I have 2 types of porter cable routers, the 690 and the 890. The 890 is probably the nicest router I have used. At work we have an older dewalt, a hitachi M12v, and the new Bosch 1613? (I think thats the number), and have used them both a lot. The hitachi is built like a tank, and has more power than you could ever need, but is a little bit of a handful above the table sometimes. The Bosch is nice, but I like the different bases that come with the 890.
The soft start, variable speed, and ease of adjustment on the new 890 make it a pleasure to work with. The above the table bit changing is cool, but I would have bought the router without that feature, since I still like to change bits out of the table (out of habit, I guess) The two bases and reasonable price make it easy to own.
Just my two cents. I'm sure others are passionate about their brands, but if I had to make recommendations it would be
Under $100 Ryobi 2hp plunge router (great for a 'second' router)
$100-$200 Hitachi M12v
$200+ Porter cable 894 kit