I'm seeking advice about a laptop I'm hoping to buy for college. I'm looking at a Dell 8600 with the following specs:

Pentium M 725 (1.60A GHz/400MHz FSB)
15.4 WSXGA+
Windows XP Home
512MB DDR SDRAM
128MB DDR ATI's MOBILITY RADEON™ 9600 PROTURBO
60GB Hard Drive at 7200RPM
a 48WHr Additional Battery (can run off two batts at same time)

The deal is: I'm being a picky bastard that wants everything. Something with good battery life, is a decent size that I can use to take notes in classes, but I'm also a gamer. Would this thing play, say, Far Cry? Maybe stay decently powerful for the next four years worth of games (I'm being hopeful here)? I'm also on a budget of $1800. Thanks much!

youll be able to get a good lap/comp for gaming if you have that budget

Not too bad (for a laptop) but don't dream : it will not stay "decently powerfull" for the next four years (for games). In fact it's only "enougth" actually so... I give it 2 years. For this price you could have a really good "real" PC! However it's different!
If you have time, you should wait until xmass or january (in France we have big offers then and maybe that you have it too - "balances" in english?).

I'm thinking of hitting the stores right after christmas, when everyone stops buying their christmas computers and all that, hopefully some stores will have overstocks, but that's not too likely with computers. But hey, maybe I'll get lucky!

And yeah, I was looking to get a desktop, but I'll be taking my computer places. I'll be in engineering, I'll be taking it home for summer, a road trip or two, god knows what. a desktop really wouldn't work for me.

I'm loving your blue eye pic, SG-N, its awesome

Thanks :)

If you just move your computer for summer that's fine : you can take a desktop. A laptop is better only if you take it at school... or if you don't have a lot of space in your room!

yeah, i'd take your desktop and buy a smal lappy for taking notes on..
your desk top could also be reasonably portable!
have you tried a 'cube' computer case?
like a shuttle or something?