A simple answer on how to get data to your laptop. Use a USB-stick. They come in 4 GB or 8GB size, and that's good enough for most of us.

Moreover, laptops are fairly standard. They have a keyboard, a screen (size can vary), WiFi for wireless communication, audio, not too advanced graphics (but you won't need that either), a big enough hard disk, a lot of USB-slots, a DVD-RW built in, Ethernet connection, sometimes a dial-up modem, often a webcam and often Firewire (to connect a video camera). And they tend to come with a version of Windows Vista, so you can install any program you need. Apart from use for intensive graphic games that would be fine.

If you go to Dell, for example, you can easily configure one of their models exactly as you want. Add 3 years warranty and you know it will be good for 3 years.
If you prefer another make, you can choose from numerous preconfigured models in any shop.
All laptops with a not too cheap CPU (I wouldn't buy a Celeron at the moment, Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD 64 X2 are worth the price difference) are suitable for you.

Don't forget to order a spare battery if you want to use it while travelling.

Kees


Kees