As my previous thread "HP Laptop doesn't work" I am planning to get a new one. I still plan to fix the old one to give to my Dad. Which was the original plan before I dropped the laptop.

I kinda like the Asus laptops but the 17.3 is so wide it won't fit in my carrying case at almost 18 1/2" wide. The Dell Studio 17 doesn't seem bad but would prefer a 17.3". I can spend about $900 and want something that has good reliability.

I primarily will use the laptop as a desktop replacement.
Internet
Office 2007
Photoshop, Illustrator, Fireworks CS3
Working on Website
Going to school online.

I am not into gaming except for the occasional game of hearts. However, I would like to connect the laptop to the LCD 1080p Television I plan to purchase in the near future.

There are so many choices and brands out there: Acer, Asus, HP, Dell, MSI, etc... it is scensory overload.
Does anyone have any suggestions?

I like HP...

I am a big fan of HP as well. They are soild, quality machines. I used to swear by Acer but I have seen some disappointing results. Dell is ok. I have found the best thing to do, is to go to a big box store and see them hands on, get a feel for them. Then build on to your liking on their respective websites.

I am not sure if you want specific model suggestions or not.

Yes HP has a lot of quality parts on EBay at very reasonable prices. Dell on the other hand is very expensive to repair... 17.3 inch screen laptops are going to be pricey for sure