new XP compatible laptop recommendation

[alfio]

hello

looking for a laptop for a relative. he wants something new and has no real requirements other than an optical drive and a preference for a 14 inch (approx.) screen size. he does need it to be XP compatible. that is, he doesn't mind if it comes loaded with windows 7 but he does want to be able to retrofit to XP.

any recommendations? i'm so far out of the loop that i don't really know where to begin (my last 2 systems were desktops). thanks

[Harryc]

Any recent Thinkpad will run XP easily. So it comes down to a new 14" with an optical drive. Well, the latest models are T410, Edge 14", L412, and SL410. Of those models I would recommend a T410 if $$ is no object. The other models would be less $$ and the build quality (read materials and structure) may be inferior. He may want to wait until the T420 comes out if he is not in a hurry. That should be within a few months.
If he goes for a T410, try to get a model with the 1440x900 LCD.