Ok ... I see what you need.
Platform : Centrino Duo for better performances and a better battery life.
Processor : 2.00 GHz Core Duo T2500 OR 2.16 GHz Core Duo T2600 OR Wait a little bit for the Merom.
RAM : 2 GB DDR2 533 MHz OR 667 MHz ( there is not a very big difference ).
Battery : Extended battery 9-cell or 12-cell.
GPU : At least an ATi Mobility Radeon X1400 or nVIDIA GeForce Go 7400.
Hard-drive : 100 OR 120 GB at 5400 RPM OR 7200 RPM ( battery life will be better with the 5400 RPM but performances will be better withe the 7200 RPM hard-drive. For the difference, go with the 5400 ).
Model : Dell Inspiron 6400 /E1505, Sony VAIO SZ Customized line, Lenovo R or Z Serires, ASUS A7J series or A6JA Series with the powerful ATi Mobility Radeon X1600, HP Pavilion dv5000t with the nVIDIA GeForce Go 7400, some ACER Travelmates like the 8200, HP Compaq nc8430.
Make your choice 
Good luck !
Hi, I know there are a lot of student notebook threads, but my requirements are a bit different. I'm going to be starting at Brooks Institute of Photography this fall, in the Professional Photography BA program, and I'm going to need a notebook for use while I'm there.
The issue is, unlike most students, I need a system that isn't going to make using Photoshop CS2 a nightmare. We're going to be using PS in our coursework quite heavily later in the course (after the first year, mostly), so it's imperative that I can run PS quickly and effectively.
Additionally, I'll need all the usual stuff any student wants, like a cavernous HD (tons of high-res photos, including gigantic large-format film scans, 20gig or so of music, etc), WiFi, CD/DVD burner, and so on. Less common needs include Bluetooth. (For using my cellphone as a modem in the field)
There are a few things I defenitely don't want, though. Desktop replacement-style laptops are too big and heavy, and the battery life too short, to carry from campus to campus and so on, especially if I'm also lugging my 4x5 camera and accessories as well. Secondly, I'm a lifelong PC user, and am extremely reluctant to get a Mac (it'd have to be the MB Pro) due to the lack of native Photoshop CS support and, more importantly, the huge number of reported defects/issues present in those units.
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