Like I tell friends when they ask (they all think I am some sort of computer expert- I must hang out with stupid people, lol....)
Figure out what you are gonna do with this computer.
Is it just to get online and do e-mails?
Is it to play games with (online, such as WoW, etc)
Is it to have lots of pics and or video?
Is it to store music and or movies?
Do you need a graphics program for making signs, banners, etc?
Do you want to burn DVD's?
Do you want to run all your finances off this computer?
Will all your nudie pics be password protected like they are now?
What you want to do with it will do a lot of the driving of what you should get. My friend with the HP has a big screen and his computer came with a remote. He watches lots of movies, so that is great for him.
My computer handles editing video well, but doesn't do the games so well. I don't do many games, so that is fine. I do wish now that I had sprung for the larger hard drive, but I have a 500gb external drive that is working well (video fills it up fast. Just 1 week in Mexico got me 29GB of video.. YIKES!)
It's good to know your long term plans with a computer, especially a laptop, when you are shopping.