Best laptop recommendations for work, school, or media?

Hi there.
So, I’m in the market for a new laptop to handle my daily grind—think Microsoft Office, browsing the web, streaming movies and music, plus some work involving MATLAB and Python. Don't worry, I won't be asking for anything capable of running high-end AAA games.
My absolute non-negotiables are speed and reliability. I have zero interest in a machine that takes an eternity just to boot up, or one where Microsoft Office and Firefox decide to take several minutes to load after I've been running it for a few days.
Reliability is equally paramount; I have no desire to spend my time hauling a device back and forth to repair shops five times during the warranty period because someone decided to use cheap, flimsy components.
I don't care about fancy optics, but an SSD is mandatory, and having the option to add a second drive would be highly desirable. As for the size, somewhere in the 13-15" range (an ultrabook works fine), and whether it has a touchscreen or not is frankly irrelevant to me.
Warranty: I’m looking for 2 years or more.
Budget: It's flexible, provided we're talking about true quality rather than just unnecessary luxury.

Thanks.

Ugh... It’s actually refreshing to see a question like this pop up for once. And honestly, it's great seeing people who can actually say "I've got the budget for this," even if they're a rare breed. 👍

If this is really your situation—and assuming I haven't totally overestimated what you can afford—I’d be torn between the MacBook Air and the Surface Pro:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product...ducts_id=13109
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product...ducts_id=12930
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Asus-Ze....154422.0.html
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenovo-....129882.0.html

As for a second drive, here’s my humble suggestion for what I’d personally grab:

http://www.amazon.com/product.asp?produc...&code=09877ADM

Not only would that cover all your bases in terms of quality and specs, but let's be real—it's such a nice setup that anyone would be jealous of your desk space. 😬

Whatever you end up buying, I'm expecting a full-blown review over in the "My Laptop" thread. 😬

Thanks, I think I’ll spend some time digging through reviews to see if I can sniff out any hidden flaws. 😁
Personally, I’ve been torn between grabbing a high-end, powerhouse ultrabook or perhaps one of those indestructible tanks like a MacBook. Since I already have an old Surface sitting at home that still runs surprisingly well, I might just stick with what I know. 😬