sdt13

So i am in the market for a new laptop for college. Im sorry for the questions but i have been out of the loop computer wise for a while. My budget is around 1500-1600 but i can put in some extra money. Weight is not a big issue but obviously the lighter the better. I would like a decent battery life so i can work outside sometimes. I am going to use this laptop for programming, some gaming, and the normal stuff. I have been looking into some different ones and have some questions. Should i get Vista or XP? I am thinking Vista but just want to know if there are any reasons i shouldn't. I really like the Gateway FX series. However, they do not seem to be customizable and they do not come with 64 bit vista, is that an option? It seems odd that some of them come with 4GB of ram with only 32bit. Any suggestions are welcome as i am a bit overwhelmed with all theses different models i am comparing.

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ZionEx

You said programming, what kind of programming are you going to be doing as this can be rather important in your choice.

Also dont worry, we'll try to help you as best we can so no need to feel overwhelmed.

sdt13

C++/ C / Java. I am majoring in computer engineering so i am going to be doing quite a bit of it.

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sdt13

Alright so i am pretty sure i am going to get:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....#productdetail

Edit: Alright i actually have another choice. From xotic pc

FORCE 3298 (Built on COMPAL J/FL92)
- 15.4" WXGA+ (1440x900) Display w/PCI-e nVIDIA GeForce Go 8600GT 512MB Video Card
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- -Intel® T8100 45nm "Penryn" Core™2 Duo 2.1GHz w/3MB L2 On-die cache - 800MHz FSB

- - 4,096MB (2 SODIMMS) ~ Kingston HyperX CL4 Low Latency ~ DDR2 667MHz Dual Channel Memory (Requires Vista 64-Bit to recognize Full 4GB)

- Standard Finish
- - Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti 8X DVDRW Drive w/ Software
- - 160GB Seagate Momentus 3GB/S SATA II 7200RPM Hard Drive


- Internal 4-in-1 Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS/MS PRO)

- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 4965 802.11 a/g/n

- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera

- Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 SB1090 5.1 Channels 24-bit External USB Sound Card
- Carying Case Optional (Select if desired)
- Smart Li-ion Battery - 6 Cell
- Full Range Auto Switching AC Adapter - Included

- Integrated Fingerprint Reader

- -Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit w/ Drivers & Utilities CD's

- 3 Year Complete Care Full Parts / Labor Warranty - Next Business Day Shipping - Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Tech Support $1,537.00

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