Which company makes the worst laptop (in your opinion)?

[MickMcGeough]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

Actually, I found Traditional Ale's post useful. Some folks here sure get critical.

I don't "get" critical, I'm always critical

I didn't think it was useful because the post classified laptop brands by a subjective opinion on car brands/types, without any explanation. Then the obligatory jab at Apple, which as often as not turns an otherwise useful thread into several pages of Apple haters and Apple fanboys bickering at each other.

[MickMcGeough]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

Who cares about resale value? Does anyone resell a laptop? I keep my computers, my cars and my wife all the same - for a very, very long time. That's the best financial decision.

You are definitely in the minority. Especially here. Take a look at any laptop manufacturer's product cycle.

[TylerSVT]

Originally Posted by MRCboicgy

To the OP, I have that exact same HP HDX 16 laptop, and it's been hands-down the best one I ever had (on my 4th one in 10 years) . I've only had one problem*knock on wood* with it, and that was my HDD failing after 4 months. HP shipped me a new one and I swapped it myself .

I use it every day, basically running nonstop from 5-11 every night. I like to get three years out of my laptops, and this one convinced me that I should buy an HP again as it has worked much better than my old Toshibas.

Really? You dont even have the screen scratches? How is that possible?

[MRCboicgy]

Originally Posted by TylerSVT

Really? You dont even have the screen scratches? How is that possible?

Nothing, and I close it every night. Even after the win7 update my volume, etc light bar works fine (the plastic is cracked, but that doesn't bother me).

[Hack&Lube]

Okay guys, here's some empircal numbers for you to look at:

"Squaretrade is a company which sells third party warranties. Their relationship to the laptop industry is like a car insurance company’s relationship to the auto industry. Squaretrade has an interest in laptops becoming more reliable because it means they have to pay out less often. The report takes failure data from a sample of over 30,000 laptops which Squaretrade’s customers have warrantied.

Overall, 20 percent of laptops fail after three years of use. When broken down into years, we can see that the first year – the only year most manufacturers cover – has an only 4.7 percent chance of seeing a malfunction. By the second year the chance of failure has climbed to 12.7 percent.

If accidents are taken into account, the chance of failure increases to 31% over a three year period. Squaretrade includes this figure not to comment on manufacturers, but rather to comment on the fact that laptops are placed into a naturally more difficult environment than most consumer electronics, which sit in one place in the home and are unlikely to be knocked over or otherwise destroyed.

Still, the chance of laptop failure is much higher than with most consumer electronics. The chance of an HDTV failing, for example is generally less than 10% even after three years of use. There is essentially a 1 in 3 chance that any laptop you purchase will not still be working three years down the road."





So yes, I admit, the OP has a point when he says that HP sucks! HP likely cheaps out on manufacturing and goes with the lowest bidder from the ODM builders. Netbooks usually are in this catagory also.

[Rathji]

What qualifies as a malfunction though?

Is it counting RAM needing to be replaced with the same weight as a motherboard dying, or a dead pixel on the screen?

[gallione11]

Going off of old data, but I won't buy a Toshiba again. Got one back in 2000 for a graduation present. The Battery and Hard Drive failed within a year, and the keyboard went out in two. Also had severe overheating problems. It would freeze within 90 minutes if you were doing anything but surfing the net. Eventually had it "Lemoned" out since it was from Best Buy in the first three years.

My sister got one around the same time and had the same issues, minus the keyboard issue. Failed hard drive, overheating issues. Just a bad overall product.

My replacement, was a newer Toshiba Notebook in 2003. Had similar issues with it. The keyboard failed in the first two years and had the same crappy overheating issues. Shortly after two years, thing got so bad, I could only use it in 30 minute spurts. Gave up and bought a desktop after that.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Rathji

What qualifies as a malfunction though?

Is it counting RAM needing to be replaced with the same weight as a motherboard dying, or a dead pixel on the screen?

Anything that causes average joe consumer to send his laptop in for warranty. The ones who are smart enough to figure out that it's their ram or HDD will probably replace them themselves without RMAing them in.

AFAIK, there are no warranty void stickers on HDD and RAM covers on laptops aside from the original eeePC having them and ASUS actually admitting that there was no legal merit to them and customers were free to open the covers.

[wooohooo]

Anyone know anything about Samsung laptops? How are those?

[TylerSVT]

Originally Posted by wooohooo

Anyone know anything about Samsung laptops? How are those?

Samsung typically makes really great products, i would assume the same applies to their laptops.

No idea though.

[TylerSVT]

So my laptop has been acting up again. Wireless card is working... than not working, then it cannot be enabled, and then it turns itself off.

Im about ready to throw this ####ing thing in the garbage... i hate HP.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by TylerSVT

So my laptop has been acting up again. Wireless card is working... than not working, then it cannot be enabled, and then it turns itself off.

Im about ready to throw this ####ing thing in the garbage... i hate HP.

Wireless cards cost $20-35 and can be replaced easily as most laptops have a separate cover for the bay that houses it on the bottom.

[TylerSVT]

Yea i just searched, looks like an easy enough part to replace.

[Yasa]

I bet the thread title could be changed to "Which company makes the best laptop" and the contents could remain exactly the same and still be relevent.

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by wooohooo

Anyone know anything about Samsung laptops? How are those?

I don't know anything about computers really, but I've had a Samsung for over a year now, and so far its been fantastic. No problems to speak of at all.

[OilKiller]

I hear a lot of bad things about Acer but my Netbook has been flawless. Guess each to their own. I haven't had one issue with it.