Oops. I paid attention to every detail in your post but didn't read the title.
Ok, HP used to make good laptops but now they are nothing special IMO. You'll get good quality out of Asus, Apple, Lenovo, Dell Latitude series, and Sony.
The Asus laptops may look cheap, but over all they are just about the best bang for the buck. I don't think they make anything for $700 though.
Apple will be expensive as always but are very durable aside from some of the small common problems.
The lenovos don't really offer much other than being a strong built laptop.
The latitudes are expensive for what you get and offer the least customization.
Sony has a pretty wide range on their laptops and is good all around. You might pay a little more for them.