I've been reading that a lot of people have problems with their Acer laptops, so I'll try to stay away from them. HP, MSI, and Asus are looking good for me.
Hp is alright as well I use to work at manufacturing plant of theirs. I also like there customer service, I have seen them honor there mfg even outside of the one year. Hp, and Asus probably going to be your two best choices.
At my local Best Buy, it's 1000 dollars, and I have a 50 dollar gift card, so $950 for what looks like a great laptop. I'd also get a free upgrade to Windows 7 with the purchase. I used it in the store, and it seemed very solid, and looked great. Seemed to have everything I needed and more. I am aware that the battery does not last long, but that doesn't bother me at all. The weight is also fine with me. Does it look worth 950 dollars?