For someone looking into a Mac, I would not get a Dell. Dells are ugly gray bricks. And my experience in Dells has always been terrible. My Dell fell apart while my HP (which I used for going out and in class) has taken more abuse and looks years newer, when they are the same age. The Dell power adapter is falling apart, the battery or the plug itself doesn't work, as it no longer charges, and the keys are sticking terribly.

HP is good as new.

I've got a 3 year old HP and a 8 month old Dell and they're both fantastic, we've also had EXCELLENT service from HP (my gf accidently broke the shift key....twice) we've gotten 2 free replacement keyboards. Files were dropped onto the keypad.

But anyhow, ya, very satisfied with both products. Model numbers escape me at this point and I'm not in front of them.

Here'* teh one my sister-in-law is looking at.
Looks good to me
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=5983048

It looks like a great choice to me, I don't have personal experience with that model, but my dv6000t is amazing, and my experience with HP laptops as a technician and a customer has been great. You don't need to go through Walmart, sometimes I find that HP.com has a better deal, or sometimes the stores do. I got my Dell through Costco which has a better warranty than most manufacturers. I returned one Dell 11months after buying it for a full cash refund.

Here'* the breakdown on that model, from my experience with my beloved dv6000t.
Pros:
Touchpad on top is amazingly awesome
Plugs and connectors are very convenient. On the right is the power and a USB for the mouse as well as the CD drive, left has the rest. (Including VGA and *-video). Front has the audio stuffs
The laptop itself is pretty ergonomic. Heat dispersion is decent, not great but not bad. My hands never get hot and sweaty from using my laptop.
Shape is amazing. Dell doesn't use an incline like HP does, which saves a lot of height and keeps the laptop thin.
Memory card reader is cool.
Cons:
Sound is mediocre. No complaints, just nothing great (as with most laptops)
Memory card reader doesn't read my high capacity card
Shiny finish gets finger printed easily (the laptop comes with a cloth to wipe it off)
That'* really all I can think about...

Here are some tips.

Make sure you get at Least 1GB of Ram(memory) 2GB if you can afford it. Vista likes 2GB
Also Make sure to get a Hard drive with 7200PRM. Help with load times and other things.

and do NOT get a Celeron Processor, they Suck.
Try to get something with Dual core.

Careful buying from Walmart. They're known for loading their computers with adware.

You can do alot better than that by building your own here:

http://www.shopping.hp.com/notebooks;HHOJSID=ClLfG8nh4FJygPSsgFd0DYVpCh21yd67 H1dBkXNgPY3Q3yZ700R1!1344060639?jumpid=re_R329_pro dexp/hhoslp/psg/notebooks

They start as low as $450.

X2

WOW! I guess this was a loaded questeion. It seems most would agree HP is the way to go. I've had some dealings with Dell that make the idea of owning another one unappealing. The only advantage of getting a Mac would be to wait until October when MAC OS-X LEOPARD comes preloaded on them...which from what I can see, looks amazing. I never thought to check out Wal*Mart so I guess I'll check out what they have to offer...I certainly know they're the place to get tires. Thanks everyone for your help!!!

Don't throw away the idea of a Mac, I'm pretty sure (but not positive) that the Mac'* Word software is compatible with the Windows word software. They're both written by Microsoft and made so that Macs and Windows could share documents. My only beef with Mac is they're a bit pricey, but I'd get one if I had the money. They're pretty, and they're so cool.