HP touch screen v.s. other laptop and table, which one is better for going to animation school?

I want to buy a Touch Screen Hp laptop (TM2-1070) for $949.00 for my college. I am going to DigiPen which is a school for gamming and also animation. I wanted to laptop to be used for school papers, and using Photoshop. I really like the touch screen because tablets (same thing I know) are harder to use for me. Also it’s small, so it wouldn’t be a burden for me to carry around.
But my friends said I shouldn’t get it because it probably wouldn’t have enough memory on it to support Photoshop. They say to get a better laptop and buy a separate tablet.
Also some of my other friends suggested at looking at Luva (don’t know if I spelled this right) which I have never heard, or go to Fry’s and check it out.
I guess my question is would the HP be better or would getting a better laptop and tablet be better?
Also what type of laptop is good for Photoshop besides Macs