Best notebook PC for around $1200-1300 dollars?

[imported_michaelpatrick33]

I am looking for a good notebook for when I go back to school to get a degree in the IT field. I build systems regularly but don't work with notebooks to often. What would you guys suggest? I wouldn't game with it very much but would like at least a modicum of downtime fun.

Brand? Intel vs. AMD?

The Dothan based notebooks are a little out of my reach and I refuse (on illogical grounds but still) to get any notebook with a Celeron in it. I just can't make myself do it.

 

[Arcanedeath]

In that price range after rebate an Emachines 68XX is your best bet, it's about 8lbs w/ it's powerbrick but has at least an A64 3000+ mobile raedon 9600, 15.4" widescreen and 512mb of memory + it's fairly easy to upgrade, for the money nothing can really beat it price / performance wise. There is a large thread over in the Notebook section about this series of laptops.

 

[imported_michaelpatrick33]

thanks Arcanedeath I forgot about the emachines brand