Rikki,

KVR is one of if not the most comprehensive site for finding all types of softsynths. There are several forums there as well, and I'm sure that almost any question pertaining to softsynths could be answered there. KVR does not have a lot in the way of tutorials though.

The main Synth Zone site has some good links to softsynths as well.

For tutorials and other info, some other links to check out are:
http://www.computermusic.co.uk/tutorial/softsynthseq/softsynthmain.asp
http://studio-central.com/software_synths.html
http://www.mtlc.net/main.php?a=Articles&ViewItem=17
http://www.computermusic.co.uk/main.asp ( very good tutorials on programming different beats in a sequencer as well )

BTW, a laptop with a standard soundcard ( using windows drivers ) won't be the best choice for running softsynths, unless of course you add a better soundcard to it ( there are soundcards for laptops designed specifically for musicians ). Latency would be a big issue here ( a complex issue but most simply defined as the time delay between when the note is struck and when you here ). Most default internal soundcards ( whether from pc's or laptop's ) will have relatvely large latency, so it's always better to go with a card designed for music creation and the proper drivers ( such as ASIO drivers ).

Regards,

AJ