Pipeline Surf Point

So, I’m going to boarding school in the fall as a junior (11th grade) and am getting a laptop within the next few weeks. I’m pretty much set on the Dell Studio 15 (feel free to tell me your experiences/opinions on them…). I’m not computer savy at all so I need help building it. I’ll list what I’ve put together, but PLEASE tell me if I need more or less. And in case it helps, I’ll be using it for school work, internet surfing, uploading pictures and videos off my camera (I’m not a photographer or anything, but I just take pictures and videos once in a while).
Dell Studio 15 (starts at $599)
+ $30 Promise Pink
[included in price] Pentium Dual Core T4200 (2.0GHz/800Mhz FSB/1MB cache)
however, I’m contemplating if it’s worth the extra $50 to upgrade to:
Intel Core 2 Duo T6400 (2.00 GHz/ 800Mhz FSB/2MB cache)
will it make much of a difference? if so, what exactly will it do?
[included in price] Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium Edition SP1
[included in price] 1 year limited warranty + mail in service
[included in price] no productivity software
I do NEED Microsoft Office Home + Student 2007 and was thinking I could buy it and install in on my computer for less $ than upgrading on dell.com for $139…is this true?
[included in price] bright, glossy widescreen 15.4 WLED display (1280×800)
[included in price] 3GB shared dual channel DDR2 at 800MHz
[included in price] 250GB SATA hard drive (5400RPM)
[included in price] Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500 MHD
Would it be possible to play any games with this video card..such as Zoo Tycoon, horseback riding games like Time To Ride?
[included in price] 8x Slot Load CD/DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD +/- R Drive)
NOT DECIDED! :
[included in price] Dell Wireless 1397 802.11g half mini-card
or
+$35 Intel WiFi Link 5100 802.11agn half mini-card
is the second option much better? will I notice a difference?
$0 No Mobile Broadband Network…i dont need this, correct?
[included in price] Integrated 2.0M Pixel Webcam
[included in price] 56 Whr Lithium Ion Battery (6 cell)…would the 85 Whr Lithium Ion Battery (9 cell) be much better for the extra $40?
[included in price] High Definition Audio 2.0
+$25 Back-lit Keyboard
$0 No Fingerprint Scanner
I have heard that the speakers are horrendous on this laptop…but how bad exactly? Like, could I watch videos on YouTube and be able to hear? And listen to music (I’d never need it to blare across the room) but quietly while I’m sitting next to it?
Thank you SO MUCH for helping me. I appreciate any bit of info/tips anyone can give me :]

My friends want me to get Everquest, but my computer isn’t good enough so I need a new one, I’d like to get it as cheap as possible and it needs to meet these requirements:
* Operating System: Windows 98/2000/ME/XP
* Processor: 1GHz
* RAM: 512 MB
* Video Card: DirectX 9 compatible. Pixel shader and vertex shader compatible hardware with 64 MB of texture memory
* Sound Card: DirectSound compatible audio hardware
The recommended system requirements are:
* Operating System: Windows XP
* Processor: 2 GHz or greater
* RAM: 1 GB
* CD-ROM: 16x CD-ROM or DVD-ROM
* Video Card: DirectX 9 compatible. Pixel shader and Vertex shader compatible hardware with 128mb of texture memory or greater
* Sound Card: Sound Blaster Audigy
Besides playing Everquest all I need it for is surfing the internet. Please help, thanks.

Obviously I want a laptop…But I’ve been having a hard decision choosing what I need. I’m on a budget of $700 at the most.
I want to do average video editing and some photoshop.
I know that gaming on a laptop isn’t that good and that you should go for a desktop, so I already ruled that out.
So..some video editing and some photoshop
And you know..the other everyday things like…Media, Internet surfing, Email..etc…
So, are these good specs for what I want:
PLEASE TELL ME IF THESE SPECS ARE TOO MUCH FOR WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR…WHETHER IT BE THE PROCESSOR OR RAM OR HARDRIVE..WHATEVER!…ID BE GREAT TO LOWER IT
Intel Core™ 2 Duo P7450 (2.13GHz/1066Mhz FSB/3MB cache)
Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium Service Pack 1 64 Bit
15.6” High Definition+ (1600×900) LED Display with TrueLife
3GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 800MHz
160GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X4500HD (again..nothing specail like gaming..just some good ol’ video editing and photoshop)
8X CD / DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive)
9-cell battery (yah, I travel a good bit)
Dell Wireless 1397 802.11g Half Mini-Card (should I get a better one…a faster one with further range?)
Dell Wireless 365 Bluetooth Internal (2.1) (honestly, why do people use bluetooth…please tell me if I would use/even want this…)
High Definition Audio 2.0
Integrated 1.3 MP Webcam (yeah, I know..but its the best one they had…)

I am just learning to surf (so easy to ride is essential). I am 5′1″. . . on a good day. I weigh about 137lbs, and I would be surfing near the beach at Ocean City, MD. I heard the bigger the board the better, but is a 9′ or so board really needed because I’m so short? Thanks.

i really need to know how good this computer is i will really only use it for basic stuff like surfing the web emails and hd video quality and maybe some casual gaming like css or cod4 on low settings
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo E7400 (2.8GHz, 3M, L2Cache, 1066FSB)
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows Vista® Home Basic, Service Pack 1 edit
MEMORY 4GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz2DIMMs
Dell 19 inch Widescreen S1909WXF Flat Panel Monitor edit
OPTICAL DRIVE Single Drive: 16X (DVD+/-RW) BurnerDrive
HARD DRIVE 320GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM)
VIDEO CARD Integrated Video, Intel® GMA X4500HD
MEDIA READER No Media Reader
MODEM & WIRELESS No Modem Option
SOUND Integrated 5.1 Channel Audio