So it has to be a laptop because i will be traveling overseas for the next few years…
ok this one from Ibuypower.com:
Case ( Battalion 101 CZ-9 Ultra 15.4″ WXGA 1280×800 Widescreen TFT Notebook w/Li-ion battery, Universal AC Power Adapter Original Metallic Black )
Processor ( [New !!!] Intel® Montevina Core 2 Duo Mobile P8600 Dual-Core Processor (2x 2.4GHz/3MB Cache/1066FSB) )
Memory ( 4 GB(2 GB X2) DDR2-800 PC6400 [Notebook Memory] )
Video Card ( Mobility 512MB NVIDIA GeForce GO 9600M GT PCI-Express 3D Video )
Hard Drive ( 250 GB 5400rpm Serial-ATA-150 Super Slim Notebook Hard Drive )
External Hard Drives [USB 2.0/eSATA] ( None )
CD-RW/DVD-RW Drive ( 8x Dual Format DVD±R/±RW + 16x CD-R/RW Combo Drive [CZ-9 Ultra] )
Sound Card ( 3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard )
Fax Modem ( Built-in 56K V.92 Fax Modem [Notebook] )
Network Card ( Built-in 10/100/1000 Network LAN [Notebook] )
Mouse ( None )
USB 2.0 Accessories ( Built-in 3x USB 2.0 Ports [Notebook] )
Flash Media Reader/Writer ( Built-in 3-in-1 Media Card Reader/Writer [Notebook] )
Carrying Case ( SwissGear Synergy Notebook Backpack )
Operation System ( Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium + [Free 60-Day !!!] Microsoft Office 2007(Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Access ….) 64-Bit )
Media Center Remote Control & TV Tuner ( None )
USB Flash Drive ( None )
MP3 Player ( None )
TV Tuner ( None )
Video Camera ( Built-in 2.0 Mega Pixels Digital Web Video Camera )
Headset ( None )
Printer ( None )
Internal Wireless Network Adapter ( [Free !!!] Intel Pro/Wireless 5300 802.11 a/g/n Wi-Fi Link )
Warranty ( Warranty Service Standard One(1) Year Limited Warranty + Lifetime Technical Support )
TOTAL PRICE $1309.00 USD
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or this one from the local Best Buy store: ASUS G50Vm-X1
Warranty Terms – Parts1 yearWarranty Terms – Labor1 yearProduct Height1.3″Product Width14.7″Product Weight7.3 lbs.Product Depth10.4″Processor BrandIntel�Processor PlatformEnhanced Intel� Centrino�ProcessorIntel� Core(TM)2 Duo MobileProcessor Speed2.0GHzDisplay TypeWXGA widescreen display with Asus Splendid video enhancement technology and 1366 x 768 resolutionScreen Size15.6″System Bus667MHzCache Memory2MB on die Level 2System Memory (RAM)4GBType of Memory (RAM)DDR2Hard Drive TypeSerial ATA (7200 rpm)Hard Drive Size200GBOptical DriveDouble-layer DVD±RW/CD-RWOptical Drive SpeedsDrive speeds not specifiedDirect-Disc LabelingYesDigital Media Reader or SlotsYes, digital media card readerGraphicsNVIDIA GeForce G9700M GTVideo Memory512MBPersonal Video Recorder (PVR)NoTV TunerNoMPEGYesBuilt-in WebcamYesModem56 Kbps* ITU V.92 *Capable of receiving 56 Kbps downloads. However, current regulations limit download speed to 53 Kbps.NetworkingBuilt-in 10/100/1000 Ethernet LANWireless Networking802.11b/g/nS-Video OutputsNoneAdditional Audio/Video Connectors1 HDMIAudioAzalia audio chipSpeakersBuilt-in Altec LansingPCMCIA Slots1USB 2.0 Ports4IEEE 1394 FireWire Ports1Parallel PortsNoneSerial PortsNoneGame PortsNoneLaptop WeightStandard (more than 5.5 lbs.)Battery TypeLithium-ionPointing DeviceTouchpadOperating SystemWindows Vista Home Premium 64-bit with SP1Included SoftwareASUS DVD; PowerDirector; MediaShow; NERO Burning ROM and more
TOTAL PRICE $1249.99 USD plus tax

thanks for the suggestions!!