Laptop recommendations

[mgorse at mgorse.dhs.org (Mike Gorse)]

I briefly had Linux on my Thinkpad R40, and it worked fine; it was just XP 
that stopped working...

Actually, I have an off-topic question.  If a laptop supports Ultra ATA 
100, then does the hard disk need to be an Ultra ATA 100 drive?  The hard 
disk seems to have gone on my R40, and I sent it to be repaired, but it is 
a refurbished laptop currently covered by a Mack Camera warranty, and they 
said that the hard disk is removable and wasn't covered under the 
warranty.  They offered to put in a new 60gb ATA 100 drive for $280.  My 
boss seemed irritated with them for not covering it since it wasn't clear 
from reading the warranty that it wouldn't be covered and elected not to 
have them fix it, so presumably we're going to find a drive for it some 
other way, and I want to be clear on what the options are.

Tia,

-- Michael Gorse / AIM:linvortex / http://mgorse.home.dhs.org --
A better world is possible! http://www.kucinich.us