If your laptop has a network port then consider throwing an inexpensive network card in your PC & setting up the two as a peer-to-peer network. Not difficult at all & may be the cheapest as Win9x has all the networking folderol built in. If your laptop doesn't have a network port it might be cheaper to go for Laplink (network cards for laptops can be expensive).
Now what about my bl@sted Icons.......?