i posted a response like this on a thread like this on the ableton forum, and i got no reply...i'm really interested to know if anyone is using an alienware laptop ("mobile workstations" they call them, for a reason)...i've got an alienware desktop, which i absolutely love, and their mobiles look absolutely fucking fierce. of course, if you build it up proper it's actually going to cost as much or more than a g4 laptop, but they look pretty damn powerful - maybe even moreso than a g4, although i'm not making any claims.
http://www.alienware.com/Configurator_P ... KU-DEFAULT
my own curiosity aside, i would definitely say that alienware has impressed me as a company, so i can recommend them, if not their mobiles, firsthand. it sounds like they might be out of your (the thread starter's) price range, but i think that if you want a really stable laptop that uses parts throughout (not just processor and ram) that are going to rival a powerbook, you're going to end up spending a pretty penny.
regards,
charles