What's the best PC laptop brand?

Photoshopping, I'd say, is about even. Video editing? Yeah, I have to give to Apple on that one. Video editing on my Win 7 PC is very good, but on OSX it's quite a bit better. Still, I love both Windows and Mac, and probably always will.

 

I'm partial to Sony VAIOs myself. I've owned about seven VAIO laptops over the last decade. They're pretty and I've never had one fail on me. I also own a pair of ThinkPads, one running OSx86 Leopard.



I still carry this VAIO X everywhere I go, but since graduating college, I mostly use my desktop. My advice to anyone buying now would be to consider buying something used. Most people are just doing stuff on the web anyway... any machine made in the last five years will probably work fine... and if you're partial to Sony, you can get their originally overpriced gear for cheap.

 

Thanks guys and gals.

I'm moving onto a farm on an island. I have never had a roomate and now I have a roommate and 10 people live in the house. I have no clue how this will work, but I needed a change from my horrible home improvement job and figured I only have this one life, might as well try something different. .

 

I've had a few laptops over the years, and I've had a bit of hands on experience with those of my colleagues. I'm currently using a Lenovo Thinkpad T61, and I'd say it's build quality is head and shoulders above everything else I've laid my hands on. That's been true of every T-series Thinkpad I have experience with--most models from an old T42 up to the current T520. But, you're not going to get one for under $500 unless it's a couple years old.

There seems to be two different discussions of quality going on here, hardware and software. Going the Mac route, you will get a well built computer. If you go with Windows, you can end up with anything from a pile of crap to something better built than a Mac, and you'll have something more compatible with whatever you want to do. If hardware quality is what's important, and that seems to be the primary case based on the original question, you can go with a Mac and not do much research at all, or if you go with Windows, you'll want to do a little more research. If the $500 limit is in force, you can forget a Mac and you'll have to settle for something of mediocre quality, unless you can go with perhaps an older Thinkpad T series from Lenovo's outlet or something like that.

As for viruses and other malware, just use your head a little and you'll be fine. I can't remember the last time I had any sort of malware at all, but I think it's been over 10 years. As long as you don't do anything stupid, it's trivial to avoid.

 

With Acer laptops, I was told they were rather shit after I brought mine. I've had mine for around 2 and a half years. The battery only lasts for around 2 hours or so, and this model can overheat quickly.

When it comes time to buy another laptop, it won't be an Acer.

Best of luck with the move bigdaddy.

 

Wow. There's something wrong with your laptop, then. Even a low end battery lasts longer than 2 hours. I have an Acer netbook and it's battery lasts about 7 hours. I had an Acer laptop that was 6 years old and it's battery lasted 4 hours. One of the reasons I recommend Acer is because you get a lot of quality and build for much less money.

All I can think is either the battery is defective, or your power management settings are maxed out.

 

^ I have on Balanced most of the time. I have plugged in virtually always, so the time using the battery doesn't bother me.

 

This may be a little late. But I read in an earlier post that you had not heard much about Assus. Assus is an up-and-coming brand that is doing its best to offer top quality at low prices. And the lowest prices for this brand are often found at a site called newegg.com They have almost every brand out and run specials on a regular basis. I urge you to check them out ... I found them by accident when looking for a netbook.

 

Mate, dont take this the wrong way, but have you been living under a rock for the past six years? Up-and-coming? Seriously? They've been around for ages.

 

Asus.

 

Hope this isn't too late but I have a Toshiba Satalite that I bought in 2007 and it works great for me. If I was going to get a new laptop it be another Toshiba but mine still works great so I don't need to worry about it.

 

I know of newegg.com, my first boyfriend in 2004 showed me the site.

The issue is if I have problems with it I like a B&M store to bitch about them.

I went to Best Buy, I didn't really see anything I liked, but I figured out I think I like a 14inch computer.

 

Is this part of some PBS reality show?

 

For what its work, they have excellent customer service.

 

I wont disagree that macs are built well, but your and my definition of hard use differ greatly, I reckon. Cause there is no way in hell an apple laptop can survive the abuse I put a computer through... For normal use, it'll last ages. But "hard use", doubtful.

The average computer lasts a week at my workplace, so lets give the mac the benefit of the doubt and say it lasts three weeks, but no more.

 

What the hell do you do to your computer at work that would ruin it after only a week? And who foots the bill every time it needs to be replaced?

 

I was going to ask the same thing. For the record, skeet shooting is not an acceptable use for a laptop!

 

I work in the auto repair industry. I believe the English for for my job is tin smith. Bottom line, i work in a constant dusty environment where the computers are being tossed here and there, where they fall off