Windows laptop recommendations? [View all]

I go through laptops quickly - I am brutal on them...I've had an HP for 2 years and the letter are worn off half of the letters! It is starting to slow down - it wasn't expensive (less than 400 dollars), but I am not crazy about the touchpad - very twitchy, and the click commands have an odd set up. I used to be a Lenovo user.

I wouldn't mind exploring a touch screen type.

So - something in the 500-600 dollar range, good sized screen, I am not a gamer so don't need bells and whistles and super speed. It is for me to browse, play CDs, watch shows (my nightly Red Sox games on mlb.com) - but mostly to blog and write my books on.

I am not an Apple person (just never had one, so grinding along with Windows tools)

Thoughts?