Your laptops probably too slow to run vista.....it needs relatively hardcore performance to function seamlessly, it shouldn't have even been put on most laptops because they just can't handle it and it only slows them down.
Did you do the first orientation thing or just fly straight away?? lol yea, it is hard. Have you seen the property developers are real estate agent sites and that for on there??
How long have you been on second life?? it's cool...but way too hard...you need to be pretty computer inclined to do anything decent. Some people make alright money off it though...