[IcyFirefly]

You probably already know that I am currently looking to buy a Window laptop, but I am very picky about it. Usually it will take me a while before I can make a decision, and it has always turned out great for me this way.

Anyway, I checked for the name of the laptop, the processor speed and name, the weight of the laptop, storage space, plus the price range that I am willing to spend. I put aside a bit of time everyday to do a little research, and today, I came across this article: http://www.laptopmag.com/articles/laptop-brand-ratings

I want to know if you are agreeing with these ratings? And what is the best brand name laptop in your opinion?

[Lexi]

I disagree with Dell, which is mainly used by companies. I had a Dell at work and hated it. I still think Mac is best, and I tried to go cheaper and bought an Asus at college because it was light. I hated it so much, I had to get a Mac a couple of months later.

I would say Toshiba is okay, Acer is good, and HP. I'm not a huge fan of Lenovo as I found their laptops so plastic and the keyboard very noisy. You have to look at the model though, and for me how much it weighs matters, plus the storage. Those are my key elements and a user friendly keypad and touchpad.

[oldbuddy]

I have several Dell laptops right now and find no problems with them (I have a Dell desktop too), but personally I would never even consider anything Apple as they cost way more than any advantage they offer. Just my opinion after 20 years in the computer business.

[AngelicDevilTel]

I agree that Toshiba is not that great anymore. I am on a Toshiba now but this laptop has broke down on me TWICE with some luck I was able to get it fixed the first time and the second time I fixed it myself.
I don't agree that Apple is the best, aesthetically they are amazing but I don't really like them.
I have never had a problem with an HP
Never tried Lenovo but I have tried IBM before and they were pretty good back then.
Never tried Asus but they are mainly for gamers anyway.

The best thing is to look at models, because the cheaper ones are rather hit and miss because they are mass manufactured.
I would suggest building your own so you know it is working right or buying from a builder like Origin or Puget Systems, those can be very expensive though.

[germainebull]

I would suggest building your own so you know it is working right

Unfortunately, not all of us have the necessary technical know-how to perform such building work.
On another note, wouldn't such an option be more expensive than buying a ready made gadget?

[AngelicDevilTel]

I would suggest building your own so you know it is working right

On another note, wouldn't such an option be more expensive than buying a ready made gadget?

Not necessarily, full size parts for desktops are normally more expensive but you can find pretty reasonable prices for laptop parts
The most expensive part might be the laptop case.

[IcyFirefly]

I agree that Toshiba is not that great anymore. I am on a Toshiba now but this laptop has broke down on me TWICE with some luck I was able to get it fixed the first time and the second time I fixed it myself.
I don't agree that Apple is the best, aesthetically they are amazing but I don't really like them.
I have never had a problem with an HP
Never tried Lenovo but I have tried IBM before and they were pretty good back then.
Never tried Asus but they are mainly for gamers anyway.

The best thing is to look at models, because the cheaper ones are rather hit and miss because they are mass manufactured.
I would suggest building your own so you know it is working right or buying from a builder like Origin or Puget Systems, those can be very expensive though.

I was thinking of getting the Toshiba Satellite E45W-C4200XB 14", is this the same model you have?

I have only experienced with HP laptop. My first one lasted over 7 years before it got too hot, but my second HP lasted only 2 years and become overheat. I just got the fan cleaned and new thermal grease replaced by a repairman, but it is still making sound and getting hot.

Dell is a name that my computer professor told us to avoid, and I had no experience with any other name at all.

Building a laptop is not something I can do, but that is a nice option for those who is skilled in that area.

[ceci]

I found no matter what brand, a laptop generally lasts for 5 years while Apple can last for 10 years.

-- 01 Oct 2016, 21:59 --

I found no matter what brand, a laptop generally lasts for 5 years while Apple can last for 10 years.

[oldbuddy]

I found no matter what brand, a laptop generally lasts for 5 years while Apple can last for 10 years.

-- 01 Oct 2016, 21:59 --

I found no matter what brand, a laptop generally lasts for 5 years while Apple can last for 10 years.

You might want to check what this Mac user says about that: https://paulbrownvideo.com/2014/07/12/m ... longevity/

[MeowsePad]

Always look at the specs rather than the brand name. I have had laptops from several brand names, and no one brand is more prone to failure than another to be honest.

