We know, the vast majority of you either graduated or got past one more wave of exams this past week, but there's no better time to buy a lappie for school than when you actually have time to enjoy it, right?

"I'm looking to buy a laptop before I head off to college in a few months. I know there's too many choices out there in each category to ask for specific recommendations, but I'm wondering how current students feel about their machines. Is a subnote potent enough for university use? Is an ultraportable a better alternative? Or should I get a full-blown 15- to 17-incher as an all-purpose rig? My future GPA is hinging on your responses."

Let's hear it, bookworms. Is that CloudBook / Eee / 2133 Mini-Note treating you alright? Or would this poor freshman-to-be be better off with something larger? Toss out your opinions below -- friends don't let friends buy the wrong computer. If you'd like our readers to study a question of yours, send us an inquiry at ask at engadget dawt com, capiche?

Late last year, you dear readers chimed in with your opinions for best earbuds in the land. Now, however, Ask Engadget is comin' atcha from a slightly different angle. Take it away, Jose:

"I'm looking for some good headphones for around $150. I hate earbuds (so uncomfortable and the audio quality seems to depend on the angle that they're stuck in there,) so now I'm looking for full-on cans. I've been told both positive and negative things about Bose cans, but I'm looking for a few more opinions here. Help me and my ears!"

Just as a note, we got the impression that Jose would be willing to stretch that budget a bit if a real winner was available just north of two bills, so feel free to pass out suggestions even if they're a touch pricier than what was mentioned. If you're looking to have your question heard loud and clear, shoot it over to ask at engadget dawt com and wish upon your lucky star(s), alright?

Kids these days. Gifted with cellphones before they're able to walk, texting before they can write and wrecking mum's DSLR before they can even earn an allowance. In order to nix that last issue, many parents are looking to snag a point-and-shoot that wouldn't be too overwhelming for the average kiddo, yet could stand the abuse and churn out somewhat respectable images. According to Sean:

"I have tried a couple of child-specific digital cameras on the market and have been unhappy with them. They are poorly made and take really crummy pictures. Does anyone have a recommendation for something that takes decent pictures (over 3-megapixels, please) and that you'd be comfortable turning over to a 10 year old?"

We'll go ahead and assume Mr. Sean wants to keep the price point low, and while finding a kiddie camera with decent quality may be tough, feel free to include suggestions in comments for digicams you've had that have survived unspeakable catastrophes. Want to get your inquiry up in here next week? Shoot us a line at ask at engadget dawt com and we'll see what we can do.

Yeah, you definitely have our permission to be incredibly envious of someone who is actually going to be motoring about in both Europe and North America on a frequent basis, but in all seriousness, we're betting Sneaker isn't the only chap out there looking for the best GPS for intercontinental travels.

"I'm headed to Europe in the near future and will be doing some extensive driving. Thus, I'm wondering which GPS units your readers have found to be effective for cruising on the back-roads of Europe, while still getting the job done in North America as well? Would appreciate some recommendations."

You'll notice a budget is glaringly absent here, so feel free to toss out your recommendations from low-end to princely. Meanwhile, you can beam in a burning question of your own by writing us at ask at engadget dawt com -- who knows, you might find your very own words in this space next week.

Most of us are so firmly entrenched in supporting our next-gen console of choice that it's hard to remember why we chose it in the first place. Or is it? Alex would like to know:

"I am interested in buying a gaming console but am stuck at which one. I've never gamed much before, so I want a consle that is well-rounded, with a good mix of games, and I do prefer a regular controller over other designs. I already have a PSP, which I use for movies, and I think it would be nice to use an Xbox 360 controller with my computer, as a replacement for my aging Flight Simulator joystick. Ability to play media over my home network would be neat, but not necessary. Price is not a major issue, but I'm not looking to invest a lot in accessories and add-ons. All the consoles have different features that appeal to me, but I am not sure which one to buy. Hope I can get some help."

Obviously the format war aftermath has a bit of weight in this decision, and the PS3's been picking up steam in other metrics as well, but he's looking for a games machine so Blu-ray alone isn't going to make the winner here, and the Xbox 360 has been on top for a while. Got any opinions? Come on, don't be shy. Oh, and if you have a question of your own for Ask Engadget, send it on in to ask at engadget dawt com. Messages that begin with "Dearest Engadget" will receive extra consideration.

