If you have BigLots stores around, check it out.  They have an excellent and portable (5.08lb) HP Core 2 Duo laptop for just $549 after this $50 rebate.  The specs are impressive: Core 2 Duo P7350 (the latest energy-efficient C2D from Intel), Windows Vista 64-bit Home Premium, 4GB DDR2 RAM expandable to 8GB, 320GB HD, 14.1" LCD, Media Accelerator X4500, 8X DVD±RW with dual layer, wifi a/g/n, eSATA, 5-in-1 media reader, HDMI, remote, and webcam.  Laptops with similar specs and weight are hard to find and cost several hundreds more.