Notebook PC: HP, Sony, Toshiba?

[telekinesis]

I'm buying a notebook computer.

I am new to the world of notebooks so I want some input.

It is a 17" HP 3.2Ghtz with 1GB of DDR SDRAM (can be upgraded to 2GB) and a 80GB Hard Drive.
Is the HP a good quality laptop? What about the Sony and Toshiba?

[McGiver]

heard a lot of negative about sony.
well at least their prices are bad

[CanadianGuy]

I don't know about those particular models but whatever you do don't buy a compaq anything! I've got one and it sucks.

[hificopymaster]

It depends what you want to use it for really...

For example, I have a Compaq nx9010 that I use mainly for school, and it works great, never had a problem, but if I wanted to install a game on it, I doubt it'd work so well. I know it won't install SW: KOTOR, or Morrowind... Civilization seems to run fine, but only when it's the only thing running, because of the lack of RAM and the crappy video card.

[UNFLUX]

What's your budget like?

personally I would never buy a HP or compaq anything ever again. The vaio is a good buy, but their parts and service are a pain. Dell is always an option, or if you have the budget, you can get an alienware. dell or alienware would be my 2 top choices for laptops.

[McGiver]

I would get an IBM since I heard they are the best.
But I'm still not sure since they seem to have some sort of tcpa chip inside.

[nobody]

I'd recommend the HP actually. HP's have been getting a bad rep for a while, I don't know if it's because of the merger with Comcrap or what, but I have a few HP's in my house and they are excellent computers.
I also have a sony fetish, so I'd always recommend them.
I've heard mainly good things of toshiba, never had one though.
So basically, of the 3 brand choices you listed, they are all top notch in my opinion, so just choose the coolest looking one :P

[grinch]

Computers and Games forum...

[Maxtr0sity]

IBM doesn't look sexy at all, but it makes up in performance.
Alienware, if you got the money, get one.
Dell, go the looks and performance. All of our computers are Dells, works like a charm. Plus, their service is great.

[I am the Noah]

I recommend HP or IBM. I agree with 28, has been getting a bad rep recently, but they are a great company.

[kirupa]

I like Dells a lot also. Whichever one suits your budget though. You seem like a competent user, so the choice of laptop doesn't really matter a whole lot. I am guessing you will reformat your laptop once you get it, right? :P

[McGiver]

IBM notebooks make the best cases,...as far as I know they make just the best ones (even if the cases may look not too colorfull) even better than dell.
and as long as I get it for the same money than one of another company, I will go for IBM (still hoping they have no tcpa inside)

[Thinker2501]

It's been my experience (working in the Tech Center at my university) that the only difference between an HP laptop and a pile of sh*t is the smell. Same goes for Compaq since they are owned by the same company now and use identical components. Sony Vio's were the hot item about 4 years ago, but now they are just over priced. A good friend of mine has owned 2 Toshiba laptops. Both were priced well and performed well also.

[teet]

I really don't think it matters...one brand probably isn't much different from the other (excluding IBM and Alienware, but they cost considerably more).

The harddrive in my HP laptop went out when it was around 2 years old. I was able to replace it myself for around $180. Does this mean that I think HP sucks? Not really. I think Majitsu (or whatever cheap hdd it was) sucks.

I always hate it when people have one negative experience with a brand (even when it's their fault!) and then say that that brand is no good.

-teet

[Thinker2501]

:huh:
Its not one negative experience, its many. Almost everytime someone brought in a laptop that broke/failed it was either an HP or Compaq. The fact that they put crappy HDD's, such as Majitsu as you site, shows that they have little concern for quality and that increases the likelyhood of a system from that brand failing. As such that brand sucks.

[Disco-Stu]

!!!!! Are you guys kidding??? toshiba lifebook = pwn

[McGiver]

there is a BIG difference between the companies.
Since I am searching for (its more like dreaming of) the right notebook for quite a long time I heard a lot of different stories about the crappier ones
some use coolers that shake the whole notebook or at least make a horrible loud sound (or run nearly 90% of the time)
some notebooks use crappy keyboards
many notebooks have crappy displays because most people don't care about that when buying. Same goes for very tiny RAM.
Some notebook empty the batterys in less than 3 hours (others are abled to run over 5 hours)
and what's probably most important for me: if I buy a notebook, it should be something I am abled to carry and not weight like 5 kg and be 6cm thick.

[Niann]

I think it all depends on what line of HP, or Compaq you buy. Right now as we speak (I type? :) ) I am reading the forums on a Compaq Armada M700 laptop. I use this exclusively for work, and it has always done ok for me. We have both IBM Thinkpads, and the new line of HP-Compaq Business Laptops here, and they both perform well. I would tend to stay away from any of the main manufactures "home" line of products. For example, I would never buy a HP Pavillion Home PC, but I do have two HP-Compaq Deskpro d530s at the hose and they are great. My best advice would be to buy something from the business line of whatever brand you end up deciding to buy, support is generally better, and they are built a little more solidly. One thing about Toshiba, is that I have seen many of them break, not components fail but parts breaking. Now I have never used one, but the users here seem to be able to break these a lot eaiser then they did their Thinkpads. But I don't put anything past the end users here so take that with a grain of salt. =)

Cheers!
-Niann