[quote=Archmage MC]
If you get a new laptop, DO NOT get an HP or Compaq. They might be cheap, but they SUUUUUUUUUCK. Spend the extra 50 on a nice toshiba, dell, or Acer.The reason they suck is the north bridge is defective, and it'll become deattached from the board after awhile. Only way to fix that is to reflow the board or get a new computer.btw, I love taking apart Toshibas, unless they have a spiders nest in them.... yeesh.
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Compaq I agree is cheap, HP's are generally fairly good so long as you don't buy the base models. I exclusively buy HPs and they last me years without problems. I would never ever consider buying an Acer though, Asus however I recommend. 

In the end, you get what you pay for with computers, so naturally something like an Alienware is going to be far superior. I also don't like Macs but I rely on my computer being able to do AutoCAD which Macs aren't the best suited for. If I was doing Audio and Visual media then I'd get a Mac.