tips and advice for a new compy

My setup is the inverse of Killmoms/Cless, with a G5 Quad and an AMD64-based notebook, but I second the sentiment.

Build yourself (or buy if you don't want to build, but you can get more for less if you build) a powerhouse desktop that'll be your main workhorse/"base of operations."

Then get a nice, inexpensive, slim laptop for the mobility factor and keep files on it synchronized with the desktop. I do this manually via FTP over Gig-e, but you might try something like iSync if you wanna give it a whirl. A MacBook would cost you a bit more than a generic Acer or Dell, but I daresay it would be well worth the extra coin in terms of reliability.

Any word on battery life on MacBooks from those who've used them oot-and-aboot?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Get yourself a Windows administration book and read up on securing your files and/or resources against those you don't want accessing them. If we're talking roommates here, don't be afraid to be a little bit of a dick about it too. It'll make things easier in the long run as they won't be able to sabotage (intentionally or otherwise) the system and you can help keep it running the way it should.

As far as hardware goes with respect to sharing, if you're worried about them banging it up, get one in a nice, sturdy metal case. Also, if they're rough with equipment, consider getting a CRT or some kind of screen cover if you want an LCD display (I definitely understand any aversion you would have to CRTs, I myself would never go back to them). It's remarkable how many people poke and prod LCDs, not realizing that the screen film is NOT as hard as glass.

There's nowhere I can't reach.