+100 on Brian's recommendation of a refurbished ThinkPad.
Back in my PC repair days, I did a lot of warranty service on them, as well as other laptops from HP, Toshiba, Compaq, and Apple. The ThinkPads were far superior in materials used and logical / sturdy construction, and if you were a hardcore touch-typist, they were the only real choice. That was back when IBM still made them, but my experience with them since Lenovo's acquisition tells me the standard of quality is still very high.
A refurbished ThinkPad will probably last you longer than a new model of any other brand. Note that this endorsement does not apply to Lenovo's cheaper lines - only to ThinkPads specifically.