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A quick look on
A quick look on pricewatch.com, and I came up with this in less than 2 minutes: http://www.ascendtech.us/itemdesc.asp?ic=LTPDELINS150116
It is a Dell dual-core, 2GB RAM, 160G HDD, Vista Home Premium, 15.4" WXGA, 6 cell battery, for $550 shipped.
I would say a Dell Inspiron is just as good as a Sony VAIO. I'm not saying this particular model is as good as the model you listed (more RAM, higher clock processor, more wireless options, etc.), but it would still perform very well, and is $900 cheaper.