Failing that, it makes me nauseous thinking of paying over 1k for hardware that is as poorly constructed and ugly as most PC laptops tend to be.
Exception: Sony VAIOs. Pretty little thangs, and the predominance of intel hardware makes me think they're Linux compatible. If I can configure a sharp looking VAIO with dedicated graphics for under 1k, she's mine.
"I want a mac, but anyone have suggestions for decent PCs under 1k with DVD burners?"
and then when your karma hit 150, you could start a poll for "how many people use macs" like you asked --
...instead of a tirade about electrocuting batteries and whatever the heck else you talked about cause mix a mac survey with computer suggestions and you're looking for a mess.
And seriously, VAIOs? You might as well go for a Mac. I mean, all that tells me is that you care about how your lappy looks and not about what it does. Get a Sager for god's sake. you can configure one for about 1k and it will run better and last longer than any silly overpriced vaio out there. I mean if you're looking for 1k computers, you should chuck the word vaio out the window.
Or are you just hell-bent on getting a mac and none of this discussion really matters?