[flashbunny]

Avoid anything by compaq. Or hp, they've been dragged down to compaq's level.

Avoid celeron chips.

Safest bet is to just get a sony vaio with a centrino mobile chip.

[megimoo]

vios are the best I agree but they are pricy.
I found this add

Sony VAIO PCG-Z1VA Notebook PC (1.60-GHz Pentium-M (Centrino), 512 MB RAM, 60 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive)

$2,299.00 Product Rating
Amazon merchant rating: $2,299.00 Usually ships within 24 hours

for much less money and performance perhaps try the I.B.M.notebook or go to the Dell site and try their offerings about 1/2 the price of the Vios .
At the smae time at Dell look at their Wi Fi
but if you go for a home type wireless network you
will have an security problem with youe system on-air and
wide open to the worlds hackers !

Or go and ask any college kid what they have and what their school uses,they all require them these days .
73's

[Petronski]

Sony VAIO is reputedly VERY good stuff.