[IcyFirefly]

Always look at the specs rather than the brand name. I have had laptops from several brand names, and no one brand is more prone to failure than another to be honest.

I am not technical or knowledge enough about the specs of a laptop for average user! No gaming, no downloading of any sort and no programming either! Would you recommend the specs for us, as I know some others are also looking for information like this.

[oldbuddy]

Always look at the specs rather than the brand name. I have had laptops from several brand names, and no one brand is more prone to failure than another to be honest.

I am not technical or knowledge enough about the specs of a laptop for average user! No gaming, no downloading of any sort and no programming either! Would you recommend the specs for us, as I know some others are also looking for information like this.

Watch the sales and get the best bang for your buck. I would look for an Intel i5 processor with at least 4Gb memory and most have at least 500Gb to 1 Terabyte hard drives with Windows 10. If you are less experienced stay away from the Cloud Computers that have small solid state drives and store almost everything in the Cloud.

[skysnap]

My experience with HP is horrible. Every laptop purchased of this brand ended up earlier than 2 years for me. I have also used Dell and I realized that it is also not that stable and reliable as it gets heat up pretty quickly. I am now using Lenovo and it has decent performance so far. I'd say it's better to choose brand based on experience than following brand names. Who knows you may have good experience with one brand which I may not.

[germainebull]

I found no matter what brand, a laptop generally lasts for 5 years while Apple can last for 10 years.

What a huge difference in life expectancy. If this is factual, I guess it is worthwhile to spend more on an Apple laptop, provided it does not cost more than twice as much as comparable competitor laptops.

[IcyFirefly]

What a huge difference in life expectancy. If this is factual, I guess it is worthwhile to spend more on an Apple laptop, provided it does not cost more than twice as much as comparable competitor laptops.

Apple is not favorable because of its price, and it is expensive for sure. My sisters and their family have been using Apple for years, and they have no complain whatsoever.

If you check out Microsoft Surface, the price for those new and thin laptop is over $1,000 dollars too, so are few other ones, but no one care to mention that! It seems that either people love Apple or hate Apple, and all come down to just the pricing alone.

[makeinst]

My favorite laptop are Dell, also Apple is amazing brand, and HP are good brand for me.

[oldbuddy]

Keep in mind that anyone who goes by a review or two to buy a computer is taking a risk. Unless is was a scientific study with a very large sample, it doesn't carry much weight for me. At least half the people who complain about a brand, made no effort to let them resolve the problem. Just spend some time on Amazon reading bad reviews and it becomes obvious.

[morgoodie]

I have always used HP computers. My desktop is HP as well as my laptop. My desktop is over 4 years old and my laptop is over 3 years old. My sister just bought a new HP laptop and likes it. I have not had much experience with other brands but I like HP and trust them. I have never had a problem with them and have found that they last a good while. I had another desktop that was an HP and I probably would still have it if we hadn't gotten broken into and it was stolen. My kids just got an HP from their online school and it can run most of the afternoon and it doesn't heat up. I have noticed that my laptop is heating up since I use it a lot but I bought a fan to put under it.

[IcyFirefly]

@morgoodie, you are one lucky few! I have to say though, my first HP was great and served its purposes for 7 years until it got too hot to handle. I have a cooling fan underneath it too, but once it heat up, it was it. It ran slow and making too much noise.

Like you, I have only had HP laptops and my desktop back then was Sony. It is a confusing world out there, everyone has different opinion and preferences. Though in this chart, HP landed at number 5 spot and Dell was at 2. I don't trust what I read totally, but need to have more knowledge

[oldbuddy]

@morgoodie, you are one lucky few! I have to say though, my first HP was great and served its purposes for 7 years until it got too hot to handle. I have a cooling fan underneath it too, but once it heat up, it was it. It ran slow and making too much noise.

Like you, I have only had HP laptops and my desktop back then was Sony. It is a confusing world out there, everyone has different opinion and preferences. Though in this chart, HP landed at number 5 spot and Dell was at 2. I don't trust what I read totally, but need to have more knowledge

People have different opinions and preferences, mostly because they have different experiences and talk to different contacts. You MUST factor that in when using their information and recommendations to make a decision.