I've been building Linux laptops for my customers for years (most refugees from Windowsia).
As hardware goes, Acer's Aspire line never gave me problems, IBM's ThinkPads are IMO ugly but very reliable, and I've been using Fujitsu Lifebooks for a decade - they tend to run a little hot but have some relly sweet features if you're not lazy to get them to work.
I've been running Mandriva, later switched over to Mint, and Puppy Wary can usually revive even the most obsolete piece of junk.
As for how to avoid the Microsoft Tax: notebooksbilliger.de sells laptops without Windows (usually preinstalled with FreeDos or Linpus, occasionally Suse), I'm sure they're not the only ones.

For those worrying about the LMDE's rolling updates breaking something, there's good news:
http://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=1781

After seeing this I went through my gmail spam folder: no false positives AFAICS, but I found this little gem:
'UNITED NATIONS COMPENSATION TO VICTIMS OF SCAM'
It's what you might expect, including bad grammer and ridiculous claims, but I found the sheer cheek of the idea quite funny.

I was thinking about isolating the gene(s) coding for Psilocybin in mushrooms and implanting it into yeast. Welcome to the new hippy age :)

Why foam it if you can turn it into a million crowbars to drop on your enemies? Now THAT makes economic sense.

To me population control seems secondary to controlling the quality of the individuals. I see the perceived "right" to produce and raise selfish thoughtless gits much more dangerous. So how's this for an idea: have a fitness test if you want to become a parent. Psychological exam, and a course in parenting, and you have to announce before conceiving that you intend to have a child. Oh you can do it without all that, but then you do it on your own dime: no state support whatsoever. Prenatal care, delivery, [m|p]aternity leave all out of own pocket.

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article272-page4.html

I got hooked on Dune after reading the first book, and kept going relentlessly to the bitter (may Shai Hulud rot Brian Herbert's writing hand forever) end. Herbert was the first writer I red whos mind I coudn't anticipate and guess the ending halfway through (Asimov, I'm looking at you), and IMO one of the most intelligent and thought-provoking in all sci-fi. The Lynch movie had the atmosphere down pat, so I was willing to forgive it the buggering it gave the story, in fact it's still in my permanent collection.

I used to work for a corp that had similar restrictions, foud JAP (now JonDos.org) around week 1, never had problems again.

http://xkcd.com/681/

Interesting, that was my dream phone for the last five years, but never had the resources or the ample free time to actually do it.

As a Moko user for more than a year now, I can say this much about it: when I need nothing more than a phone, I use an old Samsung clamshell, but when I want a GPS navi or a portable WiFi sniffer or hadheld gaming platform or debugging tool or a water level... Let's just say it's a versatile little gadget.

And SHR unstable makes and takes calls just fine, along with SMS, contacts, call log (better than any I've seen on other phones, in fact). It's gotten to the point where I would dare to give it as an Easter present to my aunt Millie.

gigbeeragf.pbz