Buddy needs help buying laptop for photo/gaming

Hey there, my buddy is planning on buying a new laptop somewhere in the range around $2500-$2800 CAD. It is going to be used mainly for work. He has his own photo business where he edits/sells photo's at motocross races. He wants something poweful. He's going to be using photoshop and some other powerful programs. He's also going to be doing a bit of gaming (CS).
So I recommended something with:
C2D CPU
2GB or more memory
Big Hdd
Big Screen

I have no clue about laptops (desktops are another story), so if anyone has been looking around and knows a lot of good one's in that price range and along those spec's it would be greatly appreciated.

I do something pretty simular to him.

If he is like me , his laptop price will be a drop in the well compared to his lens.


The most important thing is Large Screen and HIGH Resolution.

Haveing a 17 inch screen that is low res does nothing for us. I would not us ANY thing under the 17 inch 1900 wuxga screens.


I use to work with .RAW files on my old sager 9860 with 1 gig of ram , it was a down right pain. It got alot better when I upgraded to 2 gig.



I personally upgraded last week to the Sager 5760 from xoticpc.com ITs lot faster and has a much better screen then the 9860(9890s now) plus it has GOBS of Video memory( I use Cannon Cameras its software loves Viedo memory)

The Great thing about this Laptop is it can run on batt for an hour or two, the MAJOR FREAKEN DOWNFALL of this unit for my work is it Does not have 7-1 card Reader So i cant just pop in a Compact Flash Card. So I have been useing the Slower more clumbsy USB wire.

Personally, I hate the USB cord. I dont want to have my Camera Out and laying around at work with a Wire Ready to pull it off the table at any given time. My lap top was 3 grand , my Camera was 8 grand I dont need it exposed to any more harm then it allready is.

So i am prob going to buy a USB compact Flash card reader on Tuesday.



This is my Old System( current version of it)
sager 9860-9890

Positives

-powerfull
-Raid HD Faster File Xfer
-Compact Flash card Reader built in
-High Res screen allows you to edit some photos at full size
-USBs on left and size allows for attachments away from your right mouse hand
-Awsome sound for a laptop. Perfect for DVDs

Negitives

-heavy at last 14 pounds
-Heat. Makes a 100% unacetpable amount of Heat
-Last 20ish mins On batt
-Built in Mic barley functional
-Loud Fans
-Expensive propitery powersupply. If it breaks you cant get a new one at Radio shack




This is my new System

sager 5760

keep i mind i have only had it a week or so



positives

- only around 7 to 8 pounds. Still heavy for a laptop but not nearly on par with my old system.

- Very very cool running. You can do just about anything with it in your lap with out damageing your unborn children.

-Very Very powerful it beats the pants off my old system(keep in mind my Older sytem was older not the new current 9890 that has the same level of cpu)

-Quite running it does not have 8 fans on all the time like my old unit.

- great built in Mic

- Awsome high res screen

Negitives

- USBs are on the right hand side, thus the Cords can get in the way of the mouse.

- No Compact flash reader

- Buttons for CD controls are right on the arm rests , you can hit them accidently

-normal laptop sound not the concert hall that my old system was.




I guess in Closeing, in my limeted opion , If the 5790 had a compact flash reader it would be perfect for our line of work. Its the best comptuer I have ever owned.