Buying and checking 2nd hand is not such a bad idea, if you first check out the overall condition of the machine and it has the specs you're looking for.

Or you can check NCIX as well.

Ultimately, it depends on the spec/setup you're looking for.

Good laptops can come under CAD$1000 quite easily nowadays.

I'll only do it second hand if you come with me >.> i don't know alot about laptopts except that they run D: lol

You might wanna hold off first though.

If a laptop isn't desperately needed on your end of things, and you can hold off till the Intel Core i5 gets intoduced to the mainstream market in the later parts of this year, the prices of the Core 2 Duo powered machines should fall, and it'd be a good time to purchase them.

nVidia is also introducing the GeForce GT200 family of GPUs to laptops as well, and I'd like to believe that for CAD$1500, you can get a very good specced machine.

For present performance/dollar value though, I presently recommend this machine:
http://www.ncix.com/products/index......p;promoid=1087

Large draws of this machine are its low 25W TDP, 4GB DDR2 800MHz RAM, 320GB 7200 RPM HDD and 1600x900 screen.

Try not to settle for anything less for 1440x900 screen for a laptop, and avoid the 1366x768 screens, since IMO, the extra width of the screen you get is not worth it for the height lost.

lol ok ill wait till the end of the year but in the meantime i think im gonna get like a $200 netbook just to get me by, i need the internetz :P i have nothing to do in abbotsford.

You might wanna hold off on that too
Dual-core netbooks are coming as well.

By August, the first netbook powered by the nVidia Ion chipset will be released by Lenovo (The S12 model) powered by the GeForce 9400 graphics subsystem.

That'll be the netbook I'd recommend, coming in at $499 (single core) and with a screen resolution of 1280x800. You'd be able to do some very light gaming on it, and most importantly, HD videos will not stutter on it.

The main drawback for the machine is that its large for a Netbook, trudging into the 12 inch screen region.

*bright idea*

Since I have 2 laptops with me right now, truth be told, I can lend you one of mine actually.

I'm about to do a customized XP reformat on this present system, and I can lend it to you after that.

The biggest problem lies in how to pass it to you since I basically have no time to go anywhere now x.x

dude you're a fucking sweetheart I'll totally take up that offer.

OKay, now we have to set a weekend by which I pass you this laptop =3

I'm fond of tigerdirect.com myself

Large selection but not much on deals that's for sure

I suggest NCIX personally

Kriegslist?

i don't trust them

NCIX is fine, you can also try express computers since thats the closest just go to the place that tiger host the cheesecake meets. or try black labs but they dont lower there prices but they do tradeins same with express computers and iv done work exp there so i trust them and i got my computer there too. the only thing they fuck up was the ide cable the wires where broken in it when it sead your HDD is dead stupid s.m.a.r.t. fuck best buy and other electronic stores they just rip you off with prebuilt computers :< but i know programs that cab get rid of the crappy software thats preinstalled. i'll help you shop for a laptop gritz :3