Lenovo is about to release their new line of thinkpads. For the first time, most of them are going to have 1080p IPS screens. Historically, they have supported Linux better than most other manufacturers. Keep an eye out for the T440p, T440s, and the x240, they are all going to be around your price range, and they should be really good machines.
The Macbook Air is another good option, unless you truly do need that much power.
If you are going for power, the Asus N550JV is still a much better option than the HP. It's got a metal chassis, a Quad Core i7 Haswell processor, a 1080p IPS panel, and a Nvidia GT 750M. The best part is that it costs about the same as the one that you were looking at.
If you want something cheaper, I'd keep watching the Lenovo Outlet. I just bought a T430 with 8GB Ram and a 256GB SSD for 448 on the outlet, you just have to be patient.