BIOS can be flashed if the need be. I'm a network engineer, or a field engineer, depending on who you ask (my company or the client). My client exclusively uses HP laptops and desktops and with the exception of a video card that was so obsolete it was no longer supported and have no current drivers, in 14 months I have never had any compatability issues with them.

I put my HP laptop through hell and back. I mean it gets RAGGED on. I shut it down with the power button all the time, I stick it in a laptop case still running and just forget about it, I stress its processor and RAM with the applications I run and the things I do, I'm constantly plugging it and unplugging it from power, docking stations, network cables, etc. And its still trucking. And its battery life is fucking amazing, over 4 hours while using the thing!


Even so, I still say Toshiba laptops are top notch. Just make sure whatever you get, that it feels sturdy. Make sure it feels overly sturdy. Because a few years down the road, shit happens and it WILL break on you.