We urge you to consider the G4 Titanium laptop, since it is state of the art and at the entry level quite affordable. Note that when you add the RAM and hard disk options, you may be approaching the price of the entry Titanium. You MUST add the wireless card to your laptop in both cases. You are required to have Internet connectivity. Unfortunately, most laptops have only 1 CD-ROM drive available.
Web Cams are inexpensive and easy to use.
The 3-Com Home Connect is an excellent choice, but there are many out there. These can be used in Internet Net Meetings as well as other ways. Digital Cameras are also very popular. These take still photographs and store them in a digital format. Be sure to inquire how you get the pictures to your computer when buying such a camera and making sure you can do whatever is required with your computer.