My work Laptop is an old Dell Lattitude D620 1GB with Nvidia Video and core 2 duo. ~2007 Vintage but still runs fine on XP SP3. If you don't open more than a taskbar full of apps.
At home, when I'm not at my PC, I use an eMachines eM250 Netbook upgraded with 2GB Ram, 750GB HD and a HiDef Video Decoder and a wireless mouse. It's 2 years old and cost next to nothing. Again XP SP3 but with a Windows7 skin. It runs WinUAE fine.
Have you looked at the Asus i7 Zenbook ? A bit more expensive than what you're looking at but a nice looking machine.
BTW: JJ that sounds like a mean machine.