Dell Inspiron 8600

The 8600 utilises the Pentium M class processor. This results in minimal power drain on the battery. It's quite possible to watch a full length film on DVD on one charge, or work (word processing, spreadsheet, etc.) for a good 5-6 hours. This has to be its most outstanding feature.

Screen size, at 15 inches (widescreen ratio) seems huge, although the optimal resolution (1920 x 1200) will give some lesser mortals eyestrain.

The only downsides I've found with this machine are that it really is too big to open up comfortably in an economy class seat on most airlines. However, it's perfect for business or first class users.

The only problem I've ever had is my Alt key breaking off, and I found that Dell's support was outstanding. They had a new keyboard shipped to me in 3 days.

Dell Inspiron 8600 - This is a good machine, (not brilliant, just good) let down by Dell's customer service. Their "service" included having no spare parts available (for a brand new model) when the LCD fritzed after just 4 hours use, a series of broken promises resulting in five days of work lost, and, being charged for software support on software they installed. I will never buy another Dell, I will stick to smaller companies where you are treated as a person, not a (sales) number.