I'm considering a .357 4 to 5 inch barrel; what would be the better choice, S&W, Ruger, Taurus, or other?
Hard to say, depends upon what you want to do. They are all good guns.
Taurus makes great revolvers (though I'd stay away from the titanium guns for a while as some people here seem to have had more problems with them than the steel or aluminum guns- though not a knock on Taurus, S&W seems to have trouble with their titanium and scandium too, and many manufacturers had trouble with their aluminum guns when they first came out too). They are modified S&W designs. One of the changes is using a coil mainspring, it hurts the trigger pull a bit but is more durable than the leaf spring S&W uses. Most Taurus revolvers will last you a lifetime. Their snubs are probably better than the S&W J-frames (I love the trigger on my Taurus 605). They are also probably the most innovative revolver company right now. If what you want is a medium framed gun you will do yourself a disservice if you don't at least check out the steel framed Trackers. These are still a little less than the others so they are probably the best value.
Rugers are extemely rugged. Probably the strongest of the three, though at the price of being the heaviest and hardest to carry when comparing like sized guns. They also have the worst trigger of the three. These are great guns though and many swear by them (as the fans of all three do). They are also a great value, being about 10-15% less than a comprable S&W.
S&W is the standard by which the rest are compared. The 686 is the quintessential .357. The K-frame .357s are probably the best size and weight for a general duty .357 (big enough for comfort, small enough for concealment with a 4" or 3" barrel, strong enough for most .357 loads, light enough to carry comfortably). The J-frame snubs are classics and offered in more variety than you can imagine. While the K-frames aren't as strong as the Rugers they are handier, the L-frame is nearly as strong as a Ruger and, if you go used the N-frame (.44mag frame) is virtually indistructable. The trigger on these, especially the used S&Ws, will generally be better than the rest.
Any of these brands should be just fine. What do you want?
If you want pure strength check the Ruger GP 100, S&W 686 (or used 586), used S&W 27 or 28 (N-frame), or Taurus 608 (built on their .44 mag frame). If you want a medium framed, general duty, gun check the 4" S&W 686, the S&W 65 or 66, the Ruger GP 100 (with 3" or 4" barrel), the Taurus Trackers, and Taurus 65. If you want a .357 snub the Taurus 605 will probably have the best trigger, the Taurus 650 is the 605 with no external hammer, the Ruger SP 101 will probably be the most comfortable to shoot (though least comfortable to carry) and durable, and S&W has several models to choose that are great guns. If you are on a budget a new Taurus may be your best bet, though used Rugers and S&Ws are good deals too.
What do I have? I had a Taurus 82 (.38spl, K-frame equivelent) that was a great gun (I was an idiot and sold it when I got my S&W 65- at the time I didn't want 2 medium framed revolvers). I have a 3" S&W 65 (K-frame), a Taurus 605 (2" snub) and I just bought a used S&W 586 (the blued version of the 686) online (I will have it in about a month- MD one a month law). My next revolver is probably the Taurus 44 (.44mag) or a Tracker in .357, followed by a Ruger GP100. I like them all. They all have their places and will give you more than acceptable service. Find the one you like best.