[NTLUG:Discuss] Laptop recommendations?

[Dennis Daupert]

I'm in the market for a new laptop. Through my employer I have
access to some deals with vendors: Lenova, HP, Dell for a few weeks, so
it would be nice if I could find something along those lines that work
with Linux without too much fiddling (as in, things work out of the
box). I've searched sites like www.linux-laptop.net, but it seems the
sales I have access to don't include older machines, and the linux
laptop sites don't yet have reports on the newer stuff.

I'm looking for large screen (16 - 17"), good battery life (3 - 4+
hrs). I want take along on photo shoots and interviews, dump photos and
mp3's to the laptop, and do some graphics and sound manipulation. I've used a number of distros, but have mostly used Kubuntu and Debian the past couple of years. 


Does anyone have experience with any newer machines that might fill the bill?