As for the 2 deals on acer you got at your place, the 4060 has a 4 celled battery and as stated wod give you the battery back up of 2 hrs which is the same as the 3003 with the 8 celled battery. yes, the centrinos are good, with even bigger battery life but they do come at a price. even a basic centrino laptop with no frills doesnt come in the budget. 3003 seems a ideal buy in your case. if you get it from the metros it would be even cheaper.