DOMODOMODOMO You guys are great . I'll talk to N on the weekend and figure out what our needs are and then get back.

 

Thanks for all the build offers guys, but it seems a laptop is what will suit us best. Easily transportable and takes up way less space. I guess we are looking for something that has:
- a fairly large screen (16-17")
- 2-4 Ram
- CD player
- Dual Core
- 160 HD
- XP (anyone on Windows 7? comments)
- wireless
Would like to go dependable and inexpensive as opposed to cheep (last years model, but new, or recondititioned).
We'll mostly be doing word processing, some power point and of course internet surfing. No gaming or fancy stuff.
Thinking I should wait for the Christmas sales to start or the New Models to roll out.

 

i would take a look at dell's inspiron 17s. not the best processor or graphics but its enough for you guys. regarding dell's reliability and stuff, some people like it, some people absolutely hate it. i personally hate dell's desktops but its laptops have been a lot better.

the base inspiron 17 should be good for you guys.
17.3" 720p screen
4gb DDR2 RAM
8x dvd burner, cd burner, dvd player, cd player
pentium dual core T4300
320gb hard drive
windows 7 home premium
wireless N

$699 plus tax with free shipping on dell's website

personally, im not the one with extreme hates over vista, but windows 7 has really changed windows a lot. its better, sleekier, easier to use, less crashes, not a memory hog anymore. its what vista shouldve been when it came out. i would recommend windows 7.

you can check out http://www.notebookreview.com/
its probably the biggest laptop review site as far as i know. great reviews too.
you will be able to find everything you need there.

 

7 bills is more that our budget, but I'll check the site out, thanks.