Dell Precision is the BEST laptop I've ever used. Been using for nearly 2 years and I have never got angry with it at all.
I agree with this. One of my client's bought an old (WinXP, and used) Dell Precision for occasional use because she didn't want to drop $1,200 on another Lenovo, and it seems like a reliable work horse. I only mess with them when they break, or when they need updates, and I haven't spent much time with that one, which is a good thing, if you think about it.
Another thing I'll mention is, that if you get Win8, GET A TOUCH SCREEN. The whole purpose of Win8's existance is to advnace into touch screen technology. One client got a "deal" from Toshiba and bought a laptop direct from the factory for a very good price, and then hands it to me to make it usable. (See my "http://www.blackhatworld.com/blackhat-seo/blackhat-lounge/518604-windows-8-piece-shit-heres-solution.html" rant...)
Then we discover that her new Toshiba with Win8 (and all the problems that go with it) doesn't have a touch screen. I think Toshiba has delibarately hid this information from their customers. They don't ask about touch screen preferences in the ordering process, and that specific model number isn't even listed in their support section, so you can't find out what the specs are, in order to find out if it's a touch screen or not.
I'm mixed on the issue/value of touch screen. I think in some ways they make things easier, but in others it's too easy to "fat finger" your way into places you don't want to go, and they are hard to get out of. Particularly with Win8. It's all based on what you do, and what kind of learning curve you are willing to endure. I'm VERY selective about my learning curves, as there is nothing worse than spending time learning how to do something that you simultaneously discover is an inefficient use of time (meaning there is a faster, easier way that requires no learning at all).
A classic example of this is that it is faster & easier to make a phone call asking a simple question ("What's that address again?"), vs. fucking around with text characters for 20 minutes.