Oh man...dual casting. Yea...I'm thinking you'll notice after a while that you'll be able to burn through just about anyone or anything w/out too much hassle. Was reading about how pure mages finally have a game where they can let go...which is very cool, I think. I disliked being a mage in the past because it never seemed like you could go on w/out having some form of hand weapon and armor.
D&D's Baldur's Gate (console) was the first time I'd ever messed around with mages and between the pink and blue-hued armor and the necessity of using blunt weapons to bolster offensive capabilities- and more of the same in the sequel, Dark Alliance...then Champions of Norrath I and II...I got soured on being a mage.
I know one thing...with the amount of spell casting and potion-making, you probably would never have need of a melee weapon. I'd keep a bow handy for the earlier parts (a bow is the great equalizer if you can sneak up on your enemies) and a dagger, if you like sneaking around, there's an upgrade you can get where using a dagger to backstab and your dagger's output is multiplied by 6 times!!! Enough to take almost anyone down with a single stab to the back.
I've never really been able to sneak up on them, but last night, I came across a set of dwarven boots that were enhanced with a 'Muffle' enchantment; what I did was destroy those boots at an Arcane enchanter table so I could discover the enchantment. I think there's at least one such table in every Hold; first one I found was in Dragonreach, the governing center for Whiterun Hold. It is in the court mage's room. Anyhow, cool thing is, now I can use that enchantment on any piece of armor I want (that isn't already augmented w/another enchantment); I found a necklace that carried a Sneak enchantment; between that and Muffle, they'll never hear me coming!
If you're doing a warrior type, I highly suggest investing in your Smithing ability. I'm a Level 25 Warrior, but I'm wearing high-end enchanted Glass armor (remember, I'm going for the light armor type this go-round), with enchanted Glass weapons (sword and recurve bow); the sword is augmented by Fire and the bow by Frost enchantments, adding additional damage to their already high output.
You know you're bad ass when you can take down two Giants and a Mammoth and only need one health potion during the fight. You can't really outrun them once you've got their attention...I mean you can, but really, who runs from a fight in a video game?
But they're not slow pokes...once they get up to speed they're like buses...they just keep coming.
Oh, and don't discount the Shout ability. Unrelenting Force, once you learn all three Words, is just plain awesome. A three stage type of power...tap the left lower trigger (at least on a PS3 it works this way) and you see a wall of force erupt from your mouth to your opponents; hold it down for just a sec and you get the second stage of that power. I've never used the third stage yet...have not needed it. The first stage is enough to stop a mammoth in its tracks!!! Just enough for you to give it to him good from the flank!
I don't know if you've noticed it yet, but it has some pretty cool final kill animations, not unlike Assassins Creed. First few times it happened, I wasn't sure what was going on...look at all this crap I typed; guess it is safe to say I like the game.