I would definitely consider the new ultra books in particular the Asus ultra book that is both a tablet and laptop in one it won't be cheap but for travel the size and weight will be important, I think you should go with 8,it will hard to find new with out it. I would definitely not get 17" for travel. I think anything in the newer released laptops will cover your needs. The ultra book convertible is the best of both worlds, I think being able to use it in tablet mode will come in very handy. I personally own the Asus tf300 transformer tablet which I love but you want something bigger it sound like and your gaming needs would probably dictate a laptop. I don't mind a refurbished as long as it is factory refurbished with some warranty.

When you have time you might consider the search engine on the homepage of the forum and enter the keyword "slow" (sans quotes). Numerous prior threads representing various concerns regarding speed will be revealed. I am certain there is plenty of information which you can review at your leisure which may help. DA

Clair are you looking to turn off the French functions when using the Fn key? If so I found the following here:- To turn on and off Bilingual blue keys: Hit Ctrl + Shift + shift (yes, both shift keys at the same time in addition to ctrl) and that turns on and off the Canadian bilingual blue keys on HP lap tops. You could also start reading here starting at post #15 and onwards.

If you go into the Control Panel, click on both Ease of Access or Personalize. Both areas help you fine tune the display.