Fogbound,
The best option for a notebook would be with the following features:
- Pentium M
- Centrino Chipset
- Radeon Mobility 9600
- 15" TFT Screen
Now this is above your price range but it does have the best Performance/Battery Life/Features. If you could afford the extra money a notebook with those specs in it would give you the best usability for the future.
Take Care,
Richard
P.S. 512Mb of RAM with WinXP is a good thing to have too.