^^^ My frat said the same thing about their customer service, which is why he didn't recommend them.

My Dell is coming today -- I'm excited!

despite the recent battery issue [and they're from Sony!], i've been super happy with my Dell's over the years. The best advice i can give is:

1. try not to call tech support/customer support on/around a 3 day weekend
2. if you can't understand the first person you talk to who claims their name is "Mike" or "Susan", but sounds like they're halfway around the world, call back in a few minutes or a few hours. I've had better results with native english speakers. And don't hesitate to ask for a supervisor. One of my Dell's had some problems, and they ended up sending me a new one to make me happy.

I would definitely get the new Apple macbook -- i have it and looooove it!