I get about a fair bit, and the laptop I bought (an IBM Thinkpad) has been brilliant. I can use it wherever I am; I have a docking station for it and use a "proper" keyboard, monitor, and mouse at our "second home". It networks to the main desktop when I'm here, and keeping the two synchronised is easy. I can (but don't often) use it as a remote desktop to the main machine.
I carry a small USB optical wheel mouse (cost me about a fiver) - that's so much better than the silly device on the laptop, and very practical when out and about.
If I were starting again, I would buy a top-of-the range laptop and two docking stations. The old desktop would be relegated to "backup and fileserver" in case the laptop got stolen or died.
I bought a high-spec Packard-Bell laptop for my daughter a year or so ago - with the long extended warranty. It died last month, and PC World agreed to fix or replace in accordance with the warranty - they've had it well over a week, and we've heard nothing from them. So, avoid Packard Bell and PC World!