What brand goes in doesn't really matter, compatibility wise. Form factor has to match and interface has to match. Form factor in this case is 2.5 inch and the interface is SATA. If your buying a spinner a SATA II drive isn't going to be all that much faster than a SATA I drive. Still, if the cost difference isn't all that much I'd still get a SATA II drive if the laptop has a SATA II interface. One thing that will affect your performance is whether the drive spines at 5400 RPM or 7200 RPM. 5400 RPM drives are used in laptops to reduce power drain when on battery and reduce heat produced during use. The downside is poor performance speed wise compared to a 7200 RPM drive which is what you'd find in a desktop PC. The laptop manufacturer may have a list or suggested drives, drives that it knows will work with out issue. Me personally I haven't had a drive compatibility issue in ages, and the ones I had all resulted from putting in a large capacity drive that was unsupported by the BIOS. Those days are pretty well over for most of us unless your dealing with a multi tetra byte drive.