Depends on what you want to use your laptop for, and how much you want to pay!
Also depends on choice of operating system - Windows or Linux or Apple !!!!
In my experience i suggest you take a look at the following which have performed excellently and good to high reliability -
- Power Graphics, for Gaming - Alienware
- For Multimedia: Sony Vaio
- Desktop Replacement, including P4 processor - HP
But Heavy and Hot
- Portable Laptop, long battery life, for business use: Dell
- Ultralite portable: Toshiba Portege
- Roadwarrior, Resilient, Longest Shelf and Battery Life, Most Optimized Performance : IBM Thinkpad
- Rich schoolkid whose parents buy you a laptop and they have kind hearts but not too much idea of the real world or stuff on computers (or they work in education) - Apple :o)
Lowest reliability was Toshiba, then Dell, then IBM and Sony. Some Dell models such as Dell D400 (no longer available new) has been as rock-solid as the Sony and windows XP Professional on it has never crashed. Overall best performer is IBM Thinkpad series, but their speakers are not that good.