how's this for $500?

[rh71]

I don't know much about laptops and what the good brands are...

http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/...sp?poid=453227

Is "Supports 720p content, 1600x900" good enough for today's standards? Youtube doesn't play any higher than that does it? What about most streaming web videos like HD movie trailers?

How's the battery life on these things?

Is $500 ($100 off) a good price for it or is there better out there now? Don't want to spend more than that.

 

[CurseTheSky]

The processor is adequate, but nothing to write home about. The graphics card will be abysmal for gaming (though should be fine for general use and some HD movies). Really, the only thing I find disappointing is the fact that it's 17" - far too large for me. If that's something you want, then by all means go for it. The battery life will probably be in the 2-2.5 hour range.

 

[ther00kie16]

Youtube is actually transitioning to 1080p. But 1600x900 is good for $500. If you want 1080p, you'll probably have to shell out another $100. As CurseTheSky mentioned, graphics card should be fine for everyday tasks + movies. It's only a 4000mAh battery so battery life will be 1 movie max. You'll want to undervolt any laptop with RMClock as the Intel CPUs can typically run from .7 to 1V whereas the default is set to around 1.1 to 1.3V. That alone can buy you an extra 15&#37; of battery life. Only thing of note is lack of bluetooth but you can get a dongle for <$3 on dealextreme.