Considering it's the buying season and all, we're not shocked to see this one come rushing into the Ask Engadget inbox. But considering the multitude of options out there, we'd say it's bit too late to go on a week long research bender in order to pick a victor.

"Keyboards have come a long ways. There used to be just a few to choose from, but now my options are nearly endless. What's the best keyboard out there? I'm looking for something that can handle the occasional WoW raid, a few hours of Counter-Strike and still make writing my dissertation as comfortable as possible."

So, there you have it. Take a step back, let it simmer on your brain a minute, and then hit us all up with your best shot. Feel free to toss out a few options if you can't pick a bona fide winner. We're sure next week we'll be getting all sorts of inquiries from folks wondering how to hack some off the wall holiday gift into a useful piece of kit, so feel free to send those -- along with any other applicable questions -- to ask at engadget dawt com.

It's Ask Engadget time, which means we've got another conundrum for the collective wisdom of our learned readership (that'd be you):

"What should we stick in our ears? Apple's earbuds aren't cutting it, and most other DAP manufacturers are shipping headphones that are just as bad. We don't want to buy any old replacement set, but high-end earbuds can get ridiculously expensive real fast, and we'd like to avoid that if possible. Anything decent in the $99 range? Anything worth paying a lot more than that?"

We're sure there's somebody out there with an opinion on this, so let's see what you've got. Oh, and we're sorry for running our own staff-submitted questions a couple weeks in a row. We've been getting some great questions sent in to ask at engadget dawt com, but unfortunately most of the topics have been touched on recently or aren't quite relevant enough to dive into. Keep 'em coming and we'll get your name up in lights before you know it.

You might've noticed the recent uptick in mobile industry news, which comes courtesy of the annual Mobius conference currently taking place in Amsterdam. It's pretty clear that the future is bright, what with 700MHz, 4G, a new Windows Mobile, Android, and a 3G iPhone all on the way, but what about the here and now? What we're wondering is:

"What's the best 3G smartphone currently available in the States?"

And yes, we mean 3G. You know, that hip cool thing that Apple isn't terribly fond of, which brings high speed internets, effective tethering, streaming video and music downloads on the run -- while supposedly beating battery life to a pulp. We're also talking about what's available in the here and now, but it could very well just be time to wait for the next great thing to come along, so be sure to let us know if that's the case for you. If you'd your own question answered, you can to hit us up at ask at engadget dawt com.

As evidenced by last week's Ask Engadget, it's pretty clear a few of you have an opinion on what to buy. But how about when? Ron wrote in wondering if the time is right for a new laptop:

"We're ready to replace our home laptop. Is it a good time to buy now or will there be many sales for Christmas time?"

Obviously plenty of sales are going to be cropping up around this time, but is he going to just end up with a dated clunker some big box was trying to clear its stock of? We suppose it differs between different tech categories. And for something like a laptop you've got to take into consideration generations of processor, graphics and connectivity technology -- if you're hoping to rock latest and greatest for any amount of time. Any tips for the man? And as always, you send in your questions to ask at engadget dawt com for your shot at harnessing the collective wisdom of Engadget's fine readers.

Excuse us as we again present one of our own questions for you, dear Ask Engadget reader, to solve: what mouse should we buy? While most of us here at the Engadget HQ have some considerable mousing experience, from roller balls to laser mice and everything in between (even the oft-dreaded Mighty Mouse), it'd take a lifetime to give every mouse a fair shot at revolutionizing our point and click experience, and we're afraid we might be missing out on some true gems. Any favorites? Any carpal tunnel horror stories? Anybody still rocking a trackball? Let us know how you do in the comments, and we'll be sure to return to reader-submitted queries, which you can send in to ask at engadget dawt com, next week.

Speaking of Korea, Samsung's P2 made its way into the States today, and you know what that means: it's time to start shopping for stereo Bluetooth headphones. At least that's what Bala's up to, who wrote in to Ask Engadget for advice as follows:

OK, I give up. I have been searching exhaustively for a Bluetooth stereo headset that's both lightweight, preferably the over-the-ear type and easily portable. I'd like to use it to listen music wirelessly from my iPhone (with an A2DP adapter) and my laptop which has Bluetooth. I'd also like to use it for voice calls (both with my iPhone and my PC), and that means it needs to have an integrated microphone. So far I have found only the BlueAnt X5 Stereo Bluetooth Headset to be meeting my requirements. Are there other headsets out there that would meet my requirements for under $125?

