1st choice would be a decent screen resolution so I can work with programs that have lots of floating stuff (Like Photoshop)
alternatively, I'd be willing to look at smaller screens if the laptop was quite small. I'd probably take it with to more locations so it would get more use.
alternatively, I'd be willing to look at smaller screens if the laptop was quite small. I'd probably take it with to more locations so it would get more use.
I'd recommend you get a fairly small laptop (but not too small that you have to compromise on the keyboard) - if you get a large, heavy, bulky laptop you'll most likely regret it as I did once, even if it is fast.
Personally I prefer having a really fast desktop, complimented with a nice, lightweight portable laptop. Gaming laptops are almost always a bad decision IMO because they inherently have heating issues (so much power in such a small space), and generally weigh a ton.
My laptop is a Sony Vaio SZ750 - it's carbon fiber, 13.3" screen, 4 pounds, lasts 5-6 hours on battery, has a full-power CPU and low-mid range GPU, so is fast enough for anything but heavy gaming (it can play BF2 just fine, for example), and has a screen that's better than my desktop monitor (brighter, better contrast, etc.). I got it for $1380, and I'm sure you can find similar deals.
Regarding XP, most business class laptops at least give you the option to install XP - my SZ for example came with an XP Pro downgrade disk (which worked fine).
I would probably be running XP now if it wasn't for these things:
1. XP lowers your battery life drastically unless you install power management software additionally
2. XP's font rendering on LCD screens looks horrible and almost illegible compared to Vista - it effectively requires you to turn up your screen's brightness, lowering battery life
3. After using Vista's instant search features and other improvements for a day, there's no way I'd willingly go back to XP. The only thing I don't like about Vista is it's incompatible with one of my 10-year old programs, but that's not too bad.