Novice Seeking Advice on Color Management

Hi all-

I'm just getting back into photography and am looking for some advice in getting my workflow/setup in order. I currently use a Nikon D7000. Right now I'm working on a Dell Inspiron 1750 laptop, using Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom 4. I have an Epson R3000 printer which, sadly, I have not experimented much with.

Computer

Is it workable to continue using my laptop? I have an iMac but don't have Photoshop or Lightroom for it and would probably have to make a definitive choice of PC vs Mac, which makes me nervous. Can I get good results sticking with my laptop for now? Should I consider going Mac in the future or stick with a PC? I realize that this may be entirely based on preference but I'm wondering if there are technical advantages to either that I'm not aware of.

Scanner

I have a lot of 35mm negs/transparencies as well as 120 negs which I would like to digitize so I'm thinking about getting a scanner to do it myself, rather than take each one to a lab to have scanned. Any thoughts on the complexities/hassle of learning how to use a scanner? Many years ago I could operate a drum scanner at work but I'm more than a little rusty. The models I'm looking at are either the Epson Perfection v700 or v750. I know that the SilverFast Ai software is a bit confusing to use, but I was assured by the manuf that it would work on Vista 64 bit.

Color Calibration

Next, I need to implement a color management system. I'm interested in the ColorMunki Photo. Will I be able to calibrate my laptop monitor satisfactorily or should I consider an external monitor better suited for photography? Why can't I find it on sale right now?!

General

Can someone point me in the direction of some good resources for learning how to work the ColorMunki, how to learn how to use the Epson scanner and how to improve my skills? I'm so frustrated that I've fallen behind over the years! I have a deep photography background but I got sidetracked as a web developer and then as a mom and am anxious to get my groove back!

What I really need is a mentor but don't know how to find one so I'm asking you all for help!

Many, many thanks in advance for your guidance!

Anne