I already own a external HD, on which I keep music, large files, etc. That's why I really don't need a 300 GB HD.
I've heard a lot of good things about thinkpads, but I've also heard that the quality has drastically gone down since the deal with Lenovo.
Dell...
I've never used a dell laptop, so I have no idea on the quality, reliability, and performance. A friend of mine works at a computer repair shop, and he says that he hates dell.