are Toshiba the best brand on laptops..?

It's really preference. It depends on what you want to do what the laptop.

I can confirm this. I work at Dell in OKC, and the laptops we get are not the newest, but they are lasting.

I know a laptop maybe a big ticket item purchase for you, but laptops are commodity items, meaning... Walmart sells them, snuff said, and because they have a definite obsolescence factor, vendors are not gonna go out of their way to build something that will last 20 years, like ole Sony Trinitrons. They figure you keep it 5 years, that's it, they want you to buy something else year 6, if not sooner.

Are you concerned about build quality? (buy something with a metal casing), or after sales support? (read fine prints).

Unfortunately is not a simple as picking a brand (yeah everybody would like that), even known brands, certain model may run a little hot for your taste. But oh well, u been warned. Actually I have one brand in mind for no-thinking purchase but I keep it to myself, folks around here are gonna jump all over me.

@jsmithepa Say the brand, face your fears
--------------------
I for one, don't like Toshiba laptops, I think they are overpriced and not a good deal.
For a brand, I'd say I like lenovo the most, after that would come Dell.
Tell us your budget, we'll find a laptop, or see that site linked above, I kind of like it.

If you have an open mind on this subject, here's one way to approach it:

a) PRICE: Check your wallet. Most people, whether they like to admit it or not, will ultimately buy the laptop they can afford, not the one they want.
b) PURPOSE: Also known as Form or Function. Is the laptop an expression of who you are/would like others to see you, or do you need a tool-belt?
c) PORTABILITY: Exactly how important is portability to you? Laptops offer great mobility, but usually at the cost of upgradability and customization.

Re a): You can get very close to your ideal laptop but it often takes considerable effort (consulting friends/forums or trawling the internet). But more often than not, people will end up with the laptop they can afford and they'll eventually accept any compromises. That doesn't make you an ignorant buyer or a gullible noob - it makes you part of the largest group of PC consumers.
Brands in this category: Almost every brand you've ever heard of. Lenovo Ideapads are very popular and available in a million versions.

Re b): Do you want a good-looking machine that will turn heads in social settings and make your friends go "Waauw", or do you need "a hammer to ram down nails", i.e. a workstation or a gaming beast? I don't judge people by their choice of laptops, and if you want your laptop to be stylish and well-designed, you're definitely not alone. And sometimes, you just need to get serious work done, or want to play high-intensive games at ultra settings no matter what the laptop looks like.
Brands in this category: All Apple machines, HP Spectre, ASUS Zenbook and Lenovo Yoga in the Form section. In the Function section you'll find Lenovo ThinkPad, Dell Precision, Eurocom, MSI, XMG and ASUS ROG.

Re c): You may have heard the term 'desktop replacement'. If you ever find yourself using that word, chances are you'd be better off with an actual desktop. Laptops are portable first, and everything else second. Low weight, long battery life and a screen that doesn't wash out when you move your head are the most important features of any device claiming to be portable. If you like tinkering with hardware and/or taking things apart in your garage, then you are a desktop person, and you'll find that laptops offer very limited opportunities in this respect. And more and more laptops are now designed as sealed entities to keep manufacturing costs down.
Brands in this category: Any brand that stays under 3kg or 6.6lbs, offers at least 6 hours of battery life and comes standard with an IPS panel.

(Or the short version: Get a ThinkPad T-series.)

Cheers,
GreyCatz.