After deciding my HP DV1000 laptop was too slow for high definition video editing, I replaced it with my first Dell machine ever. I originally planned on getting a Mac Book Pro, which would allow me to run both Mac OS X and Windows XP or Vista. I balked at the last minute because Apple doesn't have support for my Cingular BroadbandConnect service, as currently there's no PC Express card for BroadbandConnect and there's no plans to make one. I use BroadbandConnect every day, so this forced my hand to find something else.
I looked around at my options and Dell was the only company with integrated BroadbandConnect support. While I normally don't like additional integration, this is one thing I was willing to compromise on because now I don't have to lug around an extra card. My other major criteria for a new laptop were support for 1280x720 or higher video resolution, Core 2 Duo processor, 3GB or more of RAM. Dell came through at a comparable price to the Mac Book Pro with the one key feature I couldn't live without and 4GB of RAM.
I took a chance on getting Vista Ultimate pre-installed on the laptop and so far I couldn't be happier. Vista runs great out of the box on this system. All my core video and audio apps are working as expected. And I get the added bonus of being able to watch HD-DVDs on my laptop via PowerDVD Ultra and the Xbox 360 External Drive. It remains to be seen whether Dell holds up as well as my HP laptop did, but so far, I'm happy.
