acer, compaq = not satisfied with the performance and design.
i'm using toshiba satelite right now. some good brands i've tried include sony, mac, hp pavillion, dell
just a tip: if you plan to get a mobile phone line (minimum 18 months contract to 24 mos.) here in uk you can avail of free items like laptop, PS3, nintendo wii, xbox 360, lcd tv, etc..... saves you money and you even got a new phone
Be careful of those deals the Wife was tempted when i did the maths for the difference in a decent contract for your phone (and a better phone) you could sometimes buy a better laptop etc with the savings.
All the calcualtions i did were in the last month or so.