Heya,
I've just bought myself a new laptop, an Acer 1691WMLi, and I'm very impressed with it. Its got a good spec on it, perhaps not quite as much as you are looking at, but the build quality seems good.
Have you thought of maybe a Packard Bell computer, as they are essentially an NEC computer with a different name tag. My Mom has one and its a nice computer.
I'd tend to agree with 'Something Sexy' about steering clear of e-machines. I guess from the links to the laptops you are looking at that you live in America. I live in the UK, and one of the biggest electrical chains in this country is the Dixons group, who own amongst other things, a PC superstore called PC World.
They sell e-machines as a budget range comp, for people who want a 'cheap n cheerful' PC to get them up n running.
Another computer to perhaps steer clear of (though it hasn't been mentioned) is Philips, as I understand that they are Advent computers again with a different name. If you want to go for a Philips laptop, better to look for an Advent one with the same spec, as they are most likely the same comps in a different shell, plus you'll probably pay less for the advent.
One thing I would consider,(though you will probably already )know this...
I know that graphics cards can be very deceptive in laptops, and if you want to do gaming on your comp, make sure the graphics cards have their own indepentant memory, and not shared memory, as you end up losing some of your RAM to the graphics card. Not being too up on computer hardware, I was almost caught out by this!
I would like to point out that I am by no means a computer whiz, but I like to do my research into products before handing over my money.
Sorry to have rambled on a bit, but I know what its like wondering which laptop to go for.
And if I have got anything wrong in this, then I do apologise, I'm just going on advice I have been given.
I hope I may of been some little bit of help!
