Hi i am going to college in a few weeks and im lookin at gettin a laptop and i needed advice on WAT i should get. I play lots of games on my computer but i also need it to be ABLE to do all my scool work. I only have about $900 to spend im worried that im gonna end up with a laptop that cant do wat i want it 2.

Just to give u an idea i need the computer to be able to handel games such as WoW,Oblivion,Battlefield,ect. And im not lookin for the ULTIMATE gaming machine im just looking for something that wont have problems with these types of games.

Thx for taking the time to read this and for any helpI can't tell you about the gaming aspect of it; I think Calum or some of the other forum MEMBERS can give some advice on that.

But, just wanted to mention that if you'll be needing Microsoft Office, check your college bookstore. Microsoft, Adobe, and other software makers offer huge discounts to students. So, look for academically priced software in the bookstore.

I'll help out, but not tonight, I have my own problems to deal with.
Be back tomorrow, and I'll give you some advice if someone else hasn't done so already.
In the MEANTIME, consider these factors.
Battery life: how much do you need?
Portability: size/weight, how big or heavy is the max for you?
Screen size/resolution: 15.4" is a standard widescreen, and is a good balance between size and components that can be fitted in. 17" or larger is for very powerful, but heavy, laptops, and pushes the price up. The resolution will also be very important, consider it carefully.
Glossy/non-glossy: Glossy screens give more vibrant colours, but also more glare under bright lights. Choose the right type for your environment.

soybean's advice is very good, there are a lot of discounts available for students, even on Windows. See what you can get.OK GOIN off to college eh? well heres advice GET THE BEST DANG VIRUS PROTECTION U CAN AFFORD CUS WHEN THE NERDS STARTED SENDING VIRUSES AROUND IN THE SCHOOL and it happens in every one..... i caught who it was and they got banned from the college and the communityOK, here's my recommendation.
Core 2 Duo CPU, 1Gb of RAM for XP, 2Gb for Vista, 7200rpm HDD of whatever size you need, and a 7600-class or better graphics card.
All that can fit in a 15.4" laptop, so it's still fairly mobile, and will add up to a nice powerful package that will give you what you want.
Whether that will come under your budget, I don't know.
I'm not too up on US pricing, but I will look around a bit for you.Just looked at some of the offerings from Newegg.com in the $750-$1,000 price range. I saw none with a 7200 rpm HD. I thinks he's just not going to find something with the desired specs, with a $900 budget.

How about this? You're going college. So, forget the computer games and concentrate on learning. Well, the 7200rpm drive isn't that important, out of those it's the first thing to drop if it doesn't fit in the budget.
It's very nice to have, but not totally necessary.
watercooler400: you may find the above advice, "How about this? You're going college. So, forget the computer games and concentrate on learning" to be the right thing to do.
I have been looking around, and I doubt you will find a laptop with good graphics for $900.
My advice is to drop the gaming capabilities, but still spend $900. Then you can get a powerful laptop with good battery life and the software you need.Most of the Pubs on Campus should have video games...or take up Pool.i got my laptop for 900. dell inspiron b130 just get the upgraded cpu and you should be fine.. when i tried to install wow that was my only problem