I'm thinking of buying a new laptop. Can anyone recommend a good manufacturer?

[rockymountaindem]

I'll admit I don't know a whole lot about computer companies. So, if anyone can point me in the direction of a good company website I'd be most appreciative. Oh, and I don't want a Mac (sorry Apple). Thanks!

[WhollyHeretic]

1. Any idea on your price range?

Sony laptops are nice but pricey.

[rockymountaindem]

9. Probably under one grand

But on the other hand I'm not in the market for a 500 dollar bargain basement model either.

[WhollyHeretic]

20. Unless you are going to spend a fortune on a nice Sony I would just get the best deal

you can find on the specs you want. It's all pretty much chance with most of them. Laptops have come down a lot in price but overall they are nowhere near as reliable as desktops. I work in networking and build my own desktops but I just bought the laptop that had the best deal and still met my needs. I ended up with a Dell Inspiron.

[MrCoffee]

2. that would not be Dell.

Dell laptops suck ass. All of them. Every one.

[RetroLounge]

4. Well, since our whole company uses Dell

and we've never had a single issue with them, and as I have a Dell Lattitude D820 and it kicks ass, I would have to disagree with you.

and my battery has never caught on fire :9

:hi:

RL

[MrCoffee]

5. i've had more than one issue with my Dell...

it's a perfectly acceptable doorstop. or could be used to anchor a boat. if the OP was looking for novel ways to press flowers, my laptop would be ideal.

[RetroLounge]

6. Hmm, I guess all brands have clunkers

Sorry you got one...

Maybe I've been lucky with mine?

:shrug:

RL

[Madrone]

3. Based on my experience - and my research -

Toshibas are good machines. They have had a couple of models that seem to be stinkers (again based on research) but overall they are really well reviewed machines. I'm on my 2nd - just got a brand new one a couple of weeks ago - and I only got rid of the first one because it was stolen. :(

My company has purchased a number of cheaper Acers for various people, and we've not had any troubles arise with those either.

[Flying Dream Blues]

17. I have a Toshiba Satellite A70...I'm pretty sure it was one of the stinkers?

I have had to send it in numerous times, and they neglected to ask me to re-up on my warranty, so the last time it was out of warranty by 1 month and it cost me plenty. If I could, I'd chuck it and buy another one. Not sure if it would be a Toshiba this time...

[Madrone]

18. Not sure...

I just know I've run across a few problem machine models in my research, but they weren't the 2 I've bought, and I found countless spectacular reviews about most models.

My first was a Satellite P25-S526 - 17 inches and 10 lbs of laptop goodness! :) I had it for almost exactly 2 years when it was stolen, and it still ran like brand new.

Now I have a Satellite P105-S9722 - it's drool worthy. It's only been a few weeks, but so far it rocks.

[seemunkee]

24. We have two toshibas in the family

Both have been good reliable machines.
I have a couple of IBMs at work that have also been pretty solid.

[YDogg]

7. I've been happy with an Acer we bought.

not an expensive one, but runs what we need.

[SacredCow]

21. 2nd on the Acer...

I got one several months ago and it's been very reliable for daily use. After I bought it, WIRED magazine (which usually rates things I can't afford) called it a best buy in the mobile desktop category (due to the 17" wide monitor). The only minuses they called out were that it's not the latest and the greatest, and that it wore the plastic casing like a cheap suit.

[BreweryYardRat]

8. Do not get a Toshiba. Get a Hewlett-Packard.

I had all sorts of problems with my last Toshiba.

My HP's much better. It's not perfect, though. The mouse-pad/keyboard gets screwy on occasion, and the DMA drive tends to revert to PIO whenever you install a virus scan program.

[spillthebeans]

13. I have a Toshiba, what happened to yours?

[BreweryYardRat]

14. Hard disk crapped out, among other things.

And Best Buy's incompetent attempts at fixing it finished the job.

[spillthebeans]

15. My hard disk crapped out, too

but I think it was my fault, I left the computer on for 2 months and at one point it fell from the table.

I had to change the hard disk

[GoneOffShore]

10. The new MacBooks will let you do Windows

And have all the other fun stuff that Apple provides.

I'm just saying, I'm not starting.

:)

[Omphaloskepsis]

11. Honestly.. All manufactueres put out crap.

The Dell could use the same hard drive as the Toshiba. They use the same fucking parts. I would ask about customer service in the future. And all this shit is anecdotal anyways, it means nothing.

[smtpgirl]

12. Agreed!!!!

Have a Toshiba Satellite, problems with that, have a Sony, problems with that, Dells at my work, problems with them.

You are right, all computer manufacturers share parts.

[Kutjara]

16. Amen.

I've has Sonys, HPs, Toshibas, Apples, Acers and sundry generics that have all been total crap. I've also had Sonys, HPs, Toshibas, Apples, Acers and sundry generics that have performed well and caused no problems at all.

PCs have a large number of very complex components, any one of which could have been manufactured on an off day.

The key to a good PC is less about the PC itself and more about the quality of service you get when something goes wrong. Of course, people's experience in that regard varies pretty widely as well.

[hatredisnotavalue]

19. I will never, ever buy another lap top

I buy custom built desk tops from a guy down the road. If something goes wrong, the parts are available and installed in an afternoon. Spent $500 to refurbish an in-house lap top for my son and that night someone dumped a soda on the keyboard and the whole thing was fried. If it had been a desk top, the cost to replace the keyboard would have been ten bucks. If you travel a lot, get a cheap one and hook up with gotomypc.com to access your main desktop.

[Writer]

22. HP. HP. HP. All the way.

I have a year old Pavillion dv1000 with a widescreen that is still in terrific working order! I would avoid Dell like the plague. I don't know about other models, however. Good luck!

[lildreamer316]

25. STRONGLY seconded...

We have 2 HP laptops and one HP desktop. Now, to be honest, husband's monster laptop DID just give up the motherboard ghost,but he's a topless club AND rave dj who uses it constatntly and is not known for being the most careful of people. He just left it on too long too many times. He also made the HUGE mistake of taking it to Geek Squad, which we think is the reason this motherboard problem happened in the first place (took it in for sometihing simple because we had the warranty, they probably screwed it up, because it crapped out weeks AFTER we got it back).
Mine is functioning fine, and so is the desktop.He's using my laptop as a surrogate at the moment with nary a problem. I myself have found them easy to tweak and fix small problems with.
But, each to their own.
Good Luck!

[Sanity Claws]

23. GATEWAY

I bought a Gateway a few months ago and thus far, I'm happy with it.

[Rabrrrrrr]

26. My Toshiba Satellite will be six years old next month

I had to replace the hard drive a couple years ago because it went bad, but other than that, it's a fucking awesome machine - it's been to Japan a couple times, hawaii, and all over the country on a great many flights and road trips, plus almost daily travel for the last three years.

[philosophie_en_rose]

27. My Toshiba Satellite is about three years old.

It's been camping with me, overseas with me, searched at airport security with me, and has put up with all sorts of extreme carelessness on my part.

I don't recommend this, but I've even dropped it a few times. It's fine.

My only concern about Toshibas is to be damned sure to not get one of the models with a fucked up battery.