Laptop recommendations

Hi,

I am considering buy 3 laptops for my teen sons who constantly fight over the desktop as they all have homework to do at the same time. The oldest has an esp heavy load as he is taking AP classes. And forget me or my husband ever using it once the kids are home from school!

We bought this about a year and a half ago and it is/was a fairly high end computer, with good graphics stuff, abilities to do video editing, etc.

All I want in the laptops is for them to be able to do email, internet research (homework purposes), and then using it to type up their assignments. Of course, they IM the entire time they're doing homework, but as long as they get good grades, I won't complain.

So what do you recommend? The desktop is a Dell. One of the kids wants a desktop instead of laptop but I'd like them to be portable and not have my kids buried in their rooms 24/7. Plus, they can't be trusted not to be up all night on the computer after their homework is finished. With laptops, I can tell them they have to use them at the kitchen or dining room table or in the living room or wherever, but not just holed up in bedrooms.

Do you think Dell would give a discount if I were buying 3 at the same time? Is there another company I should be looking at for what we want?

I also hate the way desktops look and how much space they take up. (I'm not big on TVs either.)

Advice?

Thanks,
Gwen