This laptop buying question breaks down into two parts - 1) what and
2) where (although I'm not as concerned with part 2)

---------------------------------------------------------------

Part 1. What system?

I'm looking for a good "desktop replacement" laptop for under $2200 +
options (but obviously the cheaper the better as I plan to buy a
docking station, extra battery etc.).  I currently have a DELL
Inspiron and have been happy with DELL notebooks so far (expect in the
case of this 1150 the battery life is very bad).  The main use for
this system will be as my primary computer for all work/personal
needs.  That boils down to 90% email/MSOffice/web/IM with the balance
being an assortment of other smaller programs (media player, Quicken,
FTP, VOIP etc.).  I do not use Photoshop or graphics-intensive gaming
programs.  However, I do generally have many windows open at the same
time so I need the RAM (3-4 IE, 5-10 Outlook, 1-3 Excel?you get the
picture).

I have been looking at the following models but I am open to others:
[ ] HP Compaq Presario X1480US 
[ ] Dell Latitude D800
[ ] Acer Aspire 2000 
[ ] HP Compaq Business Notebook nc6000 
 
My specs in order of preferences are:
[ ] Good battery life
[ ] Docking station option
[ ] Weight (7.5 lbs max but the lighter the better)
[ ] Screen quality/size
[ ] RAM (would like to upgradeable to 1028 MEGs)
[ ] Track pad (not nipple)
[ ] OS: WinXP Pro preferred
[ ] Manufacturer with good customer support history

Note: I do not need a DVD burner

---------------------------------------------------------------

Part 2. Where should I buy it?
For this most recent system I bought on eBay from a Dell reseller.  It
was brand new and I've been very happy especially since I have not had
to send it back to DELL for any reason.  So I am open to other options
here and have no fear of returning to eBay again as long as 1) the
seller has a clean track record and 2) I can get support from the
original manufacturer.  For example this system seemed like a good
deal on the D800 (not new but a very good savings):
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=31542&item=6731276205&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

Any other thoughts here would be appreciated.

I?m often asked this sort of question though I do not profess to be a
computer expert. It?s a relative thing. Because things change so fast,
perhaps the only people who could advise absolutely are non-partisan
dealers, if such a thing exists. With desktop units, the buy-line is
?if you?ve heard the name, don?t buy the system?. Laptops are a bit
different though and even Compaq make some good systems. So my only
suggestion is to read the mags and see what they rate (this month).

Best

Thanks for the 2 cents.  I agree and that's why I'm hoping for some
current input based on the specs in my posting.  Reading through some
of the reviews, specific laptop systems seem to get great reviews and
awful reviews (e.g. users vs. professional reviewers) and it's often
very hard to know which to trust.

Thanks again, TB

I have been really impressed with the HP Compaq BUSINESS line of
notebooks. For the past 9 months I've been in an HP-only environment,
and we have a few thousand nc6000 models out there. They are excellent
machines. Being in IT, I have a true desktop-replacement nc8000 for my
own use. When I leave this job (contract nearly over), I'll miss the
laptop the most.  The quality on the business line is very good - that
has not been my experience with the HP consumer line (Presario).

Prior to this contract, I was supporting Dell Latitude and IBM
Thinkpad notebooks.  While I'm not fond of the Thinkpads at all, I was
VERY impressed with the Latitude D-series.

If I were shopping, I would price out what I wanted in the nc6000 and
the D800, then choose based on the price. Both are excellent.

Thanks for your comments anonymanx-ga.  Very useful as real world
advice from the frontlines of corp IT is better than the hype you get
on the review sites (all paid placement as far as I can tell).  I've
just up'd the bid on this to $30 so hopefully I'll get some more
responses.  Perhaps this request is just too open ended?  Cheers,
T-Bone