High Perfomance, Aesthetically Pleasing, Under $700

[immamac]

I'm an undergrad with a $700 budget.

I was thinking about an Asus U46 from newegg (recert...) for 600.

The more I thought about a recertified asus the dumber it sounds.


What do you guys think about recertified systems (Asus in particular)? Are there better cheap pseudo-ultrabooks out there?

1) What is your budget?

7 biz-illz

2) What size notebook would you prefer?

a. Netbook; 10” screen or less
b. Ultraportable; 11" - 12” screen
c. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
d. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
e. Desktop Replacement; 17"+ screen

A., B., C.

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

USA

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

No
a. Like:
b. Dislike:

5) Would you consider laptops that are refurbished/redistributed?

Need more advice.

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

School, Portfolio management, kicking @ss

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

the both.

8) Will you be playing games on your notebook? If so, please state which games or types of games?

Ain't got no time for games.

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

4:20

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

Online is ok.

11) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista or Windows 7), Mac OS, Linux, etc.

Windows.

Screen Specifics

12) From the choices below, what screen resolution(s) would you prefer? Keep in mind screen size in conjunction with resolution will play a large role in overall viewing comfort level. Everyone is different. Some like really small text, while others like their text big and easy to read. Click here for Screen resolution information.

As high as possible.

13) Do you want a Glossy/reflective screen or a Matte/non-glossy screen?

No preference.

Build Quality and Design

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

Yes and no. (Weight and Functionality over Style).

15) When are you buying this laptop?

Tomorrow.

16) How long do you want this laptop to last?

2-4 years.

Notebook Components

17) How much hard drive space do you need; 80GB to 640GB? Do you want a SSD drive?

More is better, but I could live with 350 and an external later.

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

Suppose I could go external, weirds me out though.

[idiot101]

You could try for a refurb Thinkpad X220 like this one
Lenovo ThinkPad X220 i5 4GB 320GB 12.5" UltraPortable Webcam 6 Cell Win7PRO | eBay

Others you could look at are
Includes Canon ELPH100HS Digital Camera! Dell Inspiron 14z Laptop, 2nd generation Intel®Core? processor i5-2430M (2.4GHz) with Intel HD Graphic 3000, 14" HD LED Display, 4GB DDR3, 500GB HDD, 8x CD/DVD Burner (Dual Layer DV
Make sure to customize it with a backlit keyboard.

HP Pavilion Laptop (dm4-2184nr), Intel Core i5-2430M 2.40 GHz, 14" BrightView HD LED, 6GB DDR3, 640GB HDD, Intel HD Graphics (HDMI), SuperMulti DVD burner, 802.11 b/g/n, 6-cell, HD Webcam, Windows 7 Home Premium

Amazon.com: ASUS U31SD-AH31 13.3-Inch Thin and Light Laptop (Black): Computers & Accessories

Amazon.com: ASUS U30SD-XA1 13.3-Inch Thin and Light Laptop (Black): Computers & Accessories

Amazon.com: Acer Aspire TimelineX AS3830T-6417 13.3-Inch Laptop (Cobalt Blue Aluminum): Computers & Accessories

You could search for some better deals on
LogicBUY - News, Reviews, Deals & Coupons for HP, Lenovo, Laptops, Videogames, Gadgets
Hot deals and coupons on 2011-12-28

I would also recommend you look at the Dell Vostro line(V131, 3350,3450) with the extended battery.

http://www.logicbuy.com/deals/dell-v...131/33546.aspx

There is the Samsung NP350
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-3-NP35...5157249&sr=8-1

Hit the Dell Outlet for some deals o the Latitude 6220 and the 6320. If you do decide on a refurb, make sure it is the business line only as the support tends to be better and the initial quality of the product would be superior to the consumer line at the same price point.