In the ten years I've been self-employed, I've owned three, each as my every day computer. All were entry level.
Compaq - An early Pentium. Pretty well made, still running despite being 10+ years old, and having commuted with me to job sites about 4 out of 5 days over a three year span. This machine was made prior to HP taking over Compaq.
Toshiba - A entry level Celeron machine. Excellent design and ergonomics, but two different hard drives died over a 3 year period of everyday use. Still have it, still works, still in cosmetically perfect condition after 5 years, but I don't trust it for critical work because of the hard drive issue.
Winbook - Current machine, entry level 1.6Mhz Celeron M with 768MB RAM and Win XP. I frequently have five to eight applications running at once, and the machine can keep up just fine. Salesman warned me that it was a bottom of the heap PC and that I shouldn't expect it to last. Paid $350 after rebates, and the machine is still going without hiccups after a year and a half of every day use. I've already gotten my money's worth. If it lasts another year or two, that will please me.
Obviously, I don't believe in buying top of the line gear. I've just never felt the premium price was justified, at least for the type of work I do. I don't travel as much as I used to, and that helps the current machine hold up better.
