1) MacBook or Standard OEM Laptop
Let's be honest, if you're using your laptop for the internet and research then all you really need are a web browser and an office suite. If you don't want to use the default programs in Windows or OS X, you can just use Firefox or Chrome and OpenOffice, which are all compatible with both operating systems so Macs and PCs aren't all that different. It mainly comes down to which interface you prefer. MacBooks are usually more expensive than PCs, but they are well worth the premium because you get a sexy design, unique apple software, quality customer service, the option to set up dual-boot so you can use Windows on it anyway, and the fun factor of learning a new OS. For PC notebooks, read on.
2) The Screen
I recommend an LED backlit screen because they use less power, are generally thinner, and have a better contrast ratio than the traditional florescent tubes based screens. I also like 14.1-15.6 inch sized screens. At the smallest size of 14.1" you still get the same resolution as a 15.6" laptop; the pixels are just smaller, so you get a more lightweight and battery efficient notebook without losing screen real-estate. On the other hand a larger 15.6" laptop will get you a full 101 keys keyboard, meaning you get the num-pad, which you won't likely find on something smaller. It's basically a trade off between convenience vs portability but I wouldn't get anything larger than 15.6". Lastly, I wouldn't get glossy screen laptops because of the glare but good matte screens are hard to find these days.
3) The Keyboard
As mentioned earlier, having a num-pad is a great feature especially for spreadsheets or programming related work. Alternatively you can separately buy one of those USB numeric keypads. Below is a Toshiba L-series laptop and an example of a bad keyboard layout (middle mouse click the image to enlarge)
There's an extra key between "left shift" and "Z" making the shift key smaller than normal. Similarly, there are 3 keys between "L" and "Enter" making the Enter key very narrow and weird to reach. Plus, being a 15.6" laptop, they should have fitted a number pad to the right of the keys making it a full 101 keys keyboard instead of wasting all that space on the sides. And there are French symbols all over the keys which are distracting if you don't know French. I'd stay away from laptops like this.
4) The Speed
My processor of choice is the Intel Core i5 series. It has turbo boost which allows your laptop to automagically overclock itself. For instance, if you're running a single threaded compiler, then the Core i5 (quad core) will know to temporarily increase the speed of the first 2 cores and slow down the other 2 idle cores. Hence, the power consumption and heat dissipation stays constant but your compiler will finish faster than on the stock frequency so you get all the benefits of overclocking without the risks. My 2nd and 3rd CPU picks are the Intel Core i3 and AMD Turion II X2 respectively. Below is a list of Intel mobile processors.
The standard 5400RPM laptop drives are what I prefer but if you want better performance there's an increasing number of laptops with 7200RPM drives, although they will use more power. But if you're plugged into the wall 90% of the time then that shouldn't matter too much. RAM speed is almost irrelevant for laptops in today's market but it should be at least DDR2 667. In fact most Core i5 laptops come with DDR3 1066 memory (the 1066 is the speed in MHz.)5) Other Considerations
It's a good idea to play with the laptop before buying it so you can see if the screen contrast is too sharp for your eyes, or if the keys are too small for your fingers, or if the USB ports are too awkward to reach. If you're camera uses an SD card then you should get a laptop with an SD card reader, which luckily most do. Reading peer reviews online is also very important as you can learn about flaws that you may have missed or the elusive issues that only appear after extended periods of usage. Laptops are also quite expensive in Canada, I would buy them in other countries if possible. Another benefit to that is you don't have to deal with the annoying bilingual keyboard that most Canadian laptops have. Some names I would consider are, HP Pavilion dv4/5, Toshiba Satellite A-series, Asus G or N-series, and Acer Aspire AS5-series.
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