<p>you will be fine with a sub $600 laptop…here is a perfect example</p>
<p>[Acer</a> Aspire AS5740-5255 LX.PM902.131 Notebook PC - Intel Core i3-330M 2.13GHz, 4GB DDR3, 320GB HDD, DVDRW, 15.6" Display, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, Blue at TigerDirect.com](<a href=“TigerDirect Sunset”>TigerDirect Sunset)</p>
<p>it has the latest generation processor, offers decent battery life, and as long as you take care of it, will probably last you a long time</p>
<p>Battery life is often perceived to be an issue, but it really isn’t…very few people actually take their computers to class and most of the time you will be able to plug it in.</p>
<p>You should probably look for an i3 / i5 / i7 series laptop with 4GB of RAM and basic features like HDMI and gigabit internet connectivity </p>
<p>Video cards are typically only necessary for those who play computer games, but at MIT i doubt you’ll have time for that</p>