What great advice I got, thanks all. Dell it is, we will check with the school especially since it is in Dell's home town, Austin, TX.

I would have gone with the Mac but after showing him all the suggestions I had received, he decided that the PC was a better choice for him. He has enough adjusting ahead of him without adding the complication of a new computer system.

I did chuckle however that you all nixed the IBM. I have had a Thinkpad for almost 15 years with absolutely no problems and I love it. But as my g'son says, its a machine for business people and older folks, of course, he got that from Consumer Report, lol....which by the way, rates it number one in many areas.

Thanks again all.

I just have to throw in my support for IBM here, and raise some points that might be helpful to consider. First, as we all know, they are very solid and well designed machines. I've experience using a Thinkpad, and their combo of reliability + great keyboard makes them a superb choice for students. Also, the newer T61's feature a roll cage, which can be handy because it will prevent the screen from being damaged incase the machine gets crushed by school books in your bag (which often happens)!

In terms of economics, it looks like Lenovo is really trying to cut their price. Additionally, their reputation for durability seems to afford Thinkpads a greater resale value, which can be handy when it comes time to upgrade.

Those are just some of my thoughts. However, I when it comes down to it, you are choosing amongst a number of great machines, so it's mainly just a personal preference. From what I can see the Dell XPS offers top-notch performance, and the extended customization options are nice as well, so I don't see how you can go wrong. Congrats on your choice!

Dell is notorious for shocking service, in particular once your warranty is out. They use the same crappy motherboards in their more expensive systems which are from their cheaper systems. If you buy a dell, mak esure you get an extended warranty on it!!

HP are good, and I can vouch for their services. I once had one that broke 3 times in the 5 years of using it, and it was serviced free of charge and some parts replaced with better ones.

However, the software side of HP is a bit annoying.

From Dell and Mac, I'd almost certainly go the Mac route, they are easy to use, and effectively ***** proof.

Thanks for your input; the deal is done, Dell it is, with an extended warranty.

I am glad that you have had success with HP, my only reference point was Consumer Reports and some pretty angry people at The Squeaky Wheel; nothing at Squeaky about Dell but several about HP.

LOL, sounds like maybe I should get a Mac.

Stick with a PC laptop they are a lot more affordable

Yes, it can ba painful decision, eh?
Mac's are great in their simplicity and creativity
while PC's are good for school work and such.
But I have a Mac and a Dell, and it is no more difficult to owrk microsoft word, or powerpoint on the Mac than the Dell.
But i would much much rather have a dell than an HP.
they are slow, and they stink :l