I was getting ready to order a D820 because I really need a Windows laptop running Vista, but after looking at an associates today at the office, the screen was so poor, I just can't do it. I'm currently running an Apple Macbook Pro and when you put the D820 next to it, it's grainy, dim, and just plain dull compared to the MBP.

There are so many good things to like about the D820, including what I believe it the best docking station for any business laptop, it's too bad they can't get a good LCD.

Guess I'll have to look at an HP or Thinkpad.

My work gave me a D620 a couple of months ago for a project and it was brand new in the box. I was really impressed with the overall quality of the machine but I have to agree with you about the screen; it is the worst LCD screen on any notebook I've ever seen.

I don't understand, just because we're not playing games or viewing pictures on these notebooks doesn't mean we don't appreciate a good screen or won't notice a bad one when we see it.

Take a look at Sony's business notebooks, or any Sony notebook for that matter, they truly make Dell's LCD screens look sub par.

PS. I think Dell must have gotten a killer deal on these LCDs and couldn't resist the price. Maybe that's yet another reason for Dell's recent slide compared to other OEMs.

I ended up ordering a T60p. I know that Thinkpads don't have the best screens in the world either, but their pricing was quite competitive. And having had a number of Thinkpads in the past, I know the quality will be there.

I would have opted for the D820, but that LCD was so bad, I kept thinking the brightness was only up half way. Then I thought it was on power savings mode. I just couldn't get believe how bad it was.

I almost bought the HP nc8430, but I really needed a 160 gig hard drive and they only had a 100 gig with their promotional models.

I thought "what the heck", I'll see if Lenovo had any specials going. After pricing out a 2.16, 160 gig (5400 rpm hard drive), 2 gig RAM, Windows Vista Business, 256 MB V5200 video card, AND a,b,g and N wireless, I couldn't pass it up for $ 2500. I've already got an Apple Airport Extreme with N wireless, so this is a huge bonus.

I never thought of a Thinkpad as leading edge, but in this case, it showed up both the D820 and the HP.

The Lenovo sounds like a nice machine. I would have recommended you check out the Sony (model VGNSZ420NB). I've been playing around with one, which a friend loaned me for a week, and I'm really impressed by it.

It has a T7200 chip (2GHz), 2Gb ram, 160GB 5400 drive, only a 13.3" screen but you would never have guessed it looking at it, has a hybrid 7400Go/GMA950 which is really neat - you can set it to use the 950 when on battery and use the discrete 7400 when plugged in. Comes with Vista Business, built-in cam and finger print reader. It's very reasonably priced too at about 2k.

But the screen on the thing is simply stunning. I don't know if Sony makes the screen themselves or someone makes it for them, but it's got to be the nicest LCD I have ever seen.