Since my HP Pavillion DV7-2180US has issues overheating (causing it to have a permanent perch on a cooling pad) an early Christmas gift to me was a Toshiba Satellite L755D-S5204. It's reasonably priced at around $500 but don't let the price tag fool you. While the price instantly adds this laptop to the low end laptop shelf in the store it is rich with features and is even prepared for an upgrade to Windows 8, making it a perfect Christmas gift for even the pickiest geek in your family.