I need a new Laptop (in Off-topic)

My current laptop is giving me fits. I would like something newer. My budget is around $1200. Here are a list of features that I would like and/or need.

1) Light weight. Nothing over 6ish lbs.
2) 120gig HDD.
3) 1Gig of RAM.
4) Four USB thingers. Or I need to find a USB hub that also works to charge/power USB devices. The last one I had didn't work with my external hard drive.
5) Discreet (right word?) graphics card. nVidia preferred.

XPS

i'll say go in for 2 GB RAM and a 256MB graphics card coz that way your Vista use will be more comfortable. There's a lot of girly laptops on the market, swishy colours and what not, i've heard Toshiba has a good name, and Sony's Vaio has a good colour range; but if you're a touch-typist like i am, then it'd be best to test out the actual model you want to buy for ease of use. Especially some models have the touch-pad located all wrong, and that can cause trouble with touch-typing.

I personally prefer an IBM think-pad but that's more a masculine thingy, and mine's leftover from circa 2004; so i don't really know how the new one's fare.

Toshiba's are great - and very reliable - in my experience only of course. One of the best models I have had on top of my lap.

Get a cheapo refurbished one for $100 and throw it away in 6 months to get a new one.

Laptops are a horrible money pit.

If you are getting Vista, get at least 2 GB of RAM.
I just got a Dell XPS last week and so far it is working great. Might be a little out of your price range though... and only 3 USB ports.

Vista fails.

Hopefully SP1 will help with that... but yes, Vista fails hard.

I had recently priced out a dell inspirion with just about those specs (more ram and a larger 7200 RPM HD) that after a coupon was almost in your price range... It was one of the 17" screen models as well.

Dell stocks non-Vi$ta laptops if you're in the US. If you're in Canada, tough luck. Not many other companies even have this option. That saves you ~$200. And that other 1GB RAM you don't need for it to just... run.