I met you at the last convention. $800 is a figure that is probably too high for a good middle-of-the-road laptop and too low for something fancy. I don't know what you will be using this for, but unless your wife is an avid Computer Gamer I can tell you a real good deal. Gaming is the most demanding thing you can do on a computer. To surf the net - the most important thing is your internet provider. If you are using dial-up - the fastest, most expensive, advanced computer will be slow. Conversely, if you have Cable/broadband, even a relatively cheap computer will be fast. For surfing, music, photos & video, office applications and most other uses - this is a great deal. I find 17" laptops somewhat large and bulky to be carrying, but some people buy them instead of a desktop so then I could see getting one. A 14" screen is usually a little small in my opinion, but a lady might like the smaller, lighter, easier to carry size. I am recommending a 15.4" screen as it seems to be just right for me.
Store/web = CIRCUIT CITY
HP PAVILLION 15.4"
Model = DV6605US
1Gb Dual Core DDR2 Memory
160Gb Hard Drive
Vista Operating System
Burns DVDs and CDs - Not just reads them, but BURNS them
5-in-1 Media card reader - A nice feature - Just pull your memory card out of your camera and plug it into the side of your laptop.
Built-in Wireless b/g
A nice software bundle and other stuff you can read for yourself
$569.99 with FREE Shipping on orders over $24 from the Web, but should also be available in stores. This price reflects an instant $130 savings at the register and a $50 mail-in rebate. So you would have to pay a purchase price of 619.99 at the register and then get $50 back in the mail. This is regularly $749.99. I just recommended this to my neighbor. I don't know how long it will be reduced.

Before school started there were lots of Back-To-School specials and in a few months there will be Christmas deals, but for right now this is a really good deal. Hope this helps!
Don Abdelnour R-7610