Good brand of laptop?

Looking for something that has decent performance, is light, and a bit less than $800-$900, if possible. What would you all recommend?

For added fun: Ask at a retail store what they recommend, then post on /g/ saying "I wanna buy me a ____ iz dis sum good computarz???" and you'll spark a heavy debate over how much it sucks/is awesome.

Or you could specify more of what you want to do with this comp. Explain what kind of computer you're used to, so people know what kind performance you expect. Like if an older computer has suited your needs so far and all you want is a comparable one as a laptop it would help you resist the temptation to buy something fancy.

I don't know much about laptops myself, but keep these things in mind (and avoid Vista if possible) and someone else will be able to point you in the right direction.