I used to have a Dell laptop, but didn't really like it. As far as laptops go, it was superb, and I would recommend it, along with IBM Thinkpads, of which I own one as well. I think Dell and IBM make the best. I'm kind of a computer nerd though, and are pretty picky about what I use.
The computer I'm typing on now I put together myself (I water cooled it for silent operation) and the portable machine I use most is a little atypical. It's a Sharp Mobilon Tripad (link below) and it runs off Windows CE. What does this mean? It's a stripped down windows with basic functions: Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Access, Internet Explorer, but it runs on a machine that doesn't have any moving parts. There are no disk drives or CD drives, it syncs with the computer via a cable, and uses compactflash cards (much like a digital camera) to store programs and files. The downside is that it's not a full computer. The upside is that it has tremedous battery life (about 10-12 hours of useage) and is never turned off (it's only put on standby). Also, it produces NO heat. Oh, AND I can surf the net via a wireless network card I bought for it (it fits in the compactflash slot). There's another thing I recommend, a wireless network if you have highspeed. That's the topic for another thread.
I don't think laptops should try to be desktops. They're productivity machines and I think the most important features are battery life and portability, and I think Windows CE devices have full laptops beat in both these categories. I really love not having to wait for my machine to boot up, and I love how it doesn't make my lap or the surface it's on hot.
Dell is great though, I have a Centrino processor which I highly recommend. It has a low clock speed (1.3GHz) but crunches as many computations as a P4 2.5GHz, all while using little power and staying cool. Battery life is at an excellent 4 hrs.
IBM is probably better than dell, but more expensive. I have an R32 P4 2.0GHz-M and it's absolutely solid and reliable, if a little bit boring. It doesn't see too much action.
Whatever you decide, stay away from Gateway.
Alex
NOTE: The
Vadem Clio is the same as the Sharp Tripad