My last two laptops have been Dells (last five if you include work computers). No major problems, and good options for customizing. They even ship with just Linux now.

Dell laptops are very durable and easy to use. I am using D630 from last three years and have not faced any serious problem in it. Customer service is also satisfactory.

Dell's Mini 10v keeps a lot of the features of the more expensive Mini 10, while dropping the price below $300. It's one of only a handful of $299 Netbooks that doesn't look and feel especially cheap.