What kind of conditions are you planning to ride in, and how are the roads? If the roads are fubar, you may want to get a model with a carbon fork or put on slightly fatter tires. Are you planning to ride in winter, does it snow where you are? If so, you may well want to think about fenders, not only to keep you clean, but to keep salty road goo & slush off the bike & corrosion prone parts.

For laptop & lunchbox, you may want to look into a rack with a laptop trunk bag, lunch may be able to fit too, depending on model. Other option is to use backpack.

Basing it all on your confidence level as a rider and your budget, it may do you good to get something a little more expensive if it meets your needs better, otherwise getting a less expensive basic model till you find your groove may be the best option.

One last thing on gears... If you are dealing with hills, it is a nice thing to be able to switch to a lower gear if you have a heavier load that particular day. That in mind, check the tooth counts on the cassette & chainrings, as that is what will translate into the climbing power you end up with.

- Andy