Just to put a little perspective on Drakino's comments about a Dell product... Keep in mind that his employer is a direct competitor to Dell
Yes, but not in a division that competes with Dell's consumer division. I bash my companies products all the time as well, as I feel those who use me for advice deserve an honest opponion.
My experience with the 8200 has been limited to working with a friends for a short time. The plastic did not impress me for the above stated reasons, but it seems it will still stand the test of time. Reviews were mixed about it though in the link I posted above. Laptop reviews are hard at times, since they change so quickly, and reviews on duarability are hard to come by.
General rule of thumb for durable laptops is to buy a companies buisness oriented line. Since those are the ones that are bought in huge lots for other companies, they tend to put more detail to minor things into them.
The other thing to consider is the new tablet PCs that are out. Would one of those possibly suit your needs? Keep in mind that they could be very useful to any artists out there, due to products like
Alias Sketchbook.