Which computer manufactuer makes the best laptops?

[ringmastery]

Compaq, Hewitt Packard, Dell, Gateway, Toshiba, Sony, emachines?

There are sooooooo many choices.

[kaitykaity]

1. I have a Toshiba Satellite 305CDS

a real oldster, and it has survived dropping, coffee
spilled on its innards, you name it.

I love the old thing.

[charlie]

7. I don't own one

but more often than not when the subject comes up, I've seen Toshibas held to be the most reliable and durable brand.

[xxqqqzme]

50. I also have an ancient Toshiba

Satellite 325CDS. It is my workhorse, never lets me down; had it for 7 years. It can't do fancy stuff but it is reliable and hard working. I recently inherited a Gateway and it is a POS. I would NEVER buy one.

[MercutioATC]

2. My friend just got a Dell 9100 (I think) and it's fantastic.

It weighs a ton because it has a 3Ghz desktop chip, but it screams.

[goddess40]

53. Dell donates only to republicans

[LifeDuringWartime]

3. apple

both the iBook G4 and PowerBook G4 are pretty freakin' sweet

[benburch]

12. Yes. Apple.

Without a doubt the best.

[LoZoccolo]

23. I third that.

The PowerBook has these Jedi mind tricks.

Like turn off the lights and the screen backlight adjusts and so do the lighting of the keys.

[elfin]

14. Love my powerbook g4!!!! eom

[bacchant]

52. Me too. Apple rules! n/t

[Awsi Dooger]

55. Apple, but primarily because of OS X

It simply will not crash, even if you intentionally sabotage.

[LibertyorDeath]

4. FYI just say NO to Compaq & emachines

[VLC98]

10. Why?

They are so much cheaper. My daughter is considering one because she's a pauper.

[charlie]

15. Junk parts

Expect component failure if you get an emachine. If you're lucky and get a reliable one, any expansion you add, ie a second hard drive, can cause the power supply to crap out. Even at their rockbottom prices, they're not worth the money.

[Nlighten1]

11. HP/Compaq sux

[SalParadise]

56. I used to think this also...

until I got a new hp/compaq laptop at work - not sure of the model, like a nw8000 maybe?

Anyway, it's seems to be a really well-built & solid machine.

[tinrobot]

39. I love my EMachine notebook.

I bought one of their notebooks about a year ago. So far, it's been great. Stable, reliable, good battery life, fairly thin and light. It had a pretty good price/performance ratio when I bought it. Probably not the most rugged notebook on the market, but I'm not taking it into the Outback or anything.

As to being the best and most reliable notebook on the market, I'm sure there are better, but I'd certainly look at them again if I ever need to buy a new one.

[hlthe2b]

5. SOny and Toshiba in my opinion...

[not systems]

6. HP z7000 is nice.

no no no to dell

[Old and In the Way]

35. I have a zd7020us

It is an outstanding machine. Best features/price I've seen.

[JI7]

37. i have a zd7180us

i believe it's the latest one they have with the media center. i just bought it recently. it was hard to find so i had to get some store to order it and have it delivered from another one of their stores which had it in stock. so far it's great. i haven't really used it to do much though other than go online and check email.

[Forkboy]

8. Hey,what are you trying to do

start a flame war or something?

:evilgrin:

[Nlighten1]

9. Dell, IBM, Toshiba

In that order.

[weedthesmoke]

13. IBM

It can't be topped by any you listed.

[russian33]

16. NOT IBM...

...been using one for a few years now...and wouldn't recommend it to anyone!

[Buns_of_Fire]

57. On the other hand, I've been using my ThinkPad for 5 years now...

...and it's held up admirably, under much traveling. Yes, it's heavy (for a laptop -- but it still beats lugging around a small tower, a monitor, and a keyboard). Yes, the battery is expensive (mine gave up the ghost a few years ago, and I STILL can't afford a new one). Yes, it throws off enough heat to cook a small filet mignon (or enough to be used as a lap warmer in colder climes). But it still works for what I want it to do, and has been reliable to a fault (I hope I'm not jinxing anything by saying this).

There are lemons in every crowd. Pick the one that does what you intend to use it for, and cross your fingers. But by all means, get an external mouse -- you'll drive yourself crazy very quickly using the standard built-in pad (or the little nipple between the "g" and "h" keys, which is what my ThinkPad has).

