Do you really really really really really need a laptop?  If yes, absolutely, no question I need to have it in class or are going to be taking it on trips and NEED to be mobile then you need a laptop. However if you don't need it for a SPECIFIC mobility reason (I'm on the road for 1/2 the year) start looking to purchase a desktop or better yet if you have some computer experience and are the hands on type, build your own! Let's break it down: 1. Desktops are better cooled because you don't put them on your lap. Your computer needs to breathe! Don't forget to blow out the dust no matter what you have or end up buying and if you purchase or already own a laptop and put it on your lap I'd spend 15 bucks on a lapcool notebook cooler or the like. 2. Mobility means you'll be more susceptible to drops, spills, bonks, and dohs!  Chances are that you'll drop or bang your laptop if you're constantly moving it around which increases the chances of something breaking.  However if you purchase a 3G card from your cell phone provider it can give you high-speed internet access in most urban areas which is pretty great. 3. Desktops have less expensive parts and are easier to fix and upgrade.  You will have no problem finding (dell, HP, Acer etc) or building an incredibly powerful desktop along with a nice monitor for much less than $1000. The fact of the matter is 1/4 to 1/5 of laptops no matter PC or MAC, dell or sony, imac or acer will have some type of major issue which means someone has to fix it. Since you'll void your warranty if you crack it open yourself it may mean possibly having to sending it away (in my experiences my laptop was out for warrenty repair for 2 months)...and i know I can't hate being without my PC for that long. Take a look at the following article about laptop reliability: http://cybernetnews.com/2008/05/08/the-most-reliable-laptop-is/ If you're interested in putting a PC together try these two sites to get you started: http://www.tomshardware.com http://www.newegg.com