Who makes the most reliable laptops?

[Don]

You always hear so many wonderful things about Dell so I was surprised to see Asus up at the top of the list.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-104 ... eStories.0

As most laptops are essentially commodity products comprised of the same stock list of components and parts, one might assume that all laptop brands are the same, at least as far as the general reliability of the hardware itself.

Warranty firm SquareTrade has just released a research paper analyzing the failure rate for 30,000 laptops comparing brands and hardware categories--and the results might surprise you.

The headline news is that over three years, one out of three laptops will fail, and that Asus and Toshiba laptops have the lowest failure rates, while Acer, Gateway, and HP have higher than average failure rates. Additionally, two-thirds of those problems are hardware malfunctions, while the final third are classified as accidental damage.

Netbooks, in particular, didn't fare as well--as one might expect from low-cost machines. They failed at a rate 20 percent higher than mainstream laptops. But keep in mind, since Netbooks are a relatively new category, this is based on only one year of data.

The full report can be found at the SquareTrade Web site, and we've excerpted some of the most interesting charts and graphs below (and note that some of the numbers presented below are projections based on previous data).

The key takeaway is that laptops in general fail much more often than many other types of consumer electronics--in part because they're among the most complex devices one can buy, and perhaps because pricing pressure has led to lapses in quality control in the design and manufacture of many of these systems.

[bluejeangirl76]

The headline news is that over three years, one out of three laptops will fail, and that Asus and Toshiba laptops have the lowest failure rates, while Acer, Gateway, and HP have higher than average failure rates. Additionally, two-thirds of those problems are hardware malfunctions, while the final third are classified as accidental damage.

Lovely news. Higher than average failure rate? I'm afraid to ask the average. LOL. I have an HP (Compaq)... still pretty new... only got it in February. So far so good. The only issues I've had are the typical Vista refusing to get along and play with the other programs, esp. IE.

[Ratgirl]

We have 2 Compaq's that we got relatively cheap. We've had them for over 2 years and very rarely use them.

I thought Dell's were pretty relatively reliable.. or maybe I'm thinking about their desktop computers.

[Ehwmatt]

All I know is I know four people who have had HP motherboards crap out on them within the first 6 months. Also know two people whose AC/DC In port to charge the battery simply stopped working (wasn't a battery issue).

[bluejeangirl76]

We have 2 Compaq's that we got relatively cheap. We've had them for over 2 years and very rarely use them.

I thought Dell's were pretty relatively reliable.. or maybe I'm thinking about their desktop computers.

I had a Dell desktop. Never again.

[WalkInMyShoes]

Got my niece an HP laptop 5 years ago for college and she lugs that thing back and forth to school daily and there hasn't been a problem yet. Got my nephew a Dell 3 years ago and his works fine. I have had Compaq and Dell at work and have had motherboard problems with both and they just sit on my desk.

[Jana]

All I know is I know four people who have had HP motherboards crap out on them within the first 6 months. Also know two people whose AC/DC In port to charge the battery simply stopped working (wasn't a battery issue).

HP/Compaq crap. I've had them. Dell desktop seems okay, but I never use it much at home. My office loves the Dells. IBM Thinkpad was awesome as a latop and we'll see how the IBM/Lenova new laptop, a year old, holds up with the changeover..

[Rip Rokken]

Of all the brands mentioned, Gateway is the only manufacturer that I've consistently been disappointed in. For some reason, Gateway desktops and laptops I've encountered always seem to underperform and be more prone to hardware failure.

Of the other brands, I have seem some really crappy models but I've had excellent luck with higher-end products from Dell and HP. Asus used to be more of a 2nd-tier brand, but their quality seems to have improved. Main factor to remember is, no matter what the brand, you get what you pay for. HP and Dell have higher-end products that are built with better quality parts, and if you opt for the $399 special you aren't getting anywhere close to them. Also, most of the PCs you find in the big box retail stores are built with visual appeal rather than quality in mind for home users, and are more "gadgety". I walked thru one particular Best Buy earlier this year and couldn't find a single laptop I'd purchase other than a MacBook. All the Windows-based laptops looked "tricked out", and had tacky imprinted designs, or crap like burnt-orange colored chrome-looking trim. Of course, models will vary by store.

Here's the dirty little secret about laptops, though -- most laptops are produced in a small set of factories that manufacture them for several brands. Here is a quote from one of the senior buyers at Wal-Mart addressing this:

http://www.mightybargainhunter.com/2009 ... 98-laptop/

"I have visited the factories where computers are made. There are only a handful of factories manufacturing laptops and desktops. Many make the same product for all retailers and websites. It is pretty difficult to skimp on quality of product when the same factory is making HP, Dell, Toshiba, Acer, etc. products for Walmart, Best Buy, Tiger Direct, Amazon, etc."

