[Governor Dinwiddie]

I would go with Dell primarily because they are easily repairable and upgradable, and parts are readily available. Plenty of videos on the "net" will guide you through the process if need be.

Like someone else said, an i5 processor is a good choice.

The main shortcoming of Dells is that their power jacks and power cords wear out. You really need to treat them with TLC. Also, most generic power supplies will not work for charging Dells because the power supply and laptop will have a "chat", and if your Dell laptop finds that the charger isn't an official Dell unit it's no go. Fortunately there are plenty of Dell clone supplies available that mimic the right behavior and work fine.
 

[Don W]

Dell has proprietary power supplies? Go figure...

Thanks to all, I am still reading your posts.