[lastknowngood]

17. Dell is the best standard laptop but if you want to do graphics

always go with an apple. It comes down to your needs basic computing and lots of games and software you go Dell and dual boot it with Linux. If you want to do desktop pub or artistic work go Apple.

[Eye and Monkey]

18. I've owned/used Sony, Dell, IBM, and Toshiba.

Sony Vaio and Dell superslim notebooks - love 'em. The Vaio was a bit squirrelly with the touchpad, but held up well in difficult environments in the field. I love the Dell (Latitude) - also held up well. I like the superslims and don't mind having the external peripherals.

The Thinkpad is a heavy tank, but otherwise no complaints. The Toshibas are lighter than IBM maybe, also tanks.

Favorite - the Dell Latitude.

[KoKo]

19. COMPAQ Good Value for the money unless you're a "big time gamer."

:evilgrin: I've loved my Compaq's lap top and desk top. But...I haven't bought one since HP took them over... Mine are still going strong.

Had to put a good word in since so many of you diss Compaq all the time...

Depends on what you do with your machine...Wordprocessing...Compaq good.

I've not had any parts fail in any of mine.

[will work 4 food]

29. Start with

what you need your LT to do, then learn what you will need to do that. Such as, ram, HD size, graphics card, burners, battery life, processing power...etc.

Always, Always, ALWAYS, buy the extended service plan on a LT. If you can get accidental damage, take it.

Don't forget about the extras:

Anti virus
Spyware protection
Carrying case
External mouse
Surge protector

[Cleita]

20. I can tell you right now don't touch HP or Compaq.

The motherboards self-destruct in a couple of years and are very expensive to replace. Other than that I don't know what to recommend. I have stopped using laptops.

[Poiuyt]

21. Apple

You don't say what you want to use it for, but the new Macintosh Powerbooks are awesome.

[benburch]

27. I have a Rev. A Tangerine "Clamshell" iBook

And I still think it is awesome!

[OpSomBlood]

22. Absolutely Toshiba.

Everyone I know who has had one (including me) says they are indestructable. I dropped mine from a countertop onto a hard tile floor and it kept on ticking.

[kaitykaity]

25. Kind of like those ancient commercials about

Hondas. There was one where they sent the car rolling
down a hill, it landed on it's wheels, they got into it
and took off.

That's my little Toshiba.

[Zorra]

32. I've been really mean to my Toshiba, and it has never given me any

problems in the 4 years that I have been using it.

[rucky]

41. Yep. I did my homework & it's Toshiba

hands down... dollar for dollar

[never cry wolf]

44. Me too, I wenr to CR

www.consumerreports.org

I went there before I bought my Toshiba, at the time their top rated laptop.

[Nomad559]

24. Dell

I've had my Dell for about 18 months, I've never had a problem with It.

[kainah]

26. My Dell laptop has been my best computer ever

Iy is at least my 6th computer and it is -- by far -- the most stable system I've ever had. It runs Windows XP and (knock wood) has never crashed in 3 years.

But, having said that, I also think there are good and bad single units of every manufacturer or every consumer product. So I'm very glad I apparently got a really excellent Dell laptop but I don't know that I'd want to assume that means all their products are that way.

[One Taste]

28. Apple

/thread

[Endangered Specie]

30. Ive had a Dell laptop for 30 months... love it.

IBM laptops are said to be good toshibas arent bad either.


?Sony?

HP, Compaq, Gatewy and E-machines all collectively suck more than a Las Vegas whorehouse.

[bvar22]

31. Toshiba for me.

I've owned several over the last 8 years. Two of these notebooks spent extended time in remote tropical locations with high humidity, rough handling, and extended use 24/7. None failed.

6 years ago, I mail ordered another brand that looked good in the mags and promised performance numbers better than Toshiba. I was disappointed....more in the fragile feel than anything particular. I mailed it back, took the hit in restocking fee and bought another Toshiba.

I currently own a Satellite 1135 and love it.

cons: heavy and larger than some of the more svelte competitors, but makes up in durability. On board speakers tinny.

I can't vouch for customer service. Never needed them.

[indigobusiness]

33. Fujitsu

believe it or not



http://sludgereport.blogspot.com/

[leftofthedial]

34. Apple

My two-year-old Powerbook still kicks PC ass.

