Calling all laptop computer techs

My uncle is getting his Ph.D in programming (I always forget which kind exactly, computers are not my forte) and when I asked him a couple months ago about getting a laptop his top 3 brand choices were Asus, Acer, and Toshiba. I got a kickin' deal on Newegg for a $900 Acer, reduced to $650. AMD Turion 64-bit processor (2.2 GHz), 4 GB RAM, ATI Radeon HD 3650 graphics card, and a 16" screen. My uncle also told me that all the big-name brands (Dell, HP, etc.) are junk and a waste of money. IMO Apple computers are not worth the price they command, if you compare the technical specs they are usually not any better than a much lower-priced PC. You want a laptop that won't cause problems? Just get a high-quality PC and you'll also enjoy more powerful hardware and easier compatibility.