HP used to be the absolute devil (I'll never buy another based on the horror of my last one) but they've gotten quite a bit better in recent years.
Dell is a consistent favorite for balancing price, service and customizability.
If you like how they look and are ok with having to re-purchase applications, Macs are certainly also a very solid choice.
If you have the money and want the most disgusting, bleeding edge, beautiful machine you can wrap your brain (and wallet) around, check out Falcon Northwest at
www.falcon-nw.com.