1. If price is a big issue you just can't beat configuring a v2000z at hpshopping.com starting at $529, but still able to stack this unit with options like LightScribe DVD and come out with something fancy for well under a grand. The wait sucks though ( 2 weeks, built in China)
And Dells are pretty cheap these days.
2. As a side note, I was looking at one of the v2000s at a store today, the model# with the Turion 64 in it, and the area around the touchpad seemed quite warm, even warmer than a similar model next to it with the Sempron 3000 in it. The AMDs might perform better than a Celeron but heat factor might be more of an issue, I'm guessing.
3. Truth is, Compaq and Dell and even HP are not the best choices for longevity. Heck, they're all pretty much made the same. That's not to say that if you take care of your budget laptop you can't get a good 3-5 years out of it with a little luck. Alot of people underestimate the inherent fragility of notebooks and abuse them and then blame the manufacturer when something goes wrong. I bet well over half of all customer complaints to tech support have nothing to do with build quality and everything to do with neglect.
Anyway, I think IBM/Lenovo, and Apple are better bets for quality/dpendability but need to be revised with the times a little. Have you considered an iBook or a PowerBook?
Fujitsus are sweet, have really come of age but remain rather pricey.
4. Sony's are a bit more expensive but you gotta love the crisp screens and cool features on say, the Vaios. I'd say Sony PCs are of better quality than HP/Compaq and Dell.
5. All things considered, I'd skip all of these and consider the holiday upgrade of the 14" 5 lb. Toshiba m55 (m55-s139) which you can get at Office Depot for $999 if you can deal with a Celeron 380. The similar s-329 has a Pentium M and it's $1149.
I feel a little more comfortable buying a Toshiba over a Compaq.
I cannot seem to make up my mind here.
First of all, let me say that, for now, I am mostly turned off of the Dell 600m because of the ENORMOUS negative reviews here on CNET regarding faulty motherboard, graphics, screen, and such within such a short period of time. Honestly I was shocked as so many people say that Dell is reputable, etc, etc, etc...
So unless someone can convince me otherwise I am down to comparing the Compaq v2000z and Sony S480.
I am completely stuck here and I have read so many reviews that I am starting to loose my mind. LOL. One note that I have found common amongst almost ALL laptop reviews is some type of complaint that the units are hot... okay well I guess I will never escape that *shrug*
However, I have seen many varying comments on battery life. This is a big deal to me, and I think it is for most people. I thought that Turion was supposed to be the new big craze and even better than a Pentium M? I have read reports going both ways. So which is it? lol.
For the most part both of these laptops meet my needs. Small and powerful. The nVidia / ATI graphics are great even though I'm not a hardcore gamer, I would like to play something every now and then... even so, the GPU probably still benefits DVD viewing and overall unit performance.
I have looked at other 13.3 and 14" models, but the Fujitsu s2000 and s6000 doesn't seem to stack up pricewise, and I have checked Toshiba Satellite M50 but the price doesnt match either with similar upgrades.
Yes the Sony is expensive, but I have considered getting a new or like new model (2 weeks old or less) on Ebay and just purchasing a warranty from Sony (called and theey said it was fine as long as its a U.S. serial#).
I am truly between a rock and a hard place. HELP! 
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