One suggestion that has helped others is to completely uninstall the Client, reboot, then install again. (I know that sounds like a generic non-answer, but in this case there seems to be value in re-setting the client to a clean installation point.)
Also if the client is on a slow connection or has a shortage of memory (minimum specs have gone way up from 4.0), the 'hang' may be during a time where CRM is attempting to retrieve and apply your configuration to the laptop.
Scott Sewell, CustomerEffective | http:\\blog.CustomerEffective.com | Twitter:@ScottSewell