Need to replace the family laptop, and I'm dizzy with the options out there.

No tower in house - will serve as family computer.
Want this computer to be set up for long-term use/flexibility in terms of computing power.
I use our laptop for school (general excel/PP/word) functions, but my wife is getting into video/photo editing.
Have two iPads, so not overly concerned about portability of laptop (open to 17" screen), and don't use this laptop while traveling (don't travel much anyhow).
No Mac products aside from iPads because the wife wants to be able to open the laptop and go. Neither of us are familiar with the OS used in Macbooks. I could/would learn it and use parallels, etc., etc. but she's not so inclined.

Have shopped and shopped, and read review after review. But I haven't shopped for a laptop in forever, and the last one was a gift (cheap HP that has gone through 2 screens with normal wear and tear). Are Dell's solid machines?

Got a quote for $891 after tax plus a 10% cash back rebate from a Dell support specialist for this Inspiron 17 5000:

• 5th Generation Intel Core i7-5500U Processor (4M Cache, up to 3.00 GHz)
• Windows 8.1 (64Bit) English
• 8GB Single Channel DDR3 1600MHz (8GBx1)
• 17.3-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) Truelife LED-Backlit Touch Display
• 1TB 5400 rpm SATA Hard Drive

Good deal or should I be looking for something different?

The hard drive is the killer there. Make them give you an SSD. Pay more for it.

They say the only models that come with SSD are the XPS versions, and those don't have an internal CD/DVD rom port.

Then you need to buy an SSD in addition to the laptop, and swap it out immediately. Seriously, this is the number one thing to do to improve a computer.

What sort of video card does it have? If its' a default/on board you may want to upgrade.

Believe it's Intel HD Graphics 5500.

If portability doesn't matter, why a laptop? A machine for the family might not ever move anywhere.

I think a 17 inch laptop is almost the worst of all worlds. It is a beast for portability. And otherwise isn't better at anything.

I'd buy a 15 inch ultrabook or an all in one.

Why do you need a laptop?

I feel like you could get a better value for your money by getting a desktop.

We have a smallish working space (would accept a 15-17" laptop) and don't care for the tower/monitor/cords to always be present.

We don't have a dedicated office & an inquisitive 3 year old to boot. Ability to easily close the lid & put away out of sight are big draws for us.

Wife likes to have it in her lap while watching tv as well.

In short - lifestyle & space allowances.

I use a 12" laptop and have a monitor for when I need to use my desk and get more screen real estate.

17" is TOO BIG for a lap!

Ditch the optical drive and get the SSD upgrade. You will regret it if you don't. And seriously, who uses CDs / DVDs these days?

Later on, if you find you absolutely NEED an optical drive, you can get a lower-powered, slim form factor optical drive from Best Buy for ~$70.