I wouldn't get a compaq or an hp. They're not exactly known for their quality...and I've heard about problems with the cases of compaq's breaking after a few months of normal wear.
Toshibas and dells should be okay. IBMs are on the expensive side and unless you really need a lasting computer, I'd just go with something else.
I found
www.notebookforums.com to be very informative and helpful when it came to choosing a laptop.
Do you have any idea what types of games you'll be playing? Want to name a few? This could make a difference because if you're going for some new-ish games, you'll want about 512 ram (this is a pretty good amount in general) and the best graphics card for laptops right now (I believe this is still the radeon 9700 or something but I'm not sure).
If you're looking for portability, you should try to get a Pentium M processor. Make sure you don't confuse Pentium 4ms with these. They are very different. Dothans are the fastest as of now but a Banias should be just fine for your uses.
Hmm...smaller screens are probably fine but, since they're trying to fit more into less space, they might end up being more expensive.
Personally, I think this computer looks very good:
CL56
Oh and you may want to check out abscomputers.com. They've got pretty good prices and I've heard lots of good things about the company.
*edit* Oh and don't get a powerbook or anything apple (with the exception of an ipod) if you ever plan on playing games, transferring documents from school/friends computers to your own computer or if you've mainly worked with windows your entire life. The transition won't be fun and when you see the selection of games available to apples, you'll want to cry
The apples *are* pretty though
