In terms of reliability, the latest Consumer Reports feature on Laptops concluded that there were no appreciable differences in the (number of ) incidence of repairs (i.e. 'reliability') from the major manufacturers over several years of ownership, based on their testing and the survey conducted with thousands of their readers.
Desktops were slightly more segmented, with Gateway having more repairs than some of their peers.
Best thing to do is go to a retail consumer electronics store that carries the make(s) your looking at, get the feel of the keys, see if you like the layout and aesthetics, and then buy on features and price online, which is often cheaper.
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I've used Dell for years for work, and build quality on the higher priced models is still pretty good. Can't speak to the mainstream.
Acer's got a decent reputation esp. in Asia, MSI is cheaper but gives you more 'bang for the buck'. Look at Toshiba as well, decent build and pricing.
Newegg has decent prices, as do some of the outlets direct from the manufacturer. It definitely pays to shop around.
A computer is like a used car. ALWAYS expect it to break down sooner rather than later, and back up your files on a regular basis accordingly.
-C