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Laptop brands

post #1 of 74
11/19/11 at 3:10pm
Thread Starter 
So I need a new laptop. Since a certain repair company coughknowhowcough have ballsed mine up, I'm being sent vouchers to buy a new one in a few weeks. At the moment, I have no idea how much this will be for (they work it out in terms of specification apparently). For the time being I dont know what my budget is - I know I'll have to put something towards it because I want a decent product and know i'll get less than what I paid for the laptop 2 years ago.

So at the moment my question is which brands do people recommend?

I loved my Toshiba laptop and it was perfect until the repair guys got their hands on it*, but it doesnt look like they have any suitable Toshiba laptops (vouchers = can only buy from one shop). I basically want one for gaming but with a 15-17" screen.

So any particular brands people have had good experiences with? Bad? I'm eyeing up a Lenovo one but have NO experience with them whatsoever. I wont touch Acer with a bargepole, I've had horrible experiences with both their products and their customer service. I'm also a PC not a Mac : p

* (short version of story: lizs laptop stops charging as charger pin warped and broke inside of laptop. liz sends it for repair and for some bizarre reason they replace the lcd screen as well as the charger pin. 5 weeks later lcd screen packs up so liz sends for repair again. gets laptop back to me 2 weeks later. lcd screen develops same fault within one hour of receiving. they offer to send it for repair again but i say no i want a new one im fed up now. thats just the short version of my crummy story. if anyone wants to buy a knowhow guarantee im happy to tell the whole story : D).
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post #2 of 74
11/19/11 at 3:11pm
I used to have a Lenovo. I had it four years before I replaced it with my new HP. The Lenovo really slowed down toward the end, but it worked fine for me.

I love my new HP so far.
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post #3 of 74
11/19/11 at 3:12pm
MAC MAC MAC! mac MAC!!!
Who needs sleep when we've got love?
Who needs keys when we've got clubs?
Who needs please when we've got guns?
Who needs peace when we've gone above?
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Who needs sleep when we've got love?
Who needs keys when we've got clubs?
Who needs please when we've got guns?
Who needs peace when we've gone above?
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post #4 of 74
11/19/11 at 3:16pm
I like my Acer.

"you know, nowhere in the bible does it say that jesus was not a raptor"


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"you know, nowhere in the bible does it say that jesus was not a raptor"


www.animal-adoptions.org

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post #5 of 74
11/19/11 at 4:14pm
Check out the reviews at http://www.newegg.com.

I personally like Acer, but would be ok with any laptop with a good balance of price, specs, and good customer feedback.
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post #6 of 74
11/19/11 at 4:38pm
I've had two HPs. Both developed optical drive problems and wouldn't play DVDs. Also, the hard drives in each one failed, after about 2-years, and both had to be replaced (the drives, not the computer.) The last one I had finally failed, when the graphics processor failed and the screen went black. I won't buy from them again. I'm using a Dell now. Had it less than a year. So far, no problems.

I'm probably scaring dormouse.

"There is more wisdom in the song of a bird, than in the speech of a philosopher...." -Oahspe
"....The thing is, you cannot judge a race. Any man who judges by the group is a pea-wit. You take men one at a time." -Buster Kilrain, The Killer Angels -Michael Shaara
" .... " -Harpo Marx

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"There is more wisdom in the song of a bird, than in the speech of a philosopher...." -Oahspe
"....The thing is, you cannot judge a race. Any man who judges by the group is a pea-wit. You take men one at a time." -Buster Kilrain, The Killer Angels -Michael Shaara
" .... " -Harpo Marx

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post #7 of 74
11/19/11 at 5:34pm
I bought a Toshiba Satellite C655D-S5234 on sale for $299.99 at Office Depot. This is the first laptop I've ever owned, and the first computer I've had with WiFi. So far I'm loving it, although it's had a few minor problems. First machine I've ever had with Windows 7. (All my previous machines have XP or earlier.) I do have a desktop computer, and this one was definitely NOT bought as a "desktop replacement." Oh, yes, I took the advice of a friend and bought an extended warranty with it--4 years for the price of 3.

