My personal experiance with PCs tell me that you really cannot expect anything good in the "bargin bin" Most of them are simply chips wrapped in a plastic shell, with no consideration of design and user experiance. However, if you look above the bargin bin, I find that some PCs are fantastic. I would easily recommend a Fujitsu Lifebook or a Thinkpad, or even a Panasonic Toughbook (if that is your thing)