full featured, a little lighter then competitors

I wanted a laptop with these features:
1. 15.4 widescreen
2. lightest possible for this size
3. medium-grade graphics card for games
4. pointing-stick
6. pentium M for longer battery life
7. built-in Wifi

This combination was harder to find than I initially thought. Most widescreens are consumer models while only business machines have pointing stick. The only machine that fit all of these requirements was the HP/Compaq NC8230.

I'm pleased with this machine. While it's still a little heavy for every day commuting, it's great for longer trips. I love watching DVDs on the machine while flying. The battery life is about 4 hours.

It also has built-in speakers and microphone. Very handy for voice instant-messaging and skype.

The only problem I have had with it was the battery couldn't hold a charge anymore after 3 months. The battery was replaced free of charge as the machine was still under warranty. Otherwise, no hardware problems with the machine.