...My HP notebook is no more... It suffered a spectacular accident on Sunday and is a write-off...

So I need a new notebook computer. Where do I start? There are so many choices out there, it's confusing.
I guess I start with a 15-16" screen, optical drive, good battery life, a few USB ports. Then work up to things like memory card readers, HDMI video and so on.
...Is Windows 7 practical yet, or should I stay with XP Pro??
...Any suggestions from IIS, based on experience?
It will be nice to have a shiny new notebook... every cloud has a silver lining huh?
Cheers... Rob