[jluetjen]

I've had an Inspiron 500m as my office for 4 years now. I've upgraded the disk drive, and added memory, and it runs without a hitch. Been around the world with it.

My understanding is that Dell has always offered two levels of computer (this includes desktops BTW too).
1) The corporate friendly line which uses standardized components. So for example, One Latitude XXX will have all of the same components as another. This makes it easier when managing larger networks, spare parts, interchangability etc.
2) The cheaper non-corporate line which still uses Dell approved parts, but the configuration may change over time based on market conditions. So while two Inspirons XXX may both have 40-gig hard drives, the drives may have been sourced from two different manufacturers, or may use slightly different firm-ware, etc.