yo

i'm in the market for a desperately needed upgrade from my long-serving 99 gt outpost. i got her when i was 14, and over the last 7 years have done some upgrades (judy fork, new bars, stem, and spds). the price range i've been looking at is between 500 and 1,000...towards the lower end though. i've been looking at various trek, specialized, and ironhorse. my dream ride is a trek 6700 disc (which i realize is well past the price range of this forum) but the limited budget college student part of me cringes at forking over a grand. i ride a lot of xc and singletrack, and am looking for a good all-mountain hardtail. anyone have any thoughts?

ps - for anyone considering getting a gt hardtail, i can't speak for their work post-pacific buyout, but the frame on this bike is surprisingly good. if you're looking for a stiff ride that puts the power down, a gt will come through. the "triple triangle" gets your weight a little further back too, so finding that sweet spot on climbs is no prob. this is where my plug of gt frames ends...