So it's time to buy a new laptop

[VinnyVideo]

My Asus laptop has served me well for over four years. It's taken me through grad school and many of my undergraduate classes, and it's played a vital role in every job I've had - not to mention all the time I've spent making games and doing MFGG stuff on it. Unfortunately, it's almost reached the end of its illustrious career. The display is dangerously close to separating from the body of the laptop, and it's not the kind of laptop that's designed to do that!

This means it's time for me to acquire a new laptop. I have a pretty good idea of what I want - I'm probably going to end up spending about $500-600 for a mid-ranged laptop. Part of me wants to spend a little more, but I don't use my PC to play 3-D games, and if I wanted to go that route, I'd just buy a video game console that's newer than the original Wii!

Who here has bought a laptop lately? What brand did you get, and what did you think of it? I'm unsure about whether to get another Asus - they seem to be great about staying cool even in hot weather, but a lot of the reviews I've seen have suggested that they're a bit on the flimsy side.

Also, feel free to chime in with the age-old Intel vs. AMD debate. I've always been an Intel person, but it seems Intels are especially vulnerable to a recently-discovered security exploit, so I've been pondering trying an AMD this time.

Course clear! You got a card.