I want to see what you guys think

The machine you are looking at is indeed quite decent. The only thing you will need to upgrade is the graphics. Even if you aren't a big gamer, onboard graphics aren't the way to go. A graphics card has its' own processor [the GPU] and its' own RAM. Onboard graphics are integrated into the CPU, which means un-needed stress on the processor. A graphics card takes all that stress of the CPU, leaving it free to tackle encoding, programs and all other forseeable things with its' full potential. As for it being a Dell, there are good things and bad things about them. I build computers from time to time, and then sometimes I get one from a store, and guess which store-purchased machine I have right now? Yep. I currently use a Dell. While their parts don't seem to last long most of the time, I can say that their RAM has a lifetime warrenty [among some other parts] so keep your papers. The RAM is excellent [the 800mhz is how fast the RAM can send data through the Address bus, and I currently sport 667, so you would be outshining my current RAM :) Well, happy computer shopping! I always enjoy setting up a brand new machine.

First of all that is most likely a 'Core2Duo' Pentium processor. Second, processors do not often suffer from heat problems, unless you overclock them or the rest of the machine is overheating. The reason is Intel and AMD put their chips and heatsinks through intense benchmarking tests to make sure the factory heatsink they provide can stand up to the task of cooling their processor. Also, if you don't apply the thermalpaste correctly, your processor will overheat then as well. But a correct installation of a non-overclocked processor should not be a overheating concern [I've never had a problem with my processors overheating, and I have the previously stated processor] if you are using the stock cooler that came with it. A company that sells you chips that don't cool properly isn't much of a company at all.

I will admit, I had forgotten this machine was a labtop. That does change a lot of things, because the Core2Duo uses a lot of power [which means the labtop will eat up the batterylife faster] and yes, labtops are always in danger of overheating. I personally don't recommend them unless you get a cooling base to attach to the bottom. As for the Conroe and Prescott issue, I do not know for sure if they use those two chip designs, but you did pick up on something; they do indeed 'glue' two chips together. It sounds ridiculous and it is. They fuse two chips [I'm not sure which two] and connect them via a small busline. The busline takes data from one chip to the other, allowing them to communicate. This allowed Intel to label the chip versions as 'dual' and 'quad' core, while AMD rightfully made fun of the whole thing. Pretty cheap huh? While the chip isn't really bad, it is significantly slower than if you were to put two or four cores on a single dye. The busline slows down the process. Hey, good conversation amigo. plus rep when I can.

Is that a good thing or a bad thing? [AT9 asks while sipping his rum]