Help me buy my 1st laptop

In addition to the memory (+1 gig) the processor is a T5600 (1,83GHz) and a couple of other differences like graphics and built-in camera (superfluous to me). I will list the full specs below.

Cooling pad... didn't think of that; thanks. btw it's the ones that sit under your laptop with 2-3 fans right?

@ lodore the deals on tesco aren't too enticing atm.

@ aigle - that's the first site to come up when I googled for info.

Cheers guys. I appreciate the advice.

 

Here is the specs of the machine (ACER Aspiron 5634) I'm considering:

Brand ACER
Processor Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor model number T5600
Processor speed 1.83 GHz
Processor bus 667 MHz
Processor cache 2 MB
Memory (RAM) 2048 MB
Storage (hard drive) 120 GB
SATA storage Not featured
Screen size 15.4 inches
Screen type Widescreen
Built-in wireless networking Yes
Wired networking Yes
Gigabit LAN Not featured
Optical drive Plays & records CDs and DVDs
Lightscribe technology Not featured
Operating system Windows XP Media Center
Windows Vista upgrade available Windows Vista Home Premium
Application software Not featured
Shared graphics Not featured
Dynamic graphics 256MB GF7300GO
Dedicated graphics Not featured
USB 2.0 slots 4
Firewire Not featured
Media card slots 5-in-1
PC card slots 1
Speakers Stereobuilt-in
Built-in bluetooth Not featured
Built-in webcam Yes
Watch & record live TV Not featured
Battery life (maximum) 2:00 hours
Laptop weight (kg) 2.8 kg

It's going for £649.99 which is 1278.01 USD, 1649.68 AUD, 986.119 EURO, according to x-rates.com

Or should I go for this, ACER Aspiron 5612, going for £499.99, 983.080 USD, 1268.98 AUD, 758.550 EURO, again according to x-rates.com.

Price difference £150, 294.930 USD, 380.701 AUD, and 227.569 EURO (x-rates.com)

 

If you have the cash I'd get ACER Aspiron 5634 of the 2.

 

Yup, that's it. I'd just wait until you actually get the notebook so you know what parts gets the warmest. There's all sorts of cooling pads, some with the fans at the top, some more near the middle. There's also some more suited for using on your lap while others are made for sitting on a desk. Some are also more portable than others (they fold up, etc).

I'd definitely go for the Core 2 Duo if you can. The 150 pound savings isn't worth it, IMO.