You could try the ThinkPad X200 series. Those things are tanks and are made for work. They're also made to be tinkered with, so you can most Linux/BSD distribut

You could try the ThinkPad X200 series. Those things are tanks and are made for work. They're also made to be tinkered with, so you can most Linux/BSD distributions on it. Finally, should anything happen to your computer -- battery dies, screen cracks, etc. -- you can easily find a replacement part on eBay or elsewhere online.