I purchased this laptop in 2008 via an employer, to use as a fully-capable mobile workstation for pretty much anything I needed to do. It was pretty overpowered for my usage, but I generally don't upgrade my computers very often, so it worked out well; in 2016, I'm still using it with minimal issues.

It's a 17" Dell Precision mobile workstation, pretty much the best laptop money can buy at the time. And, three years later, it's still a highly-capable system. Featuring a 2.8GHz Core2 Duo Extreme processor, 4gb of RAM (later doubled to 8gb), Nvidia Quadro FX3600m 512mb video card, and an awesome all-metal case.

After years of carrying it in a decaying briefcase that was far too small for it, I invested in a Pelican 1495 laptop case in February 2011. It's one of the largest and most durable hard-sided laptop cases on the market, and its customizable foam inserts make it perfect for a laptop and accessories.