I am looking at
1. overall build quality i.e. something macbookish
2. battery like 6+ hours would be sweet
3. cost under $1000
4. screen size - 15" matte (I hate glossy, print magnets)
Thanks
I would suggest you look at HP EliteBooks and Lenovo ThinkPads. For instance, a ThinkPad W510 or EliteBook 8540w.
I personally own an HP EliteBook 8540p.
-2.53 gHz i5 CPU
-NVIDIA NVS 5100m (equivalent to the GeForce 330m)
-15" matte 1600x900 resolution (quality comparable MacBook: http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=5881&p=...)
-4-5 hour battery life, although I'm still using the original battery
-built like an absolute tank
I got it off of eBay for $600 last summer. The models I mentioned above can have 1080p configurations, and I know for a fact that the 8540w has the DreamColor configuration, which is about the best display you can have in a laptop; they're quite rare, however.
You'd probably have trouble picking up brand-new, refreshed models for under $1000, but that would be the same case for a MacBook.