If vortexbox is installed on the laptop's boot drive, it is all set to go. install contains the operating system (fedora), CD ripper programs, music server...

got it. SSD is better but way more expensive. if its an old laptop, I'd not likely spend on a SSD. I'd just get a regular spinning drive. Once that is...

why wouldn't you install Vortexbox system on the exisiting harddrive in the laptop?...