Jenn,
Since you haven't given us a budget besides something cheap with Canadian dollars, I recommend looking at IBM Thinkpads,
Here's one on eBay for $599 U.S.D. plus shipping
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...6692 590&rd=1
Plenty of speed, all the goodies you would want, and the remainder of the factory warranty
I really like the Thinkpad's as they have the best keyboard, and that is important if you are going to spend a great amount of time using one, or using it as your dedicated computer.
Good Luck!
