I have a Dell Inspiron 6400 (E1505 in some places,) and I like it a ton, however, it came with Windows XP Home, and after deciding to update to XP Pro, I noticed a quite impeccable speed difference. I can usually get 2 and a Half hours or so with my screen at 90% Brightness (I like it a Little Dark) and if I turn it down to 10%, I can usually clock in at 3:00.

Despite your past experience with Dell, and dislike of Intel Processors, I think that you will like the 6400 very much.

P.S: My specific model came with 1 GB of RAM, however the 2 GB Option is available.