I have a somewhere between comp and pro 2008 Rockhopper that I am very pleased with. I think that you could do well with in, but you may also want to look at the Hardrock series by Specialized as well. That was my first "real" non-wally world bike and it still runs as well as the day I bought it.

Personally, I prefer disc brakes and if you do the Hardrock you could probably get discs as well for a similar price as the base RH. I've never ridden anything but Specialized so I couldn't personally recommend you any other bikes, but I have friends who are pleased with their Treks.