I think that Apple is going to get a lot of business because M$oft has
jammed Vista down all new buyer's (off the shelf - Best Buy,
Comp USA, etc) throats.
I'd say Apple too. I'd seriously consider it if I were buying a new laptop.
Otherwise, special order from Dell and specify XP with ability to upgrade to Vista in a year or two, after most of the fixes are in.
The only problem with Dell is that if parts (hardware upgrades. memory chips, motherboards, etc) are needed, most aren't available off the shelf. Dell's hardware is special and has to be a Dell part. (but that's the same with Apple, too)