$500-800 buys you:
Celeron
good ram
decent side HDD
basic Intel video
Nickel metal hydride battery

Generally, the above will be good for several years for anything but gaming really. Movies don't strain it. internet/email doesn't either. Video editing will strain it, though...for that get a P4. The same price point will also get you an AthlonXP which simply blows the doors off any celeron. the SLOWEST athlonXP/sempron is as fast/faster than all but the FASTEST Celeron!

You can get last year's $500 laptop for $300 now. Not much slower and a much better deal.

If you have any intention of gaming, ever, spend some money for a laptop with a ATI 9600+ or Nvidia 5600+. You can't upgrade video in laptops.

 

www.emachines.com

spend the money get an AMD 64 laptop

 

Hot Ticket is just what Best Buy calls their "If you're here when the doors open at 6am but stood in line all night" deal. They hand the first however many people through the door a "Hot Ticket" worth awesome deals on a few things. Like whoever it was above, I got the $1100 (I think) Tosiba laptop for $900 or so, but than after the rebates with the hot ticket, I wound up only paying $400.