<p>I have heard better things about thinkpads but I found an ideapad for a good price.</p>
<p>Will this suit all my needs throughtout college? Should I wait for the new platform to be released?</p>
<p>Both would be fine.</p>
<p>Make certain that you get a 3-year protection warranty, which is an additional $300. </p>
<p>The Lenovo IdeaPad Y510 (59013885) is backed by the manufacturer's 1-year limited warranty.</p>
<p>And here is the warranty info direct from Lenova.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Support unrelated to a warranty issue may be subject to additional charges. For systems with Limited Onsite Service Limited Warranties, these machines are designed to be repaired during the applicable warranty period primarily with customer-replaceable parts. A technician will be sent onsite to perform a repair if (a) remote telephone diagnosis and/or customer part replacement are unable to resolve the problem, or (b) the part is one of the few designated for on-site replacement. For a list of onsite replaceable parts, contact Lenovo (for ThinkPad and ThinkCentre products) and IBM (for eServer, Intellistation and xSeries products). For machines with Customer-Replaceable Parts Only Limited Warranties, these machines are designed to be repaired entirely with customer-replaceable parts. Only replacement parts and telephone support will be provided to assist installation. Additional service or support will result in additional charges.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Have toolkit in hand when you call. I also use a Lenovo, but I stick with their business class machines.</p>
<p>I really suggest looking at the UVA DCI Models.
Cavalier</a> Computers - Student Computers</p>