As for capacity, a 12G or 18G hard drive is sufficient for most purposes. Buy an expensive notebook PC only if you're sure you'll use it frequently. Notebooks are nice, but they're not for everybody. Buy a notebook that has the fastest processor you can afford, but don't neglect other important components, such as RAM, drive size, display size and port connections. Invest in a port replicator or docking station if you plan to work on a project for hours at a time.
Some notebooks perform multimedia tasks better than others.
If you can, choose a model that can connect to a port replicator or docking station that will provide extra flexibility. You may want to include extra peripherals, drives, PC Cards or memory, or quickly hook your notebook up to a 17-inch monitor when you return to your home port after a trip. Unlike ultralight notebooks, desktop-replacement notebooks shouldn't fudge on keyboard size. You can get a full-sized keyboard with most of them, although some of the function and numeric keys may be cramped. Virtually all the notebooks listed come with either pointing sticks or touchpads.