Hi sandiemag
The initial Toshiba laptop is very good spec and about as good as you'll get value for money wise there are really only three options left to paly with i would think processor, Ram, Hard Dive
I would weigh up the options of the processor Amd 2.1ghz and Intel 2.0ghz , i have worked on a number of laptops with both these amd and Intel processor and found the Intel to be more nimble in your everyday tasks outlook, word excel, web browsing in the intensive stuff pretty much even video editing, Photoshop, i also find the Intel to run cooler
Also the Ram is a factor and at 3gb ddr2 the Toshiba has plenty
Some new laptops are coming with ddr3 ram which by the time you decide to add more will probably more widely available and cheaper than ddr2 a bit like ddr (1) and ddr2 at the moment also with all these new windows supposed to be coming out every few years it nice to know that when needed an upgrade is cheap and easy to source that's the main reason i posted the two Acer laptops they both come with ddr3 ram and Intel chips
To be honest i doubt there is much performance differences between these three laptops at the moment but with the introduction of windows 7 the ram might be a bit more noticable
Value for money there really isn't that much either the Acer is £40 dearer but has an Intel processor, 4gb of ddr3 and 70gb more hard drive space, so its 10-12% more expensive but might be worth it
The less expensive Acer is the same price but has 90gb less hard drive space and 3gb ddr3
Sorry if i went on a bit much but i would personally prefer this Acer but the Toshiba is still really good value its £40 cheaper
Aspire 5738Z-423G32Mn LX.PAR0X.076 - Laptops Direct