Copying files from a desktop to a laptop

Easy: Get a thumb drive (cheap at any office supply place) and copy what you need.

More involved: Plug both machines into a network switch or router to create a local network, then transfer everything over the network. You might want to do this anyway so you can share printers and a broadband connection.

When I purchsed a new computer recently, I used a Belkin Transfer Cable (see link below) to transfer all my files from Windows XP to Windows 7. It was a very simple process and worked very well.

http://www.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=506029

I should have said copy/transfer because all of the files remain on my old computer as well.

I would suggest a large external drive that no only would allow you to move files but to me far more important would allow you to keep both computers completely back up.