OK, some of you are just WAY more brilliant than I am when it comes to electronics/computer stuff. Maybe you guys can give me suggestions and help me out.

I have Onenote that I would like to try using because I like the feature that will allow me to record what is being said so that I can replay that part of the lecture if I miss something. I would also like to be able to record my lectures and burn them onto CDs so that I have something to listen to during the 40-minute commute.

I am trying to figure out if there is a voice recorder (of decent quality) that I can plug into my computer as it records (so I can be using it with Onenote), but that will also allow me to then burn the recordings onto CD. Some, I'm wanting to kill two birds with one stone where I would otherwise theoretically be recording the same lecture twice. Can anyone help with this? Maybe, all I need is a great microphone to be able to use with Onenote and then do this (I haven't gotten that far in my Onenote ventures). But, I would love to have a voice recorder that could potentially be used alone.

So, can any of you tech-Gods help?

You were on the right track.  As long as your laptop has a mic-in jack, all you need is a good mic, one designed for large lecture halls, not dictation.  There are good ones that can do both though.  When you use the OneNote record function, it saves the recording as a WMA file in the OneNote directory.  All you have to do is use Microsoft's Media Player, or another media player that recognizes WMA files, to burn them to CD.  If you use Media Player, just have it continuously monitor your OneNote directory for new files.  Then, every time you do a new recording it will automatically show up in Media Player and you can burn it. Also, if you own a digital music player other than an iPod, you can just sync your recordings with it and then listen to them with your DMP.  It'll save you on burn time and CDs and allow you to listen whenever/wherever you want.

bla bla bla...who cares and does it really make a difference?

obviously the OP cares or they wouldn't have asked... and in the end, no, it doesn't make a difference if it doesn't make a difference

I went back and forth on this for my T43 as well, even looked at an X41's 12" screen.  In the end I went with the 15" because I like a lot of screen real estate and while you don't have to use all that 15" offers, you can't use more than the 14" offers.  The difference in weight is not a factor for me.  If weight was an issue I would have gone with the X41, but I found that screen too small to put windows side-by-side, which is how I plan on taking notes. 

As for screen resolution, my T43 has SXGA resolution (which is something like 1480 x 1050).  I have used 1280 x 1024 for the last three years on my desktop and the smaller resolution is not that big of a deal.  The fonts installed are larger than you would use on a desktop (for things like icon names and menu choices) so I have no problem seeing those, and when I type I either increase the font size or zoom in on the doc to over 100%, but I really don't need to do either.  Also, most laptops (including the T43) come with some kind of zoom feature, like Fn + spacebar, that allows you to magnify the screen instantly if needed.  But, again, I don't find it necessary at all and appreciate the extra real estate the higher resolution provides.

I would think that using a recorder would make you get more involved in class.  Instead of being concerned with typing/writing every word down that anyone says, you know that it's on tape if you miss something.  This would free you up to actually be interactive and attentive in class, worrying less about your notes and more about actively listening.

Well, everyone's military experience is a little different.  I happened to go through officer candidate school which is by far the toughest thing I will ever do in my life.  We averaged 3-4 hours of sleep a night for 14 weeks, with physical and academic training from 5:30am to 12am everyday.  Then, after Armor school I went through the scout leaders course, which is basically staying awake for two straight weeks while doing tactical exercises in the woods of Ft. Knox.  Then Iraq.  So, everyone's experience is different.  The mental challenges were there in the Army, but certainly they were of a diffrent type and scale than law school will be.  When I said that I felt prepared for law school by my Army experience I really meant that I know what it feels like to suffer for something you believe in, and I've developed a discipline and determination that I think will serve me well in school.