Curious about laptops

Hi! this is the first time for me to be in the notebook/laptop sections, i usually reside in the main Desktop hardware. I am looking at a laptop for fall of 2008. I know that is quite a ways away, but I would like to get one NOW so I can take it all over my house and not be confined to my room all the time.

I'm looking for something with a 15.4 inch screen, a dual core cpu (Unsure about AMD and Intel's chips now...), 1gb ram minimum ( I can always upgrade myself No prob...), and at least a 100gb hd..
I would like this laptop to be comfortable for typing and have a decent battery life for when I go to college. I plan on doing gaming on my desktop, not on this laptop.

My price range goes from around $700 USD to $1,250 (theoretically) and I need (of course) some productivity software too.

I don't know if now is a good time to start looking, or waiting 'till next summer to find a laptop.

I just want to get a good headstart on understanding laptops before I buy.

Thanks...

Okay.

I have looked at Asus laptops and they caught my interest. however, there are mixed reviews on them from what I've read, so I'm not too sure yet...Plus, I dont' think that battery life is wonderful, and that's important.

I was thinking maybe an HP (I really like HP, even though I've never had one before...) since my dad gets a discount through his workplace for HP and even Dell. Dell, on the other hand, I do not like. I dunno about their laptops, but I do have a dimension that has made it for four years with modifications and it is still whimpy even by the standards in early 2003.

I would LOVE to get an alienware, just for the sake of having a cool looking laptop, but HP seems to have hit my sweetspot. I will continue to look at Asus laptops too.

So, it does sound like I should wait until early spring of next year to late summer.
Cool. I just wish I could have one now, but I would like it to last my whole way through college.

Sweet.

Another reason I like HP over Dell, is that I just like their overall look of their systems and they are quiet common in stores. Dell, I do not really like their design of their laptops (barring their high end XPS laptops...) too squared off for me. Ugh..

Plus, I haven't had an HP yet. My friends have them (desktops and even some laptops), and I like them over my dimension 4550 (the same era pcs too...). The HP laptops just look sleek.

I will keep up on laptop stuff as best as possible until the magic day arrives...Hope it is coming soon!