I'm with you. I've been using Linux and Windows for years. When Windows 7 came out, I moved any Linux installs to VMs simply because it still cannot get the th

I'm with you. I've been using Linux and Windows for years. When Windows 7 came out, I moved any Linux installs to VMs simply because it still cannot get the things you mentioned working, even on Thinkpads and Dell Precisions, which are far better than most laptops. It was good enough for most development. Work provided me a MBP about 2 years ago, and while it's not perfect, it's good enough. I will not be buying another Windows computer anytime in the future.