Quality lap tops for good price

[Phaneuf3]

Originally Posted by jaydorn

Honestly shell out the cash for a Macbook Pro, yes they cost 3-4 times as much, but they last for years. Mine just passed the 4 year mark and I'm just thinking about replacing it now, but it still works.

Seems most friends/family who buy cheap PC laptops (cheap one's specifically) end up replacing it after 2 years anyways. So to me I'd rather pay a more up front and keep it for a few years than go through a series of cheapy laptops.

Refurbished Macbook Pro for $899

Or if she can live without a CD rom drive, a Macbook Air (uber light) for the same price.

On both 2 and 3 year time frames, Asus, Toshiba and Sony all have lower failure rates in their laptops than Apple. Among those manufacturers it's close but it's not like Apple is leading in this reliability category... definitely not leading by a large margin like you seem to imply.
(see link in my post above)


Their reliability is good... just not the best.

[Regular_John]

Originally Posted by Phaneuf3

On both 2 and 3 year time frames, Asus, Toshiba and Sony all have lower failure rates in their laptops than Apple. Among those manufacturers it's close but it's not like Apple is leading in this reliability category... definitely not leading by a large margin like you seem to imply.
(see link in my post above)


Their reliability is good... just not the best.

I guess most of my friends/family have been buying cheap compaq & HP's that haven't been lasting.

[Mayer]

Opinions on this computer?

http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/produ...ries156inte-en

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by Mayer

Opinions on this computer?

http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/produ...ries156inte-en

Its an entry level laptop that will do most things a typical home/school user will need. It won't play any high demand games newer than about 5-6 years. I wouldn't expect it to last more than 3 years with "normal laptop use". Battery will probably die before 2 years though.

[Mayer]

Thanks....how about this one?

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/...59800dfd7ben02

Does Samsung make a good computer?

[TSXCman]

http://h20386.www2.hp.com/CanadaStor...d=C291674&

Regular price $999 on for $447

i3 tablet, 4gb ram, 500gb storage, etc

@staples

Staples #884382-9

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by Mayer

Thanks....how about this one?

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/...59800dfd7ben02

Does Samsung make a good computer?

Pretty much the same deal.

Other than the occasional spec difference, like this one having 1 GB RAM more than the previous laptop you posted, pretty much all entry level laptops are going to be the same in terms of durability and power. There isn't going to be a huge quality difference in them, so you shouldn't be looking to somehow get a super laptop that will last longer or be drastically more durable.

There are minor differences of course, such as style of keyboard, placement of USB/power/audio ports that could sway a laptop one way or another.

Bottom line - Go with who you will have the easiest time with support. For he entry level PC, I like Dells in this regard, simply because the experiences I have had with them have been mostly positive. For this reason, I would always order a laptop online, since Bestbuy will just make you send it in to Dell anyway, so it adds a whole other level of confusion and hoops to jump through if things go wrong.

[Mayer]

Couple more questions, last ones because I have to do this tonight.

Is Acer a crappy brand of computer?

Also, when buying from bestbuy or futureshop, does anyone ever get the extended service plans? Are they worth it?

[ricosuave]

I have an Acer, as does the wife, and we have had no problems with either...

[TSXCman]

i've gone thru 2 acers. both have been great.

regardless of brand, you need to test out the build quality, seems on the edges, sounds the laptop makes, heat it rejects, noise of fan, etc.

most of these laptops have a month or 2 week return policy, so just start buying, testing, keeping or returning.

skip on the extended plans

[Mayer]

Originally Posted by TSXCman

i've gone thru 2 acers. both have been great.

regardless of brand, you need to test out the build quality, seems on the edges, sounds the laptop makes, heat it rejects, noise of fan, etc.

most of these laptops have a month or 2 week return policy, so just start buying, testing, keeping or returning.

skip on the extended plans

Do you know if the extended plans start after the manufacturers 1 year warranty or if a 2 year plan is basically gets you 1 extra year? I can't find this information on the website.

[TSXCman]

i'm not sure about that info.

I am very careful with my electronics and find that if you are savvy enough to research or seek help for any problems that come up, then you can not worry about paying extras for warranties.

some people are different, and would rather spend 1200$ for a mac that has the internals of a <$400 laptop, just for their super support and software. I would rather get the most bang for your buck, staying away from extra charges.