You could go for the 8000 with the 2.4 Ghz. The system that you're getting her sounds like my 3200+. It is a powerhouse for most personal and work applications but wouldn't a little more speed be nicer?
CJ: Especially if the HP rep. tells them that the processors are equivalent.
But, they aren't. The $100 premium is most likely the Centrino branding and power. The $300 premium is b/c there's higher performance in Core Duo (albeit responsiveness) that you don't get with a single processer and b/c there is no competition. As long as SC remains a choice, I suspect that DC will have that premium, even with Turion DC.