May not be your cup of tea. This is not a "gaming" machine.
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post #8 of 74
11/19/11 at 6:11pm
I've had a toshiba, and the charger broke. Inside, the piece that holds the charger fell out or something, but we have accidental insurance to cover the cheap hardware through best buy. I had a compaq that recently died after 5 years, and it was good, too. Both computers had a lot of issues, but mostly they were our fault, like cracking screens, so any computer covered by best buy accidental is fine. The toshiba was actually a replacement for another compaq. The first compaq was irreplacable so they gave us the brand new newer, expensiver toshiba as a replacement.
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post #9 of 74
11/20/11 at 10:24am
MacBook Pro.
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post #10 of 74
11/20/11 at 1:58pm
Even though I worked for HP for a short while, I've found their laptops to be hit-or-miss at times--as any computer company would.

That said, Folks I've known who owned them seemed to veer towards Sony VAIO's if that means anything.
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post #11 of 74
11/20/11 at 5:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe View Post

I bought a Toshiba Satellite C655D-S5234 on sale for $299.99 at Office Depot. This is the first laptop I've ever owned, and the first computer I've had with WiFi. So far I'm loving it, although it's had a few minor problems. First machine I've ever had with Windows 7. (All my previous machines have XP or earlier.) I do have a desktop computer, and this one was definitely NOT bought as a "desktop replacement." Oh, yes, I took the advice of a friend and bought an extended warranty with it--4 years for the price of 3.

May not be your cup of tea. This is not a "gaming" machine.

I have a Toshiba Satellite as well and basically the same story. First laptop I've had, first Wifi computer and first computer with Windows 7. I love it. However, I got it as a gift and didn't get the extended warranty. It will be 2 years in December that I've owned it and the battery needs to be replaced because it will no longer hold a charge without being plugged in. I still think it's a great computer though .

Quote:
Originally Posted by disney.jessica View Post

I've had a toshiba, and the charger broke. Inside, the piece that holds the charger fell out or something, but we have accidental insurance to cover the cheap hardware through best buy. I had a compaq that recently died after 5 years, and it was good, too. Both computers had a lot of issues, but mostly they were our fault, like cracking screens, so any computer covered by best buy accidental is fine. The toshiba was actually a replacement for another compaq. The first compaq was irreplacable so they gave us the brand new newer, expensiver toshiba as a replacement.

My brother had the same issue with his Toshiba but that was HIS fault due to the fact that not only did he not take care of it, but he also frequently dropped it on the hardwood floors and constantly fell asleep with it on his bed while it was still turned on and running programs. In the morning his laptop was either upside down on the floor or suffocating under his blankets. I attempted to take it to a PC repair shop to be fixed but just looking at all the damage he did to the laptop almost made them burst into tears!! Seriously one of the techs actually pulled out a cigarette right there in the store and started smoking because he was freaking out at the horrible condition the laptop was in!
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post #12 of 74
11/20/11 at 5:12pm
The only brand I would never consider owning again is Acer.
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post #13 of 74
11/20/11 at 5:18pm
I have an Asus, it is nice except for the internet likes to give out every now and then.
"Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring."
 Marilyn Monroe
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"Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring."
 Marilyn Monroe
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post #14 of 74
11/20/11 at 6:28pm

deleted


Edited by Beetlejuice - 6/6/12 at 6:01pm
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post #15 of 74
11/20/11 at 6:52pm
I'm getting a dell inspiron from best buy, it's now sold out because it was on sale today.

My mom wwanted to get one, too, her toshiba satellite is bugging her. It can't hold a charge, probably the battery, but at least it plugs in now that best buy fixed it, but it's also started slowing down and whirring and overheating. My compaq overheated a lot until I cleaned the fans, but she's cleaned hers multiple times and it's still having issues. As soon as hers gives out she'll probably switch to a dell, too.

No matter what, we're always keeping the best buy accidental. It's like $200 but has saved us so many times.
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post #16 of 74
11/20/11 at 8:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dancingfire512 View Post

Even though I worked for HP for a short while, I've found their laptops to be hit-or-miss at times--as any computer company would.

