just providing additional clarification...
The miniDisplay port and HDMI port on the laptop are outbound (from the computer to a monitor) only, so they would not help. These are not bi-directional ports.
The USB drivers that used to allow what you want to do fell out of support in the Windows XP days, so a direct connection with that is not possible for the standard definition video import.
You did not tell us which Dell laptop... if it has an ExpressCard or PCMCIA slot, then adding a card with a firewire port is easy and inexpensive.
In addition to the already mentioned direct-to-DVD method is to get an "analog/digital converter". Black Magic (Intensity Shuttle), Elgato and others make them. Connect the camcorder's AV-out (not firewire) to the analog/digital converter box, connect the A/D converter to the computer's USB port. Launch the video editor, press play on the camcorder, import/capture the video...
As for using a laptop for video editing - it depends on the laptop and since we don't know anything about yours other than it is a newer Dell, it is impossible to know what yours can (or cannot) do and what issues you might have. Because your DCR-HC96 gets standard definition video to miniDV tape, getting that into the laptop is not a big deal for the laptop's CPU. High definition video might be exciting, but standard def is not so problematic. Most newer laptops have enough RAM to do what is needed (for standard def video importing and editing). If there are any specific issues, they will likely be hard drive space and external monitor square footage. An external monitor via VGA connection is easy enough to do. Adding an external hard drive to store the video project files is a USB connection away.