[Ashley Weed]

Unless you have a highly specific reason to have a laptop, I do not recommend one. You may be thinking that you want to have the mobility and ease of the laptop. However, I would much rather recommend someone putting money into a great set-up for a custom desktop. I have never went into one building at school that did not have 30-50 computers in at least one lab. A very small, mobile word processor may be nice in the future, but for your first big investment getting the most for your money should be key.

To speak specifically on the laptops, I have used them for many years now as my primary machine, and have yet to find one that surpasses another one. Each one has a quality or two that you may like over another one. Don't be afraid to go to a store and get a feel for several different brands. I currently run the zd7000, and just like the replacement zd8000, it is a beast of a machine.

[edit] As for software, I received Office Enterprise and Norton Corporate for free. A long list of additional software was available to students for around $6. [/edit]