If this laptop a good deal for what I want to use it for?

It's not bad but is no way a desktop replacement laptop. The graphics board is slow, the battery is small and the processor is not really the fastest out there. But that being said, it is not a bad laptop for the price. If you want a true desktop replacement, you will likely spend around $1,000 and up. If you go to PCWORLD.COM, they have a ranking of fastest laptops.