Help, Buying/Buliding Laptop

[melenor]

I am going to be getting a new laptop for school my budget tops around 1,000 to 1,200. What i am looking for in this laptop is a long lasting battery life, being able to run ubuntu, and Vista 64-bit (required for course in college), a screen that is at least 1280 x 800, and is able to read and burn DVDs.Thanks.

[Rocket2DMn]

You described most laptops available today. Dell, Sony, and Toshiba all make laptops that work well with linux. HP also makes laptops, but some have problems with Ubuntu.

[melenor]

but what a laptop that has a good rating and a long battery life?

[Rocket2DMn]

Personally, I have used Dell computers and recommend them to people. Just go to dell.com and select Laptops for Home and Home Office. Something like the XPS M1330 seems up your alley - my father has one and it works pretty well. You shoudl be able to get very good battery life out a c omputer like that. If you look at the specs on computers that catch your interest, they should tell you the size of the battery and an approximate battery life per charge.

Also, if you can save some money by using discounts available at fatwallet.com - http://www.fatwallet.com/cash-back-c...-Home-Systems/ (Ex: $350 Off Inspiron Notebooks $1299+ )

However, I don't want to limit you to Dell computers, there are other good manufacturers out there, including the ones I listed above. It is easier for us to help you if you research a bit, find one or more laptops you like, then come back and ask us what we think about them. It is easier and more beneficial to compare and contrast a few computers rather than ALL computers.