New Laptop that allows Recording of Streaming audio?

Hi,

(I posted this earlier today in a different forum here without much success - maybe someone here can help)

It seems that new laptops and computers are (deliberately?) configured such that they do not permit recording of streaming audio (no stereo mix option on sound card) - and as result, programs like Mp3MyMp3 and Audacity (for recording streaming media) do not work. This appears to be related to built-in sound cards (such as Realtek and Sigmatel).

With Dell computers, there seems to be a driver that you can download for the Sigmatel soundcard that may fix it.

I have two questions:

1) Does anyone know of a new laptop that will permit recording streaming audio? and

2) Has anyone had experience with downloading the sigmatel driver and recording streaming audio on their Dell or similar machine?

I find it very ironic that my new Gateway office computer, for all it cost (2000.00) is inferior to my 4-year old homemade machine which cost me 300.00, as regards recording streaming audio.

Thanks-