Inexpensive but good laptop for m-box etc

[Karma Eng.]

Ok, I need some computer advice. I'm going to be moving and my studio is staying in my house (with my studio partner taking over my house). I'll be over an hour away from my studio so I need to get an m-box and some type of laptop so I can work on editing and mixing my sessions I do in the studio when I'm there and cut guitar, bass or vocals in my apartment in the town I'll be living in. I already have planned on taking my Joe Meek preamp since I use it for basically everything and getting a blue mic of some type. I'll also have a few 57's laying around to use on whatever and a v-amp to get guitar ideas down with. My major concern is getting a laptop that has some balls so I can do editing and run lots of plugins (my computer in the studio is only a 1.6 ghz with 512 mb of ram so it's not a mean machine anyway). I also need a way to transfer data between my laptop and the studio pc. Would it be best to get a firewire drive and use that?? I would like to get a dvd burner in my laptop too so I can back stuff up. I'll probably be taking whatever I get on the road with me from time to time so I'll need to be able to get backup batteries and wall adapaters too. I'm clueless about laptops so any advice you guys could give me would be wonderful. Thanks

-Kevin
Listen to one of my songs

[Karma Eng.]

Ok so I went to dell.com and I can afford this machine, any input??

Inspiron 8500: Mobile Pentium® 4 Processor,2.4GHz,15.4 WXGA LD24MHN
Operating Systems: Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition WHXP 0408] 11
Memory: FREE UPGRADE! 512MB,266MHz,2DIMM (from 256MB, 266MHz, 2DIMM) 512MB2P
Video Card: 32MB DDR ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON™ 9000 4x AGP 3D Video ATI32
Modular Internal CD/DVD Drives: 4x CD/DVD burner (DVD+RW/+R) 4XDVDRW
Hard Drives: 30GB Ultra ATA Hard Drive 30GB
Primary Battery: 72 WHr Primary Battery ADDBATT [
Dial-Up Internet Access: 6 Months of America Online Membership Included AOLDHS
Integrated Nic And Modem: Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem INTNIC
Wireless Networking Cards: No Wireless LAN Card NOWIRLS
Productivity Software: Microsoft®Works Suite 2003 with Money 2003 IWORKS
Security Software: Dell SecurityCenter by McAfee, 90-day introductory offer Multi-Media Players: RealOne™ Player, with 14 day SuperPass trial REALBAS
Digital Music: Dell Jukebox powered by MUSICMATCH MMBASE
Digital Imaging Software: Dell Picture Studio Image Expert Standard DPS Floppy Drive and Additional Storage Devices: No Floppy Drive NOFD
Limited Warranty, Services and Support: 1 Year Limited Warranty plus 1 Year Mail-In Service ST111RR

Thanks again
-Kevin