That said, Folks I've known who owned them seemed to veer towards Sony VAIO's if that means anything.

i've always had hp's and although i never had serious issues with them i now have a vaio and like it better
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post #17 of 74
11/20/11 at 10:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by fadeaway1289 View Post

I have a Toshiba Satellite as well and basically the same story. First laptop I've had, first Wifi computer and first computer with Windows 7. I love it. However, I got it as a gift and didn't get the extended warranty. It will be 2 years in December that I've owned it and the battery needs to be replaced because it will no longer hold a charge without being plugged in. I still think it's a great computer though .

The only real problem I had with mine so far is that it would not burn the recovery disks. It burned the repair disk just fine, but kept giving me error messages when I tried to burn the recovery disks. So I took it in to Office Depot and the assistant store manager burned them for me after hours as I waited (cost $30). I think she used a better brand of DVD blanks or something.

She gave me a piece of advice. I should ask for a new battery before my extended warranty runs out, whether I think I need one or not. So I'll wait 3.5 years and then ask for a new battery (one replacement battery is included in the warranty). I hope the initial battery lasts that long to make this plan work. I am sorry to hear that your battery is giving you trouble.

I am thinking of buying a second AC/DC Adapter. I'm afraid to take the one that came with the computer out of the house for fear I'll lose it or something and then really be screwed.
The actual adapter says Model PA3822U-1ACA. But the spec sheet says one thing under Power Supply (which matches what I have) but then a very different thing under Accessories: Power, with a different wattage rating and a different model number.

I'm going to try to attach the spec sheet PDF.

One freebie that I downloaded for the laptop is called Speed Fan. It monitors various temperatures in your laptop, and has controls to tweak the fan speed and other features of your laptop to try to keep the thing from overheating.

http://www.almico.com/speedfan.php

So far, I haven't noticed any overheating of the laptop, as far as I could tell by touch, etc.
But I've had friends with laptops that ran very hot.

Oh, one other thing that is a little weird. When I first turn it on (when I run it unplugged), the battery icon will say something like "3 hours, 56 minutes - 99 % charged." Then I'll use it for a while, and it will say "5 hours, 26 minutes - 85 % charged." In other words, the time estimate will be going up even as the percentage charge is going down. (?) I have not tried to actually time the battery usage with an external timer or watch, although the battery is supposedly rated to last 6 hours when fully charged.

 

satellite_C655D-S5234.pdf 58.7236328125k . file
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post #18 of 74
11/21/11 at 10:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dancingfire512 View Post

That said, Folks I've known who owned them seemed to veer towards Sony VAIO's if that means anything.

Forgot to mention VAIOs. I had one as my first laptop and it lasted me ten years before becoming obsolete. It was a great laptop and gave me little to no problems.

They are a bit on the pricier side (but so aren't Macs), but are worth it.

"you know, nowhere in the bible does it say that jesus was not a raptor"


www.animal-adoptions.org

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"you know, nowhere in the bible does it say that jesus was not a raptor"


www.animal-adoptions.org

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post #19 of 74
11/21/11 at 1:55pm
Thread Starter 
Damn everyone recommending Toshiba! I love my Tosh and would happily replace it with another in a heartbeat, but I am getting giftcards for the shop the warranty is under - from looking at their website (www.pcworld.co.uk) theres nothing Toshiba I want (ok there is but its £1000). I will be dragging a friend to a massive superstore where they have more choice, once I am told my actual budget. This is so frustrating!

Will def look at Asus and Lenovo, have had mixed reports on HP. Everyone with a Dell seems to love it but they dont really do gaming/desktop replacement PCs. As for Vaio, er I used to work for Sony (consumer products not vaio) and they made me redundant to move their customer service to Cairo, so I'm not their biggest fan right now. Their laptops get good feedback but you really do pay for the name. And I know how fun it is getting through to their call centre if you need to!

tbh a lot of the time when people have a "bad laptop" its because they treat it like ****. Laptop that slows over time = bad user filling it with junk and virusses, not bad laptop.

