To the OP: Get a Dell. Most people who criticize Dell's build quality don't know what they're talking about at all, and it makes them feel intelligent to critique. Dell's build quality has significantly improved over the last few years, especially in their higher-end laptops. They're not the flashiest, but they get the job done.
As for your original question, this isn't the forum I'd suggest. Go to
http://www.notebookforums.com/ - they know way more than almost anyone here and there's tons of people there who will readily give you advice. More importantly, they post coupons from various laptop companies there, which can get you a significant discount on the computers - I've seen $900 coupons from Dell before, for example.