who makes a good reliable laptop notebook NOT Mac

[theduckster]

who makes a good reliable laptop
i am thinking of getting my wife a laptop for Christmas
it does not need to be a super computer she doesn't play any games or anything like that
is there any notebook manufactures that are known for reliability
is there any manufactures known for problems or that are just junk

i have a Dell desk top that i really like do they make good laptops
what kind do you have and do you like it what name brand will your next laptop be
here are some laptops that i am looking at

Dell
Toshiba
IBM
HP
Compaq
VPR

[thrlride]

I have a dell that work provided. It is okay I suppose. I like custom built stuff better myself, you usually get better components...

[Jamesurq]

I've always had thinkpads at work - that's all they buy. The reliability is apparently top notch. I've dropped mine several times and I still can't get it to break..

[sfaribault]

IBM notebooks are the best. You pay more money for them.

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[Jamesurq]

I'm looking to ditch my T30 and get something with a 17" screen. IT won't let me get a powerbook so I'm trying to narrow it down between the other choices.

The HP weighs over 9 lbs - so that's out.
The Toshiba is 7.7, but I hear it's not that reliable.
IT has told me that they've had bad luck with Sony's
And they refuse to buy Dell because of that annoying Dell dude. (I assured them that he wouldn't be coming back - but they still are a little weary and are afraid he'll make a "right before Xmas" return)

[beerguy]

Actually Mac doesn't make laptops.

[thrlride]

Who makes the ibook and powerbook or should he have said apple?

[beerguy]

that 2nd thing - just being a pita

/* we now return you to your regularly scheduled thread */

[thrlride]

Originally posted by beerguy
just being a pita

Not you Doug!

[Wilafur]

i'd say ibm is the best all around followed by dell (had both for work).

i have a toshiba at home and it likes to crash 1-2x a week. fun times. and the kicker is, the toshiba is only 2mo's old. i've reformatted the hd and did a couple clean installs to no avail. grr.

[Q-ball]

I've had my 17" Toshiba for almost a year now, still going strong. I'd recommend Toshiba based on my experience.

[Jamesurq]

Originally posted by Q-ball
I've had my 17" Toshiba for almost a year now, still going strong. I'd recommend Toshiba based on my experience.

You travel a lot with it? For me - I want the big screen but need it to not break my back and be able to drop it occasionally without it dieing on me...

[myakkareef]

I use a HP at home that I bought at Sams Club and have been very happy with it....I love being able to sit back in the Lazy Boy and fiddle online in front of the TV instead of sitting at a desk in the office....I also have a thing for Dells but the HP was less expensive for the same configuration....It has been problem free...

[snarfe]

i wouldn't get anything with the word compaq on it, IBM or Dell and Toshiba are prolly your best bet.

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Originally posted by Jamesurq

And they refuse to buy Dell because of that annoying Dell dude. (I assured them that he wouldn't be coming back - but they still are a little weary and are afraid he'll make a "right before Xmas" return)

If that's honestly what they're telling you, fire them and outsource your IT.

I have a Dell laptop from work as do all the employees in my group. We're fairly high-level users and constanlty abusing the machines in every way - physically and computationally. We're constantly on the road, tossing the things around in cars or letting baggage handlers do it for us.

After several years of this abuse before a machine is retired, we've only had a single hardware failure - the MB on the very machine I'm on right now died about 6 months ago. This thing was nearly 3 years old at that point so it's excusable, IMHO - especially given the abuse it sees.

Most of us have Latitudes. One of my coworkers has an Inspiron 9200, which has a 17" widescreen LCD. It's an amazing machine. I'm scheduled to get one in a few months and I'm looking forward to it. Barely over 7 lbs iirc.

[beerguy]

[Q-ball]

James, I've traveled distance with it a few times, I carry it back & forth to work every day though. Mine's the 9.9lb model, so it's on the heavy side...but the benefits outweigh (pun intended) the extra weight. I think they've gotten them down to 8 or 8.5lbs now, still not a lightweight though. I've not dropped it, but I don't think that'd be good for any laptop

Originally posted by Jamesurq
You travel a lot with it? For me - I want the big screen but need it to not break my back and be able to drop it occasionally without it dieing on me...

[BrianD]

James doesn't have a frisbee, so he uses his computer.

[Jamesurq]

Thanks Q. I did actually pick up the one you have for a home PC and brought it home. I put it on the counter next to our current home laptop - an ultraportable IBM with a 10 inch screen (less than an inch thick. The comparison was so scary I returned it.

I'm not in the habit of throwing my laptop - but the occasional drop is always fun... My kids like to use it for the roof of their wood block towers.

[thrlride]

I've had my Dell C640 for a little over a year now and have had no problems.

[fred says]

I have a fujitusu lifebook which only weighs 2lbs, has a 12inch wide screen, touch pad screen, and a Mg alloy case. I use it for typing notes at school. ONly one problem with it, it doesn't have a cd-rom or floppy drive. My other laptop is a thinkpad, which is nice and susposedly really stable.

[Q-ball]

Yeah, the 17" screen on a laptop is pretty huge...I get lots of comments on it It's great for movies and really nice when working on multiple documents at a time, for going back & forth, tiling them, etc. I like it alot.

[pnosko]

I like my Dell, and I think they're pretty solid. I dropped a previous one (it was in an unpadded shoulder-pack) and it hit the ground. No real damage other than a cosmetic scuff. The hardware is quite reliable, although I will admit to a replacing the IBM travelstar drive twice (in the previous model, via warranty) due to them getting noisy. And admittedly, the Windows OS is the most unreliable "part."

[theduckster]

any body have anything good or bad to say about Gateway laptops

[fishtanker]

i have...ummmm...."aquired" 2 thinkpads from a previous employer. I'm pleased with them, I've had a Toshiba and Compaq in the past and i still like the Thinkpads the best.