Need a new Laptop... Suggestions?

[1991 318is]

I'd go for a Dell with a 14" display. They're smaller and more portable than the 17". The screen on a laptop is usually pretty close if you're typing and actually working.

[Fanzotti]

Apple, Apple, Apple, Apple. Did I say Apple.

[Ryan Stewart]

I can speak to the quality of the latitudes but if you are going to spend the change I would say Lenovo.

You CAN get a cheap laptop. In fact, those big ones are easy to get cheap because its the tiny components that are expensive. The catch is the cheap laptops get really shitty battery life.

Business laptops always get decent life and usually have optional long-life batteries.

[Jscotty]

Get the cheapest laptop that you can buy. I have seen them as low as $499. Any computer on the market today far exceeds any minmum requirements for checking email and doing excel spreadsheets. And even though built-in wireless is great, most of the wireless PCMCIA cards that you can buy today barely stick out of the side of the computer and cost about $50 or so.

You make out far better with this arrangement than you would with any Dell or IBM laptop. I bought a samsung laptop in july of 2005 and I use it every day and it runs GREAT. I paid $599 for it and never had a single issue.

[thectrlguy]

I got a toughbook and it's awesome, doesn't have a 17" screen however

http://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ViewPhotos?storeId=11201&catalogId=13051&itemId=122558&index=0

[winstontj]

Something business class, XP & Office Professional, 17" display, built in wireless...

Nothing to replace my 6-monitor dual cpu desktop workstation but something that will last and perform for the next few years. Mostly for home email, work & travel. No gaming but I do a lot of VBA work0w heavy on Excel.

Thoughts? I can go Dell or IBM (Lenovo) for a work discount...