Purchasing a New Laptop, have some questions~

[zazazoom]

Hey there,
I'm planning to purchase a laptop from Futureshop here in Vancouver,BC. Canada.
It's a Toshiba (Intel Centrino Duo Processor Tech. with Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T5450)
2GB Memory (type unkown)
250GB HD Space
GFX:ATI Radeon HD 256MB Dedicated
Wireless: 802.11a/g + Pre-N WiFi +BlueTooth
TruBrite Screen, Webcam and Mic, 5-1 Media Adapter
Price: $1599.99 CDA
$70.83/Month for 24Months

I kind of hate how Futureshop give such vague specs on the products they sell. :T I kind of don't want to buy it from here, but the laptop looks pretty good in terms of specs and Futureshop has financing available.
I'm just wondering if this will be a good buy..I'll be mainly using the computer for school, a little bit of gaming (WC3, CNC, ..etc, mainly RTS Games)
I'm fairly new to laptops..
basically want a decent one with a dedicated gfx card for my rts games and one with a fair bit of hd space.
any tips, suggestions, or comments please share them with me
I keep second guessing on laptops I want to purchase. I do want to get the most out of what I pay.
Thanks in advance! Cheers-

Here's another Laptop I'm Considering
HP Intel Centrino Duo Processor Technology intel Core 2 Duo Processor T5450
Ram: 2GB DDR
HD: 200GB
GFX: NVIDIA 8400M 128MB Discrete Graphics
Wireless: 802.11b/g Pre-N +Bluetooth WiFi
12 Cell Lithium-ion Battery, Webcam,Mic,5-1 Media Reader,Remote & Earbuds
Price: $1499.99 CDA ($66.67/Month for 24 months)

So these are the two laptops I'm considering
I hope you guys can help me decide!

Here's another one I found at BestBuy!!!
It's something I'm also considering buying!

HP Pavilion DV9548 17" Intel Core 2 Duo T5450 1.66GHz Laptop - Best Buy Exclusive

Product Details

Web Code: 10090135
Mfr. Part Number: GA480UA#ABA
Processor Type Intel Core 2 Duo T5450
Screen Size 17.0 in
RAM (Preloaded / Maximum) 2048MB DDR2
Hard Drive 200GB SATA 5400RPM
Optical Drives 8X Super Multi LightScribe DL DVD+/-R/RW
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GS
Average Battery Life Not Provided By Manufacturer
Product Weight 3.5 kg
Audio Type Altec Lansing
Battery Type Lithium-Ion
Cache 2MB L2
Fax/Modem 56K V.90
I/O Ports See The Features Section
Included In Box See The Features Section
Network Card Integrated 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet
Other Software See The Features Section
PC Card Slots 1 ExpressCard/54
Pointing Device Touchpad
Preloaded Operating System Windows Vista Premium
Processor Speed 1.66GHz
Product Dimensions 29.5(W) x 3.9(H) x 38.5(D) cm
Removable Storage Integrated 5-In-1 Digital Media Reader
Screen Type WXGA
Speakers Built-In Stereo Speakers
System Bus 667MHz FSB
Warranty 1 Year Limited Hardware


Cheers Again!

 

[Halos]

First off I will say that most of the time, Best Buy is pretty overpriced. Also I've never been a huge laptop enthusiast, as I use my computer for gaming, it's a little pricey to get a gaming laptop (and by a little I mean VERY pricey). But from when I have looked at laptops, I've noticed that if you know what you are looking for, you can often find something cheaper on warehouse like websites, such as Newegg.com. Also, if you go with Newegg, they offer extended warranty plans.

 

[Rage_3K_Moiz]

You can get the HP dv9500t with a GeForce 8600, a Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM, 160GB HDD and Windows Vista for just under USD$1500. For gaming though, get a Dell XPS instead. The build quality is much better than your average gaming laptop from HP etc.

 

[zazazoom]

Newegg don't take canadian customers
i usually look up ncix.com and tigerdirect.ca but
ncix laptops are pretty pricey. they look well equipped but pricey >_<

 

[zazazoom]

yeah actually i was reading on the HP dv9500t
but i can't find and canadian stores that carry this locally