Money wise anything up to a grand, it doesn't have to be truely portable i just need a laptop with going away a fair bit and not having the space to put a desktop. I'd like a 17" screen if possible, i only play games on a console too.

I'm also entitled to tax free so i have a bit more money to play with. I was looking at core 2 duo's and AMD processors too, but don't know which is best. Software wise i'm not fussy as i'm not sure on vista just yet so would probably put xp back on it if i don't get on with it. My current laptop is a P4 2.6ghz so any recommendations are appreciated.