What type of laptop should I buy?

[Brian Kalaf]

There are 2 ways to go here. You could go with an AMD A-series processor, or an Intel Core i processor. The Core i processors are a little faster but cost more than the AMD processors and are not as good at graphics or video. For the applications you mentioned you could go with a Core i3 processor, or an AMD A-4 processor. The A-6 processor is faster and more powerful than the A-4 and can usually be found for not much more money. In laptops the most reliable brands are ASUS, Samsung, Lenovo, and Toshiba. Here are a few to consider at Best Buy:

HP Pavilion Model: g7-1316dx SKU: 4839117 $399.99
AMD A-4 Dual Core Processor
4GB DDR3 RAM
320 GB Hard Drive
Radeon 6480 Graphics

Toshiba Satellite Model: L755D-S5106 SKU: 4791091 $399.99*
AMD A-6 Quad Core Processor
4GB DDR3 RAM
500 GB Hard Drive
Radeon 6520 Graphics

Samsung NP305E5A-A03US $449.99*
AMD A-6 Quad Core Processor
4GB DDR3 RAM
500 GB Hard Drive
Radeon 6520 Graphics

Gateway Model: NV55S04U SKU: 3005237 $479.99
AMD A-6 Quad Core Processor
4GB DDR3 RAM
500 GB Hard Drive
Radeon 6520 Graphics

ASUS Model: X44L-BBK4 SKU: 3672031 $379.99
Intel 2nd Generation Core i3 Dual Core Processor
4GB DDR3 RAM
500 GB Hard Drive

The models I listed that have asterisks after the price are special purchase models and are restricted to your stores on hand stock, once sold out, they are no longer available.
I hope this helps!!