Tech Support

I'm in the market for a new laptop. I currently have a 17" laptop with full-size keyboard and 10-key, 1.6 GHz, 1 GB RAM, 120 GB harddrive. I use my computer for watching videos, internet, photo editing, and listening to music. I have external speakers and hard drives, so I'm not all that concerned with harddrive space. I do not game - at all - so I'm not concerned with high-end graphics for gaming or video editing, but I still want good enough graphics to do photo editing.

I am also on very tight budget, or else I'd get a Mac. And no, I have no interest in learning Linux at this time - I want something I that doesn't require any new programming or language skills at all and that will run all the windows-based, industry-specific software that I use at work. Now that Macs have the whole dual-boot process working pretty well, I'd consider a Mac, but I can't afford the equivilent computer that I can in a PC.

So, here are the two I'm considering. Does anyone have information positive or negative about either? I'm aware that all windows-based PCs occasionally have a bad egg in the basket, so a single anecdote of "my cousin, who doesn't know anything about computers, bought that one and it sucked" doesn't help. But a statistical DOA rate might.

And yes, I know that Windows Vista sucks, but I either can't afford the modelsl that are still available with XP, or they don't have XP on a 17" screen laptop. I've been running Vista for 2 years now and I've got the hang of how to work around it's stupidity, so if I fail to remove Vista from the new laptop like I was unable to on this one, I can deal.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9166635&type=product&id=1218041148373
HP Pavilion Laptop with AMD Turion™ X2 RM-72 Dual-Core Mobile Processor

The important bits here are, 17" screen, AMD Turion dual-core processor, 4 GB RAM (expandable up to 8 GB), 320 GB hard drive, $699.99

( Specifications for the Pavilion )

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834147921
HP G70-250US NoteBook Intel Pentium dual-core T4200(2.00GHz) 17.0" Wide XGA+ 3GB Memory 320GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi Intel GMA 4500M

Here, the important bits are 17" monitor, 3 GB RAM, 320 GB hard drive, intel dual-core, $699.99 after instant & mail-in rebates.

( Specifications for the Notebook )

Very little difference. One is a fraction of a pound heavier, one has 1 more GB of RAM, one has 1 more USB port (but I have several hubs). Both are the same price but one requires a mail-in rebate. I'm ordering several external hard drives from New Egg, so the benefit there is I can add it to the total order and I might save on shipping. So, because they're so similar, I'm looking for anything to tip the scales in favor of one or the other. Suggestions?