Need help buying a notebook.

[Kenjura]

I can't find any sites with any recent notebook articles. Any sites or recommendations?

What I need:
A solid platform. I want at least 800 mhz (1000 from intel), 128 (preferably 256) mb ram, and a sizable hard drive (40 gb would be nice).
Networking. A simple ethernet port (10/100) would suffice.
Connectivity for external devices (mouse, keyboard, monitor, other computer, etc).
A good battery.

What I don't:
DVD or CD-R capability.
Extra software (hard to avoid that with OEMs)
speakers (it isn't worth it, I'll just get my own)
Frills and nifty stuff in general. I *have* a powerful desktop machine for that.

This would be my first notebook, and I have a tremendous distaste and distrust for OEMs in general.

If you could perhaps direct me to a site that reviews notebooks, I would appreciate it. Thank you.

 

[huanaku]

I have a tremendous distaste and distrust for OEMs in general.

LOL, I understand that. Dell has some good ones (you can check on their refurbished site as well), so do IBM (though usually a little more expensive) and Sony. If you want a smaller group, try Powernotebooks.com. Their notebooks are easy to customize, and they have good reseller ratings.