http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Toshi...EN/version.asp
this is my current laptop (RIP), I paid £700 for it 2 years ago (plus £300 for an extended guarantee which covered damage). For the record the battery still lasts well over an hour. I had no problems at all until the charger somehow warped, its only once the shop engineers got their grubby mits on it that the screen has failed! I am really sad it has to be replaced. boo. part of me wants to say OK try repair it one more time, but why the hell should i waste more time waiting in for delivery men that dont show up and more phonebills chasing a repair? i have to spend this thursday, my lieu day, sat around my house waiting for the delivery guys to take it away. again.

the laptop I'm currently on is a 5 year old acer. when I disowned it 2 years ago, the screen flicked on and off and scrolls, theres a permenant green line down the screen, and the keyboard is literally held together with duct tape. wooo! i can still use it to go on websites i'll give it that haha. acer's repair service is so awful, i chose to buy spare parts and replace them even when it was under gaurantee (they once lost my laptop in a warehouse for 2 months and wouldnt replace it, then sent it back with only one out of 5 faults repaired. then another time they tried to charge me £600 for a warranty repair, then just randomly sent me a new one without telling me it was coming or or offering me a choice. they gave me a refurb, which is a random frankenstein machine with no model so i cannot download any updates or official drivers. feel the acer love).

ps. probably worth mentiong that i dont have a desk, or anywhere to put a desk. so cannot get a desktop even though i know itd be a lot cheaper
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post #20 of 74
11/21/11 at 8:33pm
I had a bad experience with an acer, we are on our third laptop in three years and , my Hp also got problems this year also, I forgot what was wrong with it why we had to replace it with this current one by Sony I am in the dark to see the model.
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post #21 of 74
11/22/11 at 5:27pm
I am not a gamer and I'm probably going to buy a macbook air in the next few days or weeks, unless someone can talk me out of it. Every male person in my life is telling me not to...
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post #22 of 74
11/22/11 at 5:41pm
My laptop is a Asus. Before I bought it I was looking around to see what brands were least likely to go crazy on me and I determined that Asus fit the bill. Unfortunately my poor baby is kinda beat up, partially because I'm probably not the best laptop caretaker, but it is used extremely often so some of it is normal wear and tear. My mom's boyfriend has gone through numerous Acer laptops, with one after another having hardware malfunctions. I can't remember what kind he has now, but it's not an Acer.

Your KORRA mom KORRA said KORRA I KORRA could KORRA take KORRA you KORRA to KORRA the KORRA dance KORRA tonight.

Join Korra Nation and I promise I'll stop talking about Korra for 30 days.

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Your KORRA mom KORRA said KORRA I KORRA could KORRA take KORRA you KORRA to KORRA the KORRA dance KORRA tonight.

Join Korra Nation and I promise I'll stop talking about Korra for 30 days.

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post #23 of 74
11/22/11 at 7:16pm
I mentioned this earlier, but it can't be mentioned enough: MacBook Pro.
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post #24 of 74
11/22/11 at 8:02pm
I might consider getting a Mac if they weren't so expensive. I'd rather just get a cheaper computer and get insurance, way cheaper and just as great customer service and repairing.
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post #25 of 74
11/22/11 at 8:18pm

deleted


Edited by Beetlejuice - 6/6/12 at 6:02pm
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post #26 of 74
11/22/11 at 10:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by delicioso View Post

I am not a gamer and I'm probably going to buy a macbook air in the next few days or weeks, unless someone can talk me out of it. Every male person in my life is telling me not to...

here's a female in your life telling you not to do it
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post #27 of 74
11/22/11 at 11:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spang View Post

I mentioned this earlier, but it can't be mentioned enough: MacBook Pro.

I second this.
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post #28 of 74
11/23/11 at 3:55am
I got a lenovo laptop a while back and was happy with it but I only use it for downloading music now. My ipad just kinda took over for everything else.
auto correct can kiss my ask
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auto correct can kiss my ask
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post #29 of 74
11/23/11 at 5:38am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spang View Post

I mentioned this earlier, but it can't be mentioned enough: MacBook Pro.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sequoia View Post

I second this.

I third it.

Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.

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Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.

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post #30 of 74
11/23/11 at 7:15am
I skype, occasionally, trade stocks, read blogs and VB, youtube, Pandora and email. I love how light the air is. Why should I get a pro?
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