First off welcome to Vista Squad,
I think you may already be on the right track as it does sound like a driver issue and would be well worth installing the latest version. It may also pay you to get you new laptop connected to the net and update the Windows install and insure you get Service Pack 1.
You may also need to download the latest patches for both these games as they are quite old , also you may need to look at running these by using the compatability mode for Windows XP with a resolution of 800x600. If you need info on how to use compatability mode let me know.
Starcraft latest patch is 1.15.2 http://us.blizzard.com/support
aoe2 latest patch 2.0a www.fileshack.com
Can you just confirm the full spec of the laptop, CPU, ram graphics etc. Version of Vista?
As for your conversation with their technicians I tend to find that if the problem is not standard and they can’t read the answer off a pre-prepared script then you’re out of luck, but don’t forget you are fully within your rights to get help or refunds if you are really unhappy with it.
Regards
Scott
scottbelton@tiscali.co.uk