5 finger discounts are "cheap"
But seriously.
With laptops you get what you pay for.
Don't go for one of the house brands..
Anyways I'd suggest IBM, but there not cheap.. they are nice though..
It would help us if you defined what you are looking for. Big screen? fast proc, big hard drive, long battery life? do you care about graphics? sound? expandability? weight?
(currently typing on an ibm x31, a 3.6 lb 12.1" screen laptop(subcompact if you will))