Is there a better way to move your environment around?

With a new job comes new hardware (laptop), new network and new policies. I have had little issue with the new network and policies but the new hardware is killing me. The amount of time it takes to get your desktop environment useable again is staggering (I am estimating 48+ hours). I am wondering if I am better off running P2V on my current machine and from here on out only running inside a VM!

I know it sounds silly but that way, regardless of hardware upgrades I might see soon I would not have to do any rebuilding of my desktop environment. Perhaps I have to many applications I use for work but I don't think I am that unusual.
- Ed