[GadgetGuru72]

Hey everybody-

This obviously isn't a BlackBerry question, but this forum is filled with so many helpful and knowledgeable people I figured this would be a great place to ask.

I've been traveling quite a bit lately for work, so my company has offered to buy me a basic, entry level laptop that I can use when away from the office. They've asked me to try to spend less than $600.

I'm leaving on another business trip next week, so I don't have much time to find one. I'd prefer to buy one in person in Los Angeles (at a place like Best Buy, Circuit City, Fry's, etc), but I'm willing to buy online if I can get a better deal on a better computer.

I have no interest in software, because I'll just be using GoToMyPC to connect to my office computer. So, pre-installed software is not necessary.

I would like at least 2GB of memory to ensure smooth performance, but other than that I'm open.

I haven't bought a new computer in about 7-8 years.

What brands should I look for?
What brands should I avoid?
Is there a big different between Intel Dual Core and AMD?

General advice or links to machines that you recommend would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for the help.