I'll give you the 360 controller bit - I think most people overblow the difference in experience.
But one thing I do have to question is that why go the bargain laptop route? They're cheap, and far more prone to break and have a myriad of issues than lets say a desktop you build or buy for $800 or so, or even a nice deal laptop like this: http://bfads.net/HP-dv8t-Laptop-w-Quad-Core-i7-Processor-999-HP . There's far less frustration across the board, better specs, more hard drive space, etc., and lasts longer - one can argue you are spending less this way.