Need everyone's advice here. I have to buy a laptop for work. I work in sales so it has to be easy to use in the car. I guess that would mean battery life and portability are important. I am not looking for a desktop replacement as I build my own home comps and have a great desktop.

Work will split cost with me so price is an issue. I want reliable but also something that's going to be fun to use. Any experiences out there with a particular comp or brand that you absolutely love?

If money isn't an issue, I'd get a Mac. I love my 15" Powerbook, and just got my mom a 14" iBook for xmas. No viruses, no spyware crap, and best of all, no Microsoft bullshit.

If you are looking for a PC, I would recommend checking out Toshiba's offerings. I have heard very good things about the 'Satellite' series of notebooks that they offer.

As for what you need it to do, make sure you go with a Centrino processor because you maximize battery life using it. (It is made for low power consumption and therefore better battery stamina)

Plus, as Centrinos go, they are all about half as thick as your standard laptops. In fact, Sony makes a Centrino notebook with a 13" screen that is 1 cm if not less in thickness and only weighs 4 lbs.

I love my Dell Inspiron 8600. I just got it 2 weeks ago and I worship it.