What's my best bet?

Finally settled on a T43. I have no preference as to form factor (15" vs. 14") as long as I get at least SXGA+ resolution. The big decisions I (apparently) need to make are:

1) Do I want 64MB VRAM and SXGA+ or 128MB VRAM and UXGA? I've seen both SXGA varieties, but never UXGA except in a Sony VAIO 17" widescreen. I'm a little afraid UXGA may be too small for comfort.

2) Do I want a 7200 rpm or 5400 rpm drive? I'm not going to be gaming, video or photo editing, or anything like that on this machine. I may listen to my music library and watch the occasional DVD, but that will be the extent of my multimedia use of the machine. Primary use will be for business (Word, e-mail, etc.)...so will the difference in rotational speeds even matter, especially as a tradeoff for noise/heat/battery life?

3) Do I want the IBM or Intel 2915 WiFi card?

Does anybody have any thoughts, especially on points 2 and 3? I've got it narrowed down to 9 systems (7 standard and 2 CTO), and they're pretty much the same except for various permutations of the above.

 

1- In my opinion UXGA is just too much for a 15" screen, but you can always increase the dpi setting in windows to increase font size if you later on find it unreadable.

2- 7200RPM doesn't offer too much of a boost over 5400RPM, so if the cost is too much to go from 5400RPM to 7200RPM, just stick with 5400RPM since you won't be using any HDD intensive applications. The only benifit you'll get in your case, is just faster windows boot times.

3- The intel cards are sometimes having problems with certain models/brands of routers and access points, but usually that is resolved by updating the firmware on the router and the drivers of the card. I believe all IBM branded cards have an atheros chip which is an excellent choice for performance and compatibility. I currently have an atheros card, and I never had a single issue with it.