General Questions

1) What is your budget? $400-700. Preferably under $500, but I'm flexible.

2) What size notebook would you prefer? 13"-16"

3) Where will you buying this notebook? USA, don't mind purchasing online.

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like? a. Like: I've had great experience with Asus and Toshiba, I also like a good ol' Thinkpad. I'm open to less mainstream stuff as well as long as it's got a good foundation. b. Dislike: After three years in computer repair, I'm definitely shy about the super-producers like HP, Compaq, Dell, and Gateway, but with some convincing, I might take a look at them. Acer is right out -- nothing but bad experiences.

5) Would you consider laptops that are refurbished/redistributed? Yes, but I prefer new.

6) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook? Writing and Media, so HDMI would be great and I need more than two USB ports. Gigabit ethernet is pretty much a necessity for streaming/downloading. I also do some DJing, so I've got nice headphones and speakers and am not worried about the built-in speaker quality (they won't ever be used).

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? A bit, mostly Star Wars: The Old Republic and general casual stuff besides.

9) How many hours of battery life do you need? 4-6 would be great.

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? I'm okay with not seeing it in person, but a picture of something pretty close is kinda necessary if I buy it online.

11) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista or Windows 7), Mac OS, Linux, etc. I like Windows for general use. I do enjoy toying around with Archlinux and Mac OS from time to time, so wide hardware compatibility would be fantastic (my Acer was a huge pain in the ass for drivers) but not entirely necessary. My dream laptop would have a nicely running install of OS X for general use while dual-booting an install of Windows just for gaming, but I can't afford a Mac (and don't really mind - not a huge fan of how tedious they are to repair, I'd prefer a hackintosh over licensed stuff anyway).

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. As long as it's widescreen, I'm happy. 16:10, 16:9, 1680, 1280, 1440, it's all good. I'd rather have to tone it down than wish I could turn it up.

13) Do you want a Glossy/reflective screen or a Matte/non-glossy screen? I prefer matte, but it's not a deal-breaker for a good find.

Build Quality and Design

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you? Nope.

15) When are you buying this laptop? By or during Summer, so 3-6 Months.

16) How long do you want this laptop to last? I look for about 3-5 years out of them.

Notebook Components

17) How much hard drive space do you need; 80GB to 640GB? Do you want a SSD drive? I prefer as close to 320GB as possible, but I need at least 160GB.

18) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive? DVD Burner is all I need, but I won't complain about having a Blu-Ray available if it doesn't cost much more.

I really appreciate the help, guys and gals! Thanks!