Help Me Find a Good Laptop

[Resonance]

I am looking for a laptop and would be greatly interested in which you consider to be the best make and model to go for. I dont really have a budget, I just am going to go for whatever looks good to use. I intend on doing lots of graphics work both 2D and 3D with it as well as programming and a bit of gaming. Compatablilty with Linux would be great too but is not essential.

Also battery life matters and I would like it to not be too heavy.

Are there any brands to steer clear of?
Which have the best warranty?(International support would be great)
Are there anythings to watch out for in general?

Any advice much appreciated, Thanks.

[Kotatsu Neko]

Someone is bound to say it, so I may as well be the first - Powerbook or iBook.

Laptops aren't great for gaming anyway for obvious reasons so why not have the rest with some style and panache? Plus Tiger has just been released and that really looks like it will be a joy to use.

[Resonance]

Yeah. If I had a choice I would go with an Ibook but I have too much software that needs to run under Windows to make that change just right now. Also since I am going to be coding for a final year project, I need to be using the same platform as my project supervisor (Windows 2000 and Linux) . OSX does look sexy though.

[Kotatsu Neko]

You can get virtual PC for the Mac which will let you run everything but apps which require Direct 3D. I haven't used it myself so couldn't comment how good it is though.

I'm quite heavily influenced by aesthetics when I buy stuff, probably why I have a Shuttle XPC rather than some big Dell monster or worse. Whenever I've seen PC laptops they're just so huge and ugly, big slabs of black plastic. Then I see an iBook or a Powerbook... and there's just no contest. I know there are a few slimmer PC laptops, some Sony ones I guess, but even they don't compare to those sexy Apple things.

And OSX... it's a joy. Whether I buy an iBook first or an iMac, I will own it before too long!

Why don't you head off to www.appleinsider.com or www.macrumors.com and ask in the forums there? I'm sure people will be glad to inform on the pros and cons of running a Mac with Virtual PC.

[Jei]

If i had the money i'd be getting one of these............

http://www.evesham.com/PCs/Info.asp?...6-35523E827744

but then again i'm biased cause I work there

[segages]

I've used Virtual PC and, to be honest, it's not worth it unless you want to run Windows 98. Windows 2000 lite is OK but still sluggish, even on G5s. Until MS pull their finger out and sort out the direct hardware emulation I'd heavily advise against it, especially if your wanting to be in a Windows environment for a reasonable amount of time.

That said, you really can't beat a Mac with OSX thesedays as an everyday computer IMO. I switched a couple of years ago and never looked back. Plus, where else can I find 5 and a half hours of real-world battery life?

[Resonance]

Macs sound great but I really do need to be in a stable Windows/Linux environment for my project. There are just too many unknown variables with emulation that make Virtual PC a complete no go area for me. I am already going to be working with things that I am unsure about so having to then work in a new OS would further complicate things and possibley kill my project.

Please no more Mac posts as although I have considered them they are not a viable solution at present.
Thanks.

[Gareth C]

I will say one thing:

DON'T BUY A VAIO.

Had three, and they have all been a nightmare in terms of reliability, plus they are heavy, crappy battery life and overpriced.