[dpbrown]

36. Apple

All computers running Windows are indistinguishable from one another.

[tinrobot]

40. Sorry...

I don't get that.

Apples are all designed by the same people so they pretty much look alike. They never have more than 4-5 different notebook models in production, so there's not much choice.

There are literally hundreds of different Windows notebooks of all shapes, sizes and colors with all sorts of different configuations & features.

Not saying one is better than the other, but Apple notebooks seem to be more alike and 'indistinguishable' than Windows notebooks.

Must be an Apple thing, like a dog lover saying all cats look alike.

[dpbrown]

58. They all run Windows

For which the majority of the top ten software programs available are programs dealing with its propensity to be bug-ridden and plagued by viruses. Outlook is the single biggest spreader of software viruses in the world.

Microsoft gave us Michael "savage Weiner" and Bill Gates gives most of his money to Republicans. Even his dad stands up for greater tax responsibility for the rich.

Any computer saddled with Windows is fundamentally indistinguishable from any other computer saddled with Windows. The mishmash of component parts manufactured at the lowest possible cost with no guarantee that they'll all work together under the Windows umbrella guarantees to users of Windows that they'll spend more time conforming their computer using experience to the demands and bugs built into the system than getting anything done.

Every study on the subject shows that the overall cost of using a system other than Windows is lower than the cost of using Windows, whether that's Linux, Unix, or Mac OS X.

Windows, in fact, stranded a ship of the United States Navy at sea when the system failed.

Windows is a tribute the mediocrity, an insult to the intelligence of humans in the 21st Century, the product of a adjudicated monopolist, a source of the money pool that spawns hate on MSNBC, and a system the use of which is equal to slamming one's head in the car door over and over again while telling oneself "I just hate slamming my head in this car door like this, but everyone else is doing it so I have to keep doing it."

Compared to any indistinguishable product running Windows, any Apple product is easily the best in the world. The best software, the best products, the best browser, the best music-compiling program, the best presentation-creating program, the best and best-selling portable music player, the best, well, everything. All made by the same company so you know the apis work with the hardware.

And Steve Jobs gives money only to Democratic and progressive causes. So does his wife. The elected President of the United States, Al Gore, is on the board.

Buy any non-Apple notebook product you like. They're all the same, and they'll all fall victim to a Microsoft bug or invite some hacker to take over your computer through the myriad of invitations Microsoft builds into each one. If it runs Windows, it just doesn't matter.

[JCMach1]

38. ACER

Don't think you can get them in the US...

[wabeewoman]

42. Dell

My inspiron is 4 years old but not obsolete as I bought it loaded (and it was refurbished then). Not light but has 15 inch + screen. The only thing I don't like about it is that I didn't get the CDRW. Also have Dell desktop. You can't beat them for customer service and being able to customize features.

[AussieInCA]

43. Alienware...no expense spared :)

http://www.alienware.com/system_pages/area-51m.aspx

[_NorCal_D_]

45. Toshiba

I have a Portege 3500 that I use for school. It’s ridiculously light and can do anything that a PC can (except gaming).

If you’re looking for a light laptop for work, school, etc., I would highly recommend it.

http://www.pencomputing.com/frames/tpc_toshiba.html

[juajen]

46. Toshiba

N/T

[eeyore]

47. Apple

I've had my ibook for a year and a half and it has never once crashed. I think that's pretty impressive. It has a beautiful screen that I can see well when I am outside reading DU via my kickass wireless card. I use it for business and web/graphic design, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Absolutely love it! And, yes, I've used many PC laptops with varying degrees of happiness. My parents have a Sony Vaio that gives them absolute fits.

[coyote]

48. Sager

It´s the same computer as the alienware....but just a whole lot cheaper.

[TexasMexican]

49. Dont know much about laptops...

but lots of people recommend Dells.

I just wish that it would someday be possible to build your own as easily as you could build your own desktop PC.

[General Discontent]

51. Anything but an Apple......

All the apple users I know act as though they are in a cult. They scare the shit out of me. I knew one who waited in line overnight for software. WTF? It's all just binary anyway.......

DWolfman

[Awsi Dooger]

54. Huh? You must not remember the debut of Windows '95

PC lemmings everywhere were lining up overnight once they heard '95 had finally swiped almost everything meaningful from the classic Mac OS.