get the configuration that you want (hpshopping.com, gateway.com)
Check out what comes out this week and you'll probably have a better feel for what you want.
I have many questions but first some ideas of what I'm looking for:
+ must be widescreen (15.4" ideally)
+ mid-range weight pref.
+ must have Wi-fi
+ must have decent battery life (>3 hrs)
+ must play Warcraft III with NO LAG
+ cost less than $1800
+ must have extended warrenty option (3+ years)
1) Do you think it is right to wait for the new Intel Selena (sp?) processors to come out before buying a notebook?
2) When/where online is the best time to buy notebooks for college graduate students in 2005? (I'm a tad biased toward Gateway and Compaq but I'm completely open to a good deal from Dell or another company.)
3) What are essential features to have in a notebook that will likely replace my aging desktop?
4) Is there something else I should be considering for my first notebook purchase?

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