[lemackie]

-looking for very fast system, can open quickly and can operate with multiple internet tabs open at once.
-laptop
-long battery life
-could use for streaming and still operate fast
-minimal excess unwanted bundled software
-avoid windows vista
-not interested in gaming
-good quality built in speakers, good volume
-dvd/cd drive

[hulkinator]

I will respond with bullet points in the same order as yours:
-Any new laptop will do this just fine. It's really more dependent on you to keep the system running smoothly by keeping it clear of infections and junk software. Just make sure you don't get a single-core processor like the Celeron 900.
-N/A
-Make sure to get a 6- and not a 4-cell battery- many manufacturers will offer their cheaper models with either. If you are willing to spend more money check out a 9-cell battery. There are also some real thin long-life models out there, but these may be out of your budget (as you didn't specify one).
-Any new laptop will do this just fine.
-I think most new laptops are about the same... they all seem to come with an Office and a Symantec trial. It really doesn't take long to get this trialware off. My Lenovo had a lot of stuff to clear off, while my HP was rather reasonable.
-Windows 7 comes on all new notebooks. It's different than XP but well worth the adjustment time. It does indeed simplify a lot of tasks and it is far more secure and faster on current hardware than XP. Keep in mind that XP is now 8 years old and slowly getting obsolete.
-N/A
-Laptop speakers are inferior in general- though my new HP laptop is pretty decent-sounding
-All new laptops will come with a DVD/CD drive

A netbook will not fit the bill for you.

Sorry for slightly vague advice but for the simpler tasks you wish to accomplish, most any new machine will do these just fine. Next I encourage you go to into a store to try some out and see what kind of looks and layout you like. I like Staples for this as it seems their sales staff hound you down the least when you just want to browse!

My personal preference is Lenovo because the build quality was the best in my price range, and it was a good price for the components that were included. I also love my IdeaPad's keyboard and its light weight. My next choice is probably HP, followed by Toshiba, at least for budget-grade laptops.