I've used laptops for at least 15 years and always stuck to Toshiba. BUT, I am now on my second Vaio.
I have a Toshiba 5100 at home and it's a good pc, 15 inches and too heavy to carry around. Last year I bought a Vaio R505 that weighs 3 pounds without the dock, and has a 12 inch screen. Fantastic machine.
I just upgraded it with a Vaio V505 which weighs little more and contains the Cd-RW/DVD drive, still 12inches.
If you need a general all around laptop and don't care about weight then go for a 15 inch machine.
The feature I hate about Toshiba's and it's been the single most annoying feature they have continually maintianed over the years is that the battery discharges when not in use within two weeks. I hate that. I had an IBM Thinkpad for awhile and the battery did not discharge. The Sony doesn't discharge rapidly either when not in use
I'd go Thinkpad or Sony if I were starting over.
I don't agree about the serial port. Nobody connects to a LAN or router with those anymore. You don't even need a parallel port if you are up to date. You're gonna have a USB port, a PC Card shot, an ethernet port, and/or a built in wireless "g" to connect, and really that's all you need.
On the other hand I am going to Italy to visit my daughter next month and am taking her a laptop to replace a Toshiba 2400 I gave her in 1997 (still running). The new one is a Toshiba A10. (nice features, low price--15inch screen). Too bad about the battery discharging, but at least I'm sure to be giving her a stable, reliable machine.
I owned an HP laptop for awhile, but dumped it first opportunity. I also owned a Compaq. What crap, both.
So: IBM, Sony, Toshiba would be my choices. On the other hand if you live in a city that has limited supply and you like to touch what you buy, I guess you go with what ever turns you on. Who knows why guys fall in love with a certain girl or a certain song?
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