What say you guys, any favorites in the A2DP game? And don't say Kleer, that's cheating. Oh, and if you'd like your own question answered, be sure to send it in to ask at engadget dawt com.

Last week's question about HDTV opinions was a bit loaded, so we're going to take it down a notch for this week's Ask Engadget. Of course, there's always room for controversy next week, so be sure to send in your questions to ask at engadget dawt com. This week's feel-good query comes from Chad:

"As any reader of Engadget knows, the coolest stuff tends to always be stuck in Korea (or somewhere equally far away from Chicago). Luck has it though that I am going on assignment to Seoul in a few weeks and I was wondering... If given the chance to go to the Gadget Holy Land (Korea), what would you pick up? Also, if there are any Koreans reading this, where in / near Seoul should I go to procure these gadgets?"

Chad seems to have an enviable dilemma. With the endless quantity of South Korean gadgetry that's paraded across this site in recent years, anything particularly choice stick out? We're kind of partial to those 7-inch DMB / GPS / PMP units that transform into police bots at night and fight crime in the city streets, but that's just us.

We're a bit short on reader-submitted questions on Ask Engadget this week -- speaking of, send your questions to ask at engadget dawt com and you've got a good shot at getting it some air time -- but it's alright 'cause we've got a question of our own:

A buddy of ours is setting up a home theater, and has decided to really go all out. Unfortunately for him, there's no clear choice between display technology. DLP claims this, plasma claims that, LCD claims another, and there's always some dang projector floating around promising the bliss of unlimited screen size. So, assuming price is no object -- in the sense that he's willing to really invest here, not that he just likes flinging his money around -- and our buddy is looking for the best possible quality in his 42-inch+ display that will be situated in a moderately sized, fairly glare-free living room, what would you pick for him?

Hopefully that's enough to go on, but if not you can always resort to calling the DLP kids cheapskates and making fun of the LCD fans' refresh rates.

We've got ourselves a tall order here on Ask Engadget, Tony's looking for basically the holy grail of home media gadgetry, and while we're not sure he's going to get all he's asking for -- or even half of it -- we're always up for a challenge. Oh, and as always, don't be shy to send in your own ridiculous requests and more reasonable queries alike to ask at engadget dawt com. Here goes:

"OK, it's a torrent world now, as big media doesn't seem to get the fact that I want to watch what I want, when I want, how I want. So I'm looking for an easy, efficient NAS type device that will handle my torrents. It must:

• Work well with my Mac
• Allow me access when I am on the road (away from home) to add new torrents, see status, etc.
• Work with my Airport Extreme with a HD attached.
• Play nice with my Apple TV (how I watch most files I dl). Can also be used with a 360 if the ATV is a make or break.
• Expandable via drive bays or USB 2.0.
• Not be a power pig.
• Price is not really a major object, but of course good value is preferred.
• Must be quick and easy to add and delete torrents, as I don't have a lot of time to muck around.

What do you or the other readers suggest?"

Would you like fries with that Tony? But seriously, anybody got any pearls of wisdom and / or reality checks for Mr. Optimistic? He might just have to get crafty on his own with a little bit of Automator or perhaps the BitTorrent SDK itself, but perhaps we can get him halfway there. Oh, and it goes without saying that Tony's just looking to download the latest and greatest media released under a CC license for his free consumption, yes?

We covered the budget end of the spectrum last month on Ask Engadget, but the release of Sony's new Alpha A700 DSLR seems as good a time as any to tackle the DSLR market. Phil wrote in for help on choosing between the numerous attractive entry-level DSLRs out there:

"I've been wanting to do some photography for a while. I don't have much specific technical knowledge in terms of cameras, but I know the sort of stuff I like (macro, scenic, sports photography). I've never owned an SLR and thus I do not have any lenses and such, so I'm free to use any brand. I've read reviews comparing the Nikon D80 with the Canon 400D, and they mostly say that the D80 is more expensive, but the difference is worth the money. The Pentax K10D has been receiving favourable reviews and has just recently been voted the best camera in Europe (can't remember by whom). My budget would be around US$1000 including 1 or 2 decent lenses to get me started. I'm open to ideas of other cameras as well (Sony Alpha maybe?) Have to consider the "ecosystem" (i.e. availability / variety / quality of lenses available) as well."

Leave your suggestions for Phil in the comments, and don't forget to write in with your own questions to ask at engadget dawt com!