Dell 1520 vs. 1420 vs. HP dv2500t

i have a couple of questions:
i saw the new dell laptops and they look VERY good especially the price. I did look at the xps m1330 but it doesn't seem like a very good choice because when I priced it it seems like the 1420, which is slightly bigger can have the exact same specs for about 500$ less, or so it seems.

Anyways, I was looking at the 1420 and the Hp dv2500. Which would be better? I like how the Hp's look but I think the dell looks like a better laptop. The other question I have is the 1520. The GeForce 8600 m gt seems like a really good option to put into the 1520. The main thing I'm wondering is that I have an IBM T43 and it is a 15" 3:4 ratio screen. I'm wondering how much bigger or smaller the 15" widescreens are compared to the standard screens. If it is a lot bigger I might be better going with a 14 inch model. Could someone answer my questions please, I know there are a lot.

 

don't think about the dv2500 1.) battery life 2.) price 3.) price 4.) the nvidia on that is only 64mb dedicated 5.) screen resolution

i bought a 1420 instead of the dv2500.
just pick between the 1520 and 1420 for power/portability

the screen size - you get used to whatever size you buy. when i first got my 15.4 widescreen it seemed smaller than my 15inch but then now i feel like its better

 

thanks, even though I'm a very casual gamer, I think I'd be better off getting the 1520 just because of the GeForce 8600.

 

6.) crappy keyboard

IMO the only advantage of the HP Pavilions is that they offer an HDMI port if you get the dedicated graphics.

Anyway, a 15.4" widescreen is just about the same height as a 14" standard (4:3 ratio) screen. The 15.4" widescreen is just wider. I dunno... maybe 25-30% wider. There's a picture in this review:
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3368&review=ThinkPad+T60+Widescreen

Since you have a 15" standard screen, the 15.4" widescreen will definitely be a little less tall than that.

 

7)poor quality speakers
8)terrible hinge area design