I just use my freinds and he helps me through most of it. If you're just getting a new laptop for the photoshop then a better idea will be getting the photoshop by iteself.
If you are just getting a new laptop because you need one, make sure it has at the very least 2GB of RAM because it takes about 2GB just to run Vista. I recommend 3GB of RAM for regular computers and 4GB for game players plus make sure to get Vista Proffesional or Ultimate. Also, make sure your processor is at least a Duo of some sort. Lastly, make sure to check for Vista updates after getting the computer, there are quite a few you might need to install to make it work better.
Vista is actually really good if you meet all the requirements.
My computer I'm getting for Christmas will be an Alienware and will have 8GB of RAM and a Xenon Quad processor with a modified Vista Ultimate and Widescreen HD display, beat that! (I am such a nerd).