my personal favorites are the IBM T series and the HP Omnibook 6100 series. i feel they offer the best combination of features, power, portability and a "quality feel" that most other laptops can't seem to match. however, you'll be hard pressed to stay under $3k for those. although you should be able to pick up a refurbished one for considerably less, if you're comfortable with that.
one of the better deals around right now seems to be the compaq 2800 series. you can go to hp.com to configure one. you'd probably be able to get a mobile p4 processor, a large hard drive, a 15 inch screen, a fast combo drive for around or under $2k. a cool bonus with the 2800 series is the 2 usb 2.0 ports. but the weight might be a little bit on the high side if you're looking for a really light notebook. i think it hovers close to the 6lb. mark, although not nearly as heavey as dell's 8200 series. seems like a lot of notebook for a good price.
if you need something lighter, the dell 4100 series is a bit lighter, although you won't be able to opt for a p4 or a 15 inch screen. the IBM R series is decent too.
those would be my recommendations, but laptop preferences seem to be very particular to each person, so i'd advise checking them out if you can before you buy.
Ive had my Dell 8100 for 2 months now and i LOVE IT!!!!!
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