this would be my minimum requirements so you'd not be initially disappointed and would still be happy enough for the near future.
Intel Core i5
4GB memory
that's it, everything else is standard these days, like huge hard drives starting at, at least, 1TB.
depending on budget and storage needs, I'd consider dropping the HDD for a SSD.
with laptops, they can be a very personal purchase, things like weight, size, battery life come into play - things desktop PC purchasers don't even have to think of.
also check out if it has enough USB ports, a DVD unit, what type of monitor port in case you want to connect an external monitor.