Laptop suggestion for university

I am going to be heading to university in September, to start a games development course and would like some help with finding a suitable laptop.
It needs to be able to multi-task, run some demanding programs as-well as play latest games (if possible)
My budget would be around the £500 mark, I can afford more if necessary to get a decent laptop but obviously the more money i can save for uni the better.
So any suggestions, or even tips on what to look out for will be greatly appreciated
Answer #1
Check out the new ENVY 15 or the DV6 quad edition series from HP. Invest wisely once and reap the benefits for years. The only problem with HP is their HDD. If possible, get a SSD with the laptop.
Answer #2
Any laptop with i5 cpu with 4gb should be fine of the major brands.
Answer #3
i suggest you go with mini series. its good for university. very lightly, good performance & best for students
Answer #4
from experience, a 17″ laptop in too bulky to be convenient to carry around campus or in a backpack.
Answer #5
ok thanks for the suggestions so far,
can i ask about the Dell XPS 15. it seems like it would suit me seems powerful enough to run programs i would need in the course and ive also seen a number of videos on youtube and it can apparently run games like arkham city and battelfield 3 ok.
i can find one in the dell outlet store for slightly over my suggested limit.
incase anyone isnt familiar with it the specs are:
Processor : 2nd generation Intel® Core™ i7-2760QM processor
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium
6 GB Dual Channel DDR3 1333MHz Memory (2 DIMMs)
750 GB SATA Hard Drive (7200RPM)
8X Tray Load CD/DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive)
Display: 15.6 inch High Definition Display with TrueLife
Graphics : 2GB NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 540M Graphics Card (Dedicated)
English Genuine Windows 7 SP1 Home Premium (64Bit OS)
Wireless: Intel Centrino Wireless-N 1030 (1×2 b/g/n+ Bluetooth Combo Card)
LCD Back Cover : Silver WLAN
anyone have experience with this laptop?