Need new laptop in Canada for school

[First_fret]

I want to get a new laptop and use it for school, and wasnt sure which one is good out there. I am really looking towards a Dell inspiron 15 because i currently own an inspiron and it was pretty good. Is there any other laptop out there that is a better value? Also, if I want for the back to school sales in august, will i get a much better deal?

Thanks for looking

1) What is your budget?

max $1000

2) What size notebook would you prefer?

14.4" or 15.4" or 15.6"

3) Where will you buying this notebook? You can select the flag of your country as an indicator.

Canada

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?

a. Like: Dell, HP, Lenovo, Gateway (slightly iffy)
b. Dislike: Acer

5) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?

Im going to use it for school primarily. Also i will use it for casual gaming from time to time.

6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both?

Should be portable for taking to and from classes

7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games or types of games?

casual games, nothing too hardcore

8) How many hours of battery life do you need?

The average. I dont know how many hours the average laptop gives these days

9) Would you prefer to see the notebooks you're considering before purchasing it or buying a notebook on-line without seeing it is OK?

Wont mind buying it online

10) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS, Linux, etc.

Windows Vista or Mac

Screen Specifics

11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?

a. WXGA – 1280x800 or occasionally 1280x768; For people who like big text and icons that are easy to read. Less stuff fits on the screen, which translates into more scrolling.

12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?

dont mind

Build Quality and Design

13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?

Yes but I will go for a laptop that looks bad if it has a good price

14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?

As long as possible, four years maybe? (fingers crossed)

Notebook Components

15) How much hard drive space do you need; 80GB to 500GB? Do you want a SSD drive?

Minimum 80GB

16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive?

Should have DL DVD/CD burner and reader. No blu-ray drive needed




THANKS FOR THE SUGGESTIONS EVERYONE!