As with any of these suggestions/considerations, they are all very personal. If you aren't doing more than checking e-mails on the road and watching DVD's, then Hard Drive speeds and a stand-alone graphics card are "over the top", as would be RAM. I guess as a person who travels a lot, and sits outside the Starbucks enjoying my daily java stimulant, this can be as big an issue to my daily enjoyment of my computer as any other aspect. Very similar to your (@houltmac) fan issues with the MBA:
"don't watch movies on your MacBook Air (or video of any kind) anyway; it's the only thing that makes the fan come on and it's either silent or a jet engine - totally ruins the whole experience.
We just want to be sure that people have the best experience possible with their Macs, and don't find themselves saying . . ."If only I had thought of that"
For the record, I don't currently have a laptop. But I did have an HP (I'm sorry - don't kick me off the TAB - I returned it
. I thought the glossy screen looked sharp in the store, I was very disappointed when I started using it the way I personally use a laptop. Fortunately it was purchased at Sam's - no open box return fee. It went back and I decided to get (soon) a Mac, since they can now run the PC software I need to use for work on occasion. As you felt about fan noise, so I felt about glare and reflections every time I used it other than indoors.