Look at the Dell Precision laptops and the Alienware laptops then. Both are hardy and reliable. I had a Dell Vostro and it was AWFUL!! Vostros are just not built with the quality components of the other Dell Systems. They are cheap but do not last long.
In electronics, you get what you pay for.
A coworker has one of the Alienware laptops and it is really nice. That is one option.
Oh, and the guy at Betst Buy is full of crap. Windows 7 Ultimate offers more than just additional languages. Hell I speak Mississippian and nothing else.I doubt if Ultimate covers that.
It seems to run older software more reliably than the Professsional level. So much more is done for you automatically when you run through your setup. I am no computer expert by any means but Ultimate just took over and asked me "You wanna do this?" I said "yep!!" and it did the rest.
The computers at the office came with Professional and they did not do this for me. Still an easy setup but I like to be pampered by my software and not beat up by options that I do not understand. I'm a 64 year old Mississippi redneck and just do not have the time or gumption to figure any of that mess out.