I am a huge supporter of Dell, not because they make a good laptop but because they have THE BEST warranty in the business. I have worked with Dell, HP, Gateway, and a few others and no one can touch Dell.
If you decide to go Dell be sure to get the Complete Care warranty, its Next Business day onsite repair, no questions asked. You could practically throw your computer out the window just to see if it could fly and they will repair or replace it for you. The warranty WILL pay for itself in the time you own your computer.