Just to chime in on computer shopping, I did a lot of research last year before I decided on an Acer Aspire laptop. Right now the laptops are cheaper for what you get than desktops. I went with the Acer in part because the keyboard feels more like a regular one, with shaped keys. I also needed the touch screen, but they also do regular ones. Then Jim picked a Lenovo, and after working with that I decided that I liked my Acer even more.
I didn't think that I'd like a laptop, and had originally planned on getting a separate keyboard, but never did feel like I needed it. I do have a separate trackball/mouse since I never have gotten to like the touchpad. I pretty much use it like a desktop, always plugged in, but it is portable if needs be. The Acer doesn't seem to have as much bloatware as some of the others, and it was fairly easy to remove most of it.
