I'm also looking. What screen size & processor should we look at? I'll probably get at least a gig of memory. Anyone have one from Alienware? They've got some really fast ones with desktop processors.

I LOVE my Toshiba M45...its perfect for everything I do, and its one of the lightest in its class...only 6.4 lbs!!!!

It has a great warranty, plus I got an extended 3 year warranty with it that includes all damage.

I have had it now for just shy of a year, it has only given me problems one time, and that was my fault ...

I DONT like HP, mostly because of their slow hard drives. As far as I know they still use old 4200RPM hard drives. That is OLD technology, today'* performance laptops use 7200. Mine has one of the best available. It is a 5400RPM to save energy for long battery life, with a 16MB cache to speed up large transfers! So it is JUST as fast, if not faster than a 7200RPM hard drive. I also have Centrino Mobile Technology, which I KNOW is already outdated, but again I say that was a year ago! Today'* laptops come with Intel Core processors. With either Core DUO which is a dual core processor which is ULTRA fast for multitasking, or you have the Core SOLO which is a standard single core processor which most people are used to. A SOLO is sufficent as long as you are not requiring lots of power for grapic editing and such. BUT whatever company you decide to go with, make sure to get PLENTY of memory, because if you end up using the swap memory section of your HD, more specifically while on battery power, you will lose your battery about 25% faster than if it only had to use the memory. Therefore it has to cool less, use less, therefore giving you longer battery life.

Also...I would recommend Dell as well. The only reason I dislike dell'* computers in general is because they LOAD them up with trials of EVERYTHING...it just slows down the general operation of the system. I would recommend if you know how to do so, get an extra copy of windows, and install that to replace the copy they have on there, your computer will run MUCH faster than it would with theirs.

If you got a little confused with anything I just said, e-mail me at John@colliercomputers.com

OOOPS

Guess HP is back with us in the 21st century...im with wren on this one..get an HP those things are lookin good. I reccommend a dv6000z...that looks about what you would need at a good price as well!

A 15.4" screen should be sufficent. But a 17" is nice if you can afford it.

Definitely get at least a gig, just for basic optimal performance.

To be totally honest, with today'* technologies, a CORE DUO processor is pretty fast in comparison to today'* desktop processors. But remember, desktop processors' cores get A WHOLE LOT hotter than processors that are designed for a smaller cooling area. For example a Pentium D processor and a Core DUO...are pretty comparible on performance. Unless you are doing something like video editing, or some sort of graphic communications, you really don't need a desktop processor in a mobile machine.

Also...Alienware is basically a Dell XPS FYI.

or chose a more efficient laptop.

I get over 4.5 hours on one charge almost daily

You could go with one of the new Apple MacBooks. They have the new Intel chips in them which means you can dual boot Windows XP and OS X. They are more money, but they are super nice.

Either that or go with HP.

Dell...my employer has tested every brand of computer in the market and they exclusively use Dell. I have used Toshiba, HP and IBM, they all failed and could not stand the rigors of travel. My Dell laptop is almost 4 years old; has never failed, has sustained the rigors of travel and lots of use overseas without any failures or glitches. The only change the company did was the upgrade from Windows 2000 to XP.
We also get a 21% discount on all Dell purchases, and many times they will have special deals with employee discounts up to 45%. My kids each one has a Dell desktop and they have run flawlessly.

Buy a Dell so I can keep my car looking and running good.

same here.... i get like 4 ish... if i got the bigger oen i would get like 5-6

Dells are rugged. If you travel a lot, they are good. Get the Latitude series if you require lots of moving around since they are the commercial / business grade, and are a lot more tough. The Insprion home notebooks are not as strong, from what I've seen.

Other than that, all laptops are pretty much the same. The biggest issues with all brands include failed hard drives. That'* just how it is with smaller moving parts.