Just to chime in ...

-Decide if you want laptop or desktop.  The link provided would lead me to believe that you want a laptop
Personally I can't stand laptops and as a result know little about them

-OS .. this is determined by what you know and what applications you are going to use.
Have not used mac in 8 years so unless you are running 7.5.3 I can't help you
Windows- Avoid Vista if possible ... there are still too many bugs in this OS and it WILL make your life painful.
Linux - There is just too many and it comes down to personal taste ... Rhat for me ... but will take Irix on my Octane any day.

Memory: Unfortunately I think the minimum for any system if you plan to use it past the next 8 months will need 2 Gb or ram.  If you get 4 you should be set for some years to come .. but note that you must have a 64-bit operating system to take advantage of this otherwise your system will only see 2 gb  (for tech ppl yes I know there is a 3 gb switch).  Also note that I have 16 gb and sometimes run out of memory so depending on the work you do YMMV.

CPU: Depends on what you do.  I prefer AMD as I find the floating point calculations faster than Intel.  Really either CPU would be fine for mainstream applications.

Multi-Core CPU: Depends on what you do.  Realize that most software is not multi-threaded, so it can not and will not take advantage of the additional processing power on your system.  Vista try's to load balance process across the cores but is not perfect and in some cases makes things slower.  On a related note, I can't wait for my 30 core system to come shortly.  Can any one say whoosh ..

Video card: Not my thing .. but prefer Nvidia as it is generally more stable on Linux for me.

HD: (hard disk) 300 gb should be enough .. if your going to store mp3 and mame related stuff get another 500 gb drive for misc items and add another drive as it fills up.  There are also 1 tb consumer drives, have fun backing that puppy up.


Where to buy.

All vendors have their faults but as mentioned above .. if you want the least amount of hassle go with Dell as the tech and warranty support you purchase actually has some real service behind it.
If you go with another place like best buy and Future shop nothing bad will happen but you won't have an 800 number handy for the what if scenarios.  Also pay attention as the deal of the weeks computers are refurbished systems.

I've been using personal computers since the Osborne (what's that, somethign like 30 years ago now?), I was an Apple Registered Consultant, sold Macs, Ataris, Amigas and PC's for years, and a Network installer for a few more years, and today I do design and build websites for a living (for the past 10 years or so).

In laptops, I personally like higher end Toshibas the best, they keep their value and with a decent extended warranty (like Futureshop) they can be resold very easily at the end of their 3 year window lifespan.  I have a Mac and I tried to save money by buying a Dell Inspiron 6400 Notebook (decked out), I love Macs but as far as the software and performance I need I use the PC 90% of the time.  Given a new purchase I'd go back to Toshiba (depending on configuration), I had nothing but trouble with my Dell Inspiron (it was exchanged twice).  I was one day outside my warranty when I finally decided I'd had enough, but they wouldn't allow me to return it. Definitely not to buy for someone who has to configure hardware themselves and doesn't have the knowledge about what goes with what, in fact I made the mistake of purchasing a too high monitor resolution due to the sales pressure for "extras" and regret it - old eyes - (I use a dual monitor set-up with a Samsung Syncmaster 215TW which I love).  

I've had good experiences with Dell desktops and rugged workstations and servers though. My clients who have switched to Mac ibooks say they love them, and yet I watched one client struggle embarassed for 15 minutes to get a slide show to run properly.

All my clients HATE VISTA, though eventually you turn off the security and get used to it.  I personally continue to use WIndows XP Pro.

The moral of the story is that you need to shop in person, feel and test computers side-by-side and decide for yourself what you like and feel comfortable with.  Collect opinions yes, but they are as varied as opinions about the best pinball machines to play.

Quoted from Mrhide

To answer your question, if it's to replace your desktop, why are you looking at a laptop? are you travelling? sure it's fun to have one but for the same price, you'll be able to get a *much better* desktop.

Agree.   And if you really want portable internet surfing you can buy a cheap laptop for around $600.   This would play videos, surf the net, support a scanner by the workshop, etc.  But still use the desktop for intensive activities, and massive disk-storage (ripping dvds and storing the photos / videos / etc.)

The only beef I have about the two machines in the house - is bookmarking links, etc.   You may be surfing with the laptop and bookmark something that you later don't have when surfing @ the desktop.   There are tools like http://del.icio.us/ but they are not that convenient.

Thanks for the awesome feedback, guys!

I appreciate some of your suggestions on going with MAC, but my preference is for a PC. Oddly enough, I have a DELL desktop right now, but I've heard/read so many horror stories about their quality control recently that I wasn't even really considering them. I guess I should take another look!

I was thinking of going with a laptop so I could have more flexibility (ie: sitting on the deck, in front of the fireplace, etc) that I obviously would not have with a dekstop, but maybe I will reconsider this as well based on your comments.  

Yes, it will mainly be used for email and internet surfing, but also video, photos, TV, games....y'know, all the usual entertainment stuff. I just wanted to try and sort through the hype of dual core processors, video and audio cards to find out what to look for, and I truly appreciate everyone's advice.

Thanks!

Dave
http://usergallery.myhomegameroom.com/gallery/dmp65

Quoted from Tuborg

Agree.   And if you really want portable internet surfing you can buy a cheap laptop for around $600.   This would play videos, surf the net, support a scanner by the workshop, etc.  But still use the desktop for intensive activities, and massive disk-storage (ripping dvds and storing the photos / videos / etc.)

The only beef I have about the two machines in the house - is bookmarking links, etc.   You may be surfing with the laptop and bookmark something that you later don't have when surfing @ the desktop.   There are tools like http://del.icio.us/ but they are not that convenient.

Quoted from jonny_eh

Everyone knows that Vista is a piece of junk, and that's what you get if you buy from Dell.

That is SO not true...  You can still buy any of Dell's systems with XP or Vista, as I just added a couple of desktops for the office with XP Pro on them. (and the latest Dell flyer I received has all the new Vostro systems with Xp Pro or Vista, buyers choice)  The one thing you CANNOT get from Dell anymore is Office 2k3......

D.

Quoted from Tuborg

Agree.   And if you really want portable internet surfing you can buy a cheap laptop for around $600.   This would play videos, surf the net, support a scanner by the workshop, etc.  But still use the desktop for intensive activities, and massive disk-storage (ripping dvds and storing the photos / videos / etc.)

The only beef I have about the two machines in the house - is bookmarking links, etc.   You may be surfing with the laptop and bookmark something that you later don't have when surfing @ the desktop.   There are tools like http://del.icio.us/ but they are not that convenient.

For syncing bookmarks I recommend browser sync extension for firefox from google. I can sync my bookmarks/cookies/saved passwords between mutliple computers, with different OSes (as long as it supports firefox).

Get it here

If you are just gonna use it to watch videos, and read web pages, why not give an ipod touch a look?

Cool - thanks Johnny.   del.ic.ious was around 4 years ago - I guess I gotta keep up...

I'll chime in for Dell as well. The support and product are outstanding. I recently purchased 2 desktops for my company. I have no complaints with Dell and will continue to use them for future purchases. I find their prices are even cheaper for accessories. For example, I wanted an ergo keyboard and it was cheaper to order from Dell than buy it at Future Shop.

Regarding their support...We had one issue with our 2 systems and they shipped a replacement part AND took the defective component back w/o any cost on my end.

Duane

You don't get it! The only real reason to get a PC is Games. I myself would consider it for that reason alone but with the consoles kicking a** there is no point now.

Quoted from Vengeance

Oh boy, oh boy another MAC vs PC debate!  I could go on and on why MAC's suck a** and only real use is for graphics but I find these two links do a much more efficient job then I ever could.

http://cad-comic.com/comic.php?d=20060513

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1buD6Rx4isA

As for if you a buying a PC, I tell everyone who is not really into technology but wants a decent machine the same thing....

Call Dell!

Dell offers decent price with decent hardware and has bar none the best service and support of any computer manufacturer to date.  I've dealt with every major manufacture of computer systems right now, Sun, HP, IBM, etc and none of them offer the service and support Dell does.  Epically in the home environment, you have a problem with your machine, call Dell, they will help you through it, your hard drive died?  Call Dell someone will come ON-Site to your house and replace it for you next business day!  Don't bother with the big box stores they offer crappy hardware at inflated prices and then if you run into any problems you get to deal with their crappy service department.  Get the extended warranty from Dell and you are covered for everything for the next 3 years.

Quoted from 1

You don't get it! The only real reason to get a PC is Games. I myself would consider it for that reason alone but with the consoles kicking a** there is no point now.

...yeah and Beta was better. I was soooo hoping Apple would fold a few years ago and save us from the MAC non-sense... then they go and release iPod --- which is another useless "sexy" piece of overpriced technology (get an MP3 player and you're good to go and have a few $$$ in your pocket). -- and start making money again.

Duane

Question, How many of you used a Mac for more than 5 minutes in a store somewhere? If you haven't used one for at least enough time to make a proper comment base on experience you should refrain from any comments as is the case on most of these debates. If you have the experience and still prefer a Windows machine (not a PC because they are both technically PC�s) then good for you.

I have recently visited my buddies at the Applestore here in Laval and they have pointed out that at least 30% of their customers are Windows converts

I owned quite a few Apples over the years. My company was up to 18 people at one point. All had employees had PCs but the 2 graphic guys. The Apples were a pain. Hardware and software MUCH more expensive than PCs. They had as many, if not more, crashes -- they were especially prone to problems when updating the operating system. And the biggest selling point of the Mac converts -- Macs are so easy to understand -- is bogus. The Mac environment, like Windows, takes time to understand.

At the end of the day, I treat a computer like a tool. I buy the most popular tool with the greatest support. I really don't think Macs are any better than PCs. At the same time, I don't think PCs are better than Macs. BUT PCs are cheaper with more support (software, etc), so at the end of the day I'll stick with a PC and nod off every time a Mac zealot starts going...

Duane