[Mr Rat]

Vista is not that bad...I was scared when I got it but it is good so far. Be sure and have 2gig ram with it (though mine never caps of 1gig).

Dell Laptop: I have a couple. I used to have a 17" screen but I like the 15.4" laptops better...it is a little more portable...but that is your preference to decide. I do suggest getting the best resolution on whatever laptop you choose (as suggested above).

Some suggestions:
-Get a video card on it
-Get best resolution
-Get true life (display option)
-If it does not bug you, go to the Dell Outlet and do a search for laptops with the size display you want, with 2gig ram, with 256M video card, and see what options come up. The ones that are labeled 'scratch and dent' are the ones that I would go for. But you have to look at the description to see what the actual display is...if it does not have the highest resolution, keep looking (most refurbs or scratch/dents have the lowest resolution so it is finding a needle in a haystack)...I had one refurb and one new computer and no issues on either
-If you want new instead, check out the Dell As Advertised sections and keep checking until they have a good deal (right now they do not)...you can save several 100 dollars from buying from that section instead of the normal section (I saved $300 by doing it this way)
-If you get new, then do some searches on 'Dell Coupons' to see what comes up

Hvae fun shopping!