"dont get 5 mega pixels i find that they just waste memory you find your pics will be like a megabyte each and if you want to share them with people you'll need to condense them for file transfer."

That's what USB keys are for (I love my new 1Gb key

) Besides, you can always turn down the resolution for everyday stuff, and crank it up for special shots.

While I will agree that Apples are better for this stuff overall, I've been using PCs far too long to even consider switching over. I just know them too well, and I've put a lot of money and effort into upgrading my dual-rig setup. The laptop looks great, though personally I would hate to do video editing on a laptop - keep in mind, though, that I do quite a bit, and for someone like you who is presumably just starting out, this shouldn't be a real concern.

Be sure to come back and let us know about your projects.