Laptop

Hello, My wife and I are interested in purchasing a laptop for personal use. She is lookign for something, other than a Macbook, that can handle picture editing. I want something that has a good processor (i.e. 2.4g ), and has a medium size HDD (i.e. 300g ). We really like the Asus brands. However, are open to others. Our budget is $1k. With sooo many out there, it is hard to find the top of the line, int his price range. Please help!!! Regards, Kevin & Kim