Ace,
I would go with the Toshiba. I have had too many HP's die on me just after the warranty expired (motherboard failure).
Herc...Have you looked into a docking station? It is another way to charge your laptop (it doesn't use the power plug location. Granted a docking station might be $150.00 but it's a heck of a lot cheaper than a new laptop.
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"I'm on one of them there special diets. I am a precisional instrument of speed and aeromatics." - Mater