<p>Okay, I've narrowed down the laptop search to two:
HP G42t series:
Core(TM) i3-350M Dual Core processor (2.26GHz, 3MB L3 Cache)
3GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
F320GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive
Intel(R) HD Graphics [HDMI, VGA]
SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
Webcam and 5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader
6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (standard)</p>
<p>Dell Inspiron 14R:
Intel® Core i3-350M 2.26Gh (4 Threads, 3M Cache)
4GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3
320GB 5400rpm
Intel® HD Graphics
8X CD/DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive) - w/ Roxio Burn 1.0
Integrated 1.3M Pixel Webcam
Lithium Ion Battery (6-Cell) </p>
<p>The only difference in specs in the 4gb vs. 3gb memory, but I don't see that affecting me too much. I like the look of the HP better, but I'll have to go off-campus if I need any work done on it, while the Dell has on-campus repair. I plan to use it for web surfing, notes, papers, music, etc. and that's about it. They're almost exactly the same price. So which should I get? Is either brand better or more reliable overall? Thanks.</p>
<p>Truthfully, I don’t like either laptops. Low-end Dells and HPs are too unreliable and have too much shoddy build quality for me.</p>
<p>Since your needs aren’t that demanding, any chance you can consider a netbook?</p>
<p>Eh, I don’t want to, mainly because I’m not planning on having a desktop at college and I want something big enough to watch movies and stuff on. My budget’s about $600, and I’d prefer a 14 inch, but a 13.3 or a 15 would be fine too. Any recommendations?</p>
<p>Asus computers are the most reliable, mainly because they also produce the motherboards inside the computer (there are results on the Internet from studies comparing the failure rates of many computer brands).</p>
<p>I just went thru this buying a computer for my son. His school also has a Dell repair center on campus so we went with a Dell. Talked to a couple of ‘computer guys’ that recommended the i-5 vs. the i-3 processor (if that is affordable to you). We ordered ours from dell.com and got a much cheaper warranty that way (compared to Best Buy). Good luck!</p>
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<p>I wouldn’t recommend the i5 for most people; it’s power they don’t need. Kind of like buying a sports car when all you want to do is drive 65 on the highway. The laptop i3s already have more punch than desktop 45nm Core 2 Duos (e8400 series), which is very impressive. The i3s are definitely more than enough for the vast majority of computer users, and unless you’re into media editing or gaming, you’d probably see no real-world performance gain in the i5 vs the i3.</p>