If you plan on using your laptop in live situations, which more and more people are doing now that laptops are getting to be almost as powerful as desktops, be sure you turn off all the "Energy Saver" features. Most laptops either go to sleep or enter a low power mode if left alone for a certain amount of time. They will "wake up" again once data is sent to them, but not in time to play a specific loop or sample on cue. These modes are great for extending battery life, but can be disastrous in a live situation.