laptop = hard to upgrade.. more expensive to upgrade.. so, get the most you can right up front.

I would recommend nothing less than 3.0 ghz processor, 1GB of ram, dedicated graphics card with 512mb memory, 80gb hard drive and a DVD burner.. screen size, weight, size are all personal depending on if you are going to carry it with you. You might be tempted to get a 17" screen with all the bells and whistles.. for $999... but it weighs 10lbs! Try carrying that around and you'll quickly hate it. My laptop is older, but has 1 GB and 40GB HD and weighs only 4lbs... easy to carry, don't mind the portablity but it did cost $1500 back in the day. Just remember to really get something that fits what you need.. because unlike a desktop.. it's quite hard to upgrade.