[ddouglass]

I only have one laptop I use for my back-up system. It is a Dell Latitude and an internal drive that works for CDG. It is always a shot in the dark because laptop makers use whatever they can get that is cheapest for them. I don't have any recommendations other than that for laptop internal drives.
All of my other systems for karaoke are custom built by me in small (Shuttle type) cases. Laptops to me are too prone to failure from heat due to compacted size. If you do have a failure a laptop needs to go to specialists who can change out the parts. With my systems I can change out the bad part very easily. I also can get exactly what I want for my components and not be stuck with what a manufacturer chooses for me.
I always recommend XP and you are not putting me on the spot because I thoroughly agree with MTU on this. I will not have a Vista system ever. Every system I have used or built have been XP since it came out and I refuse to bow down to the Microsoft God that wnats us to use Vista. XP is more stable, less complicated to run and is compatible with a lot of programs that Vista has major problems with.