New Laptop for continuing college?

[Ann_D13]

Alrighty so I am considering buying a new laptop for the coming school year. I currently have one and though it has been trustworthy and runs pretty well still for its age, it is starting to slow down a little and I wouldn't mind getting something with a few better specs than the one that i was able to afford after graduating highschool.

So currently I have an HP Pavillion Dv4, centrino processor, and updated with windows 7. It is 3 years old now.

I am still considering whether I want to give the old gal over to my mom and start out with a fresh new piece of equipment so your guys' input would be nice, especially if your tech expert, which I am not XD

But what I would look for if I went for getting a new laptop.

General Questions

1) What is your budget?
Less than $1000 if I can, a little over is fine

2) What size notebook would you prefer?

14"-15.6" screen is what I would prefer

3) Where will you buying this notebook?

USA

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

a. Like: HP, Toshiba
b. Dislike: Dell

5) Would you consider laptops that are refurbished/redistributed?
Yes, but it is not preferred

6) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?
Internet, school work, some games, art-Photoshop, paint tool sai
A general all purpose would be good

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

8) Will you be playing games on your notebook? If so, please state which games or types of games?
I would like to yes, Guild Wars 2, Sims

9) How many hours of battery life do you need?
Not a huge requirement, and not really sure what the averages are, but a decent battery would be nice

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 fine if the requirements fit my needs

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

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.

13) Do you want a Glossy/reflective screen or a Matte/non-glossy screen?
I currently have glossy, so either or is fine

Build Quality and Design

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Not highly, but who doesn't like a laptop with awesome specs and decent outside to go with it ;D

15) When are you buying this laptop?
This summer or this fall

16) How long do you want this laptop to last?
I don't know the average life of a laptop, but a long time, I would like it to get me through college and beyond. But if I had to place number 5 years

Notebook Components

17) How much hard drive space do you need; 80GB to 640GB? Do you want a SSD drive?
As much memory as I can get for a good price, but at least 500 GB. SSD is not required

18) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive?
Yes, at least the basic CD/DVD drive with burning capabilities. But Blu-ray would be nice if it comes at a good price


I hope this is enough info and if there are anymore questions let me know

[ZaZ]

I currently have one and though it has been trustworthy and runs pretty well still for its age, it is starting to slow down a little

How so? A three year old laptop would put you at the end of the Core 2 Duo days, which should offer plenty of performance for general usage. My R60e is twice as old and I run the Gimp on it regularly with no trouble. There are many things that could be slowing it down like the need for more memory, or a better faster hard drive or SSD, which wouldn't necessitate getting a new laptop. The gaming thing is one area where a new GPU might do some good, but I don't think Guild Wars 2 and Sims are all that intensive, though I'm not much of a gamer. Good luck and welcome to NBR.

[pepper_john]

you may want to consider a business notebook such as thinkpad T420 with a 900p upgrade.