What Notebook is for me?

[Cool4x4]

Hi! I am new on these forums and I was going to start off with this thread.

I am going to be purchasing a notebook soon and I would like some recommendations. I have a budget of $600 and I am looking for a notebook that has at least an Intel i5 processor, at least 4GB of RAM, and hard drive doesn't matter. The notebook has to be no bigger than 15.6". I would just like the best laptop I can get with these specs, or better at my price.

I have been researching Lenovo notebooks, and I like those as well. I was wondering if I should get a Thinkpad or an Ideapad. I will not be using the notebook for business. You can give me recommendations from any brand though.

Edit: Here is the form.
What is your budget?
$600

What country will you be buying this in?
Canada

What size notebook do you prefer?
Ultraportable (11 - 12-inch screen)
Thin and Light (13 - 14-inch screen)
Mainstream (15 -inch screen)

Would you consider a refurbished laptop?
No

What are the primary tasks you need this notebook for?
Web Surfing, Office and Productivity Software, Photo Editing, Video Editing, Casual Gaming

Animation

Where will you be using this laptop?
Will be used different places and Will stay on desk

Will you be buying online or in store?
online or in store

Which OS do you prefer?
Windows 7

List the screen resolutions that interest you:
High Resolution (1600 x 900)

Do you prefer a glossy or matte screen?
Glossy or Matte is fine

Is the laptops design important to you?
No

Approximately what date will you be buying this laptop?
Around 10/27/2012

How long do you want this laptop to last?
3-4 years

How much storage capacity do you need?
160 GB

Are you interested in SSD for storage?
Maybe

Do you want a built-in optical drive, what type?
No

[pepper_john]

You might want to go with a refurb thinkpad E420 in outlet.lenovo.com

[tetsussaiga]

Lenovo is having a pretty nice Mother's Day Sale you should check it out and see which one fits you. But then again they always have good deals so no need to rush it this weekend.

Mother's Day Pricing

Also the Dell Inspiron 15R would fit into your price range, although the resolution is only 720p:

Laptop Deals - Shop Best-selling Deals on Laptops | Dell Canada

[Cool4x4]

Lenovo is having a pretty nice Mother's Day Sale you should check it out and see which one fits you. But then again they always have good deals so no need to rush it this weekend.

Mother's Day Pricing

Also the Dell Inspiron 15R would fit into your price range, although the resolution is only 720p:

Laptop Deals - Shop Best-selling Deals on Laptops | Dell Canada

Yeah, I definitely will not be buying this weekend. I am still saving up money . Would you recommend a Thinkpad, Ideapad or an Essential from Lenovo? I am just wondering what the difference is.

[pepper_john]

thinkpad is business class and has good reputation in build quality. I have an 13 yrs old thinkpad which still works today though it has no wireless, no UBS port and has only 16 MB RAM.

[Cool4x4]

thinkpad is business class and has good reputation in build quality. I have an 13 yrs old thinkpad which still works today though it has no wireless, no UBS port and has only 16 MB RAM.

Would you still recommend a Thinkpad even if it is not going to be used as a business notebook?

[Darkshado]

I would only recommend against "business-class" notebooks when someone wants top-end gaming performance.

So-called business notebooks are often a bit sturdier, and I'm a big fan of having a fingerprint reader, which just about every consumer notebook lacks.

I'm still running a four year old Acer TravelMate (with a rather nice 15" 16:10 1680x1050 matte screen which I'll kinda miss) that I'm going to replace soon-ish because I'm looking at something more powerful. It has otherwise performed quite well.

[Cool4x4]

I would only recommend against "business-class" notebooks when someone wants top-end gaming performance.

So-called business notebooks are often a bit sturdier, and I'm a big fan of having a fingerprint reader, which just about every consumer notebook lacks.

I'm still running a four year old Acer TravelMate (with a rather nice 15" 16:10 1680x1050 matte screen which I'll kinda miss) that I'm going to replace soon-ish because I'm looking at something more powerful. It has otherwise performed quite well.

OK then. It sounds like a nice laptop you have there already. That is the same reason that I am getting a new one. The computer I have is too slow.

[pepper_john]

I have used consumer notebooks that fall apart quickly, and so would prefer business notebooks.