Dell laptops have the most bang for your buck on the market right now, but they have a very cheap feeling to them. The casing flexes very easily and doesn't feel durable at all. I've mostly used Vaio, HP/Compaq, and Dell laptops. I recently purchased a new HP/Compaq nx9030 because I liked the sturdy feel of the laptop, but I don't use it to replace my desktop.

Dell Laptops

Pros:
Cheap
Decent performance
Average battery life

Cons:
Cheap plastic
Below average keyboard and touchpad
Sub-par hard drive, faster replacements run hot