buttermeblue2

Hi,
I need some help picking out a laptop for school, I have about $1,000-1,500 to spend on it. It's going to be used mostly just for school and web browsing,maybe some music but not a ton. I was thinking about getting a Dell but a friend of mine had hers for 2 months before it overheated and fried it's own motherboard. Which companies are best? I'll be a commuting student so durability plays a part in what I need. Also is buying a laptop online a good idea or should it be bought in-store, as far as warrenties would it be easier or safer from in-store? Also which add ons are worth getting, like with Dell computers you can customize it to add RAM or media things?

Thanks for any help