Best thing to remember when buying is to look for quality components, and a GREAT warranty. The service reputation of each company is also a major factor. HP's business-class laptops for example have 3-year warranties, and you also can get accidental damage protection coverage. Their EliteBook models are creme of the crop. Toshiba has also manufactured an excellent laptop, as has Lenovo since taking over IBM's line (though I don't care for them aesthetically). Of course, each brand also puts out some rock-bottom priced cheapies.

I think you can get a decent and reliable from most vendors if you do enough research beforehand.

[S2M]

Rip, nice Sid Haig pic!!!!!!

[Carla777]

I have a Sony Vaio, never a problem with it so far

[Rip Rokken]

Rip, nice Sid Haig pic!!!!!!

Captain Spaulding RULES!!!

[S2M]

I have a Sony Vaio, never a problem with it so far

I had a Scott Baio.....oh wait, that was my aunt.

[Carla777]

I have a Sony Vaio, never a problem with it so far

I had a Scott Baio.....oh wait, that was my aunt.

heyy Mister what's wrong with you and my post uh?

[S2M]

I have a Sony Vaio, never a problem with it so far

I had a Scott Baio.....oh wait, that was my aunt.

heyy Mister what's wrong with you and my post uh?

I get a free pass....I'm in full curmudgeon mode, have been for a while. Didn't you get the memo? November is Curmudgeon month here in the States....we have carte blanche to goof on all things silly: Futbol, Richie Blackmore, Arnel + the Imposters, as well as chaps that punch kittens. Not to mention dudes who root for Ohio sports teams, women who enjoy canadian hockey teams, crooks who wear pseudo-masks, feminine knapkin piano players, and referees who are on the fix during Colts-Patriot games.....

[Sarah]

A lot of my nerd friends are fans of Asus, so I'm not surprised it's because they perform well.

I am not a fan of Dell laptops (I ordered one, the wireless card did not work, and they wouldn't fix it), but every office I've worked in uses Dell desktops and they seem to hold up.

My first desktop was a Sony, it was ok but way expensive for no apparent reason.

My last laptop was a Gateway and the charge port stopped recognizing the AC adapter, but they fixed it for free under warranty. The trackpad also never worked consistently, but I used a mouse all the time anyway. I dealt with their tech support a few times and I was always impressed, but maybe just because I'd had such a horrible experience with Dell's customer service before.

Got a Toshiba laptop now, it's almost a year old and seems to be holding up all right, I dunno. My sister's Toshiba has constant audio issues, though, so who knows...

My opinion is that you can end up with a lemon from any brand.

[Carla777]

I have a Sony Vaio, never a problem with it so far

I had a Scott Baio.....oh wait, that was my aunt.

heyy Mister what's wrong with you and my post uh?

I get a free pass....I'm in full curmudgeon mode, have been for a while. Didn't you get the memo? November is Curmudgeon month here in the States....we have carte blanche to goof on all things silly: Futbol, Richie Blackmore, Arnel + the Imposters, as well as chaps that punch kittens. Not to mention dudes who root for Ohio sports teams, women who enjoy canadian hockey teams, crooks who wear pseudo-masks, feminine knapkin piano players, and referees who are on the fix during Colts-Patriot games.....

Dios Mío! now all is clear to me

[Rhiannon]

Um. Apple.

I tote mine from work back and forth, but it became a little cumbersome feeling responsible for $3000 worth of technology so I bought a Dell netbook. Had it for exactly one week, from the first time I turned it on until I took it back the thing was possessed by demons. Constant program freezing, weird glitches, and not to mention the annoying carpal tunnel feeling you'd get from trying to use the damn thing. So I returned it. Windows 7 is better, hell. Looks like a repackaged Vista to me. Or maybe I just don't interface with Windows enough anymore to understand that the programs are just that shitty.

Once you go Mac... (and I guess I sound like one of "those" people now) yeah.

[bluejeangirl76]

I have a Sony Vaio, never a problem with it so far

I had a Scott Baio.....oh wait, that was my aunt.

heyy Mister what's wrong with you and my post uh?

I get a free pass....I'm in full curmudgeon mode, have been for a while.

Must be contagious.

[bluejeangirl76]

... so I bought a Dell netbook. Had it for exactly one week, from the first time I turned it on until I took it back the thing was possessed by demons.

It's because you bought it in November. You got a grumpy computer. Get a new one in December.

[Jana]

Of all the brands mentioned, Gateway is the only manufacturer that I've consistently been disappointed in. For some reason, Gateway desktops and laptops I've encountered always seem to underperform and be more prone to hardware failure.

Of the other brands, I have seem some really crappy models but I've had excellent luck with higher-end products from Dell and HP. Asus used to be more of a 2nd-tier brand, but their quality seems to have improved. Main factor to remember is, no matter what the brand, you get what you pay for. HP and Dell have higher-end products that are built with better quality parts, and if you opt for the $399 special you aren't getting anywhere close to them. Also, most of the PCs you find in the big box retail stores are built with visual appeal rather than quality in mind for home users, and are more "gadgety". I walked thru one particular Best Buy earlier this year and couldn't find a single laptop I'd purchase other than a MacBook. All the Windows-based laptops looked "tricked out", and had tacky imprinted designs, or crap like burnt-orange colored chrome-looking trim. Of course, models will vary by store.

Here's the dirty little secret about laptops, though -- most laptops are produced in a small set of factories that manufacture them for several brands. Here is a quote from one of the senior buyers at Wal-Mart addressing this:

http://www.mightybargainhunter.com/2009 ... 98-laptop/

"I have visited the factories where computers are made. There are only a handful of factories manufacturing laptops and desktops. Many make the same product for all retailers and websites. It is pretty difficult to skimp on quality of product when the same factory is making HP, Dell, Toshiba, Acer, etc. products for Walmart, Best Buy, Tiger Direct, Amazon, etc."

Best thing to remember when buying is to look for quality components, and a GREAT warranty. The service reputation of each company is also a major factor. HP's business-class laptops for example have 3-year warranties, and you also can get accidental damage protection coverage. Their EliteBook models are creme of the crop. Toshiba has also manufactured an excellent laptop, as has Lenovo since taking over IBM's line (though I don't care for them aesthetically). Of course, each brand also puts out some rock-bottom priced cheapies.

I think you can get a decent and reliable from most vendors if you do enough research beforehand.

IBM Thinkpads aren't beautiful, definitely. But, for me, for my job I need to own a business class lightweight notebook, and the graphite exterior takes more abuse, as I carry it around job to job. Plus, I loved their keypad, which they were known for, but had no idea they went cheaper and changed it slightly with Lenova until after I bought the newer one this year. And on some of their personal laptops, now under Lenova the keypad is really bad. And business line Toshibas and IBMs are the most recommended in my profession for reliability.

[Don]

If you can spring for it, get a Fujitsu. Though they are not included in this article for whatever reason, they are very, very good. They don't use a lot of commodity parts like the other vendors. You pay more for them using proprietary items but you get a great notebook. Windows 7 can run on such minimum resources, it's able to breath new life into the older Fujitsu P4 books, like mine. I'm going to load up the new Office 2010 beta and see how that goes now.

[Sarah]

not to mention the annoying carpal tunnel feeling you'd get from trying to use the damn thing

Explain? Their keyboard is no different than a Macbook's...

[Ehwmatt]

not to mention the annoying carpal tunnel feeling you'd get from trying to use the damn thing

Explain? Their keyboard is no different than a Macbook's...

The one thing I don't enjoy about my Mac is the keyboard. It's uncomfortable and hard to type really quickly for me... and I'm generally pretty fast typist, 105, 110 WPM when I'm cruising

[Rhiannon]

not to mention the annoying carpal tunnel feeling you'd get from trying to use the damn thing

Explain? Their keyboard is no different than a Macbook's...

The surface level of a normal laptop is about 4 inches wider and deeper than the netbook I was using. The mouse area was about a third the size as well. And actually, the keyboard was different, but I get your gist.

[Don]

not to mention the annoying carpal tunnel feeling you'd get from trying to use the damn thing

Explain? Their keyboard is no different than a Macbook's...

The surface level of a normal laptop is about 4 inches wider and deeper than the netbook I was using. The mouse area was about a third the size as well. And actually, the keyboard was different, but I get your gist.

Netbook? That explains it.

[Lula]

i go back and forth between pc and mac on a macbook. i prefer the pc side for what i have to do. before teaching i was all mac all the time. now i'm using a mac with a duel desktop and like the windows side.

my home laptop is a dell inspiron and i love it. it has gone through a lot and is in need of repair, but it got me through grad school and several years without trouble. the power thingy is loose or something, have to gt it fixed, i miss it.

[Rhiannon]

not to mention the annoying carpal tunnel feeling you'd get from trying to use the damn thing

Explain? Their keyboard is no different than a Macbook's...

The surface level of a normal laptop is about 4 inches wider and deeper than the netbook I was using. The mouse area was about a third the size as well. And actually, the keyboard was different, but I get your gist.

Netbook? That explains it.

I said netbook in my first post.

[Playitloudforme]

I've had a Vaio... the monitor separated from the base within a year.

I've had a HP... crashed & burned soooo many times.

I Love My Macbook. No problems with it at all.

[Don]

not to mention the annoying carpal tunnel feeling you'd get from trying to use the damn thing

Explain? Their keyboard is no different than a Macbook's...

The surface level of a normal laptop is about 4 inches wider and deeper than the netbook I was using. The mouse area was about a third the size as well. And actually, the keyboard was different, but I get your gist.

Netbook? That explains it.

I said netbook in my first post.

I thought you were comparing its keyboard to a Macbook, when it shouldn't even be compared to a regular notebook.

I think the article mentioned that Netbooks are junk.

[Rhiannon]

I thought you were comparing its keyboard to a Macbook, when it shouldn't even be compared to a regular notebook.

No, I was just bitching about the thing in general.

I think the article mentioned that Netbooks are junk.

They ARE.