Laptop Advice/Information Required..........?

the problem with buying any computer is you cant compare any deals now with what you spent a year ago, or what your friend or relative spent a year ago. when sales are down, thats when the companies like dell advertise computers with higher configurations, or drop prices to boost sales. I like my Dell 1525, BUT I see some deals right now that are much better than the Dell 1525 I bought in December 2008 for $460. But Im not going to go out and buy another computer. I dont need another one right now. The computer companies keep changing their deals, as their sales go up and down. Its not set in stone that 3 gig-160 hd will always cost X dollars, and a 4 GIG-250 hd will always cost Y dollars. I agree with you on the mac. I still dont trust the mac, as far as compatibility with all the different softwares Im used to using. I went to a Mac store at the mall. They looked nice, but the prices are too high!!! Im not a video gamer, but Im a microsoft fllight simulator enthusiast. they dont make that for the mac, do they? so whats the point of the mac? and will the mac read my windows-based spreadsheets and word processing doents?