My current computer is old(-ish) and I have a tendency to crash it. Well, I crash it because I try and run: GIMP, Fireworks, Dreamweaver, and IE while listening to music.

What I need is a computer that can handle that, or at least manage me torturing it without complaining too much. In a perfect world it'd also be a pretty Windows-running laptop with a 17" screen that's not too expensive (say, $1,000-ish tops...). I fully realize that I'll never find such a wonderful machine, but does anyone have suggestions as to how I might come close?

You can search on your local craigslist.org site to find a laptop. There are a whole bunch of deals on computers and laptops there. I got a computer from there for 90 dollars. A computer that can probably handle that is a Toshiba computer. That's about all I know as far as running a lot of things at once.

You can always Browse Through the DELL Website

they have tons of Computers and Laptops to choose from..

Simply go to a store ( BestBuy, Office Depot, or any custom computer place) and tell them specifically what you want. OH, try to get a touch screen one. I don't know why though.

get a mac:] never crashes :]

I have a Dell Inspiron E1705. It runs on windows, 17" screen, not too expensive & works really well. Good luck trying to find one though, I think they stopped producing them. =\
I think your best bet would be to go to best buy or any reliable electronic store and get help from the workers.

I had a 17in dell Inspiron for a couple of years I'd say. I could run Photoshop, firefox, illustrator, and play music at the same time and it didn't freeze up or anything. I think it was right around $1000 at the time, it was top of the line then as well.

Currently I have a Dell XPS, great laptop, haven't had any problems with it. The only thing I really had to do was order 4gigs of memory after I bought the laptop because dell completely rips you off if you upgrade memory, same goes for mac.

Anyway if your looking in buying a mac, if you have the money for it, get a macbook pro. It is a good computer, and your going to have to buy any upgrades at the time of purchase, do keep in mind that mac completely rips you off when you upgrade parts, but if you were to buy them and put them in yourself you would cancel your warranty with them. Not to big of a deal if you know what your doing, but not a good thing if you don't.

Thanks for the advice! I decided on a Dell Studio laptop partly because I like Dell and some of you like Dell, and all the reviews online liked the Studio line, and my computer-guru father told me it was what I was looking for.

All right then, closing this. PM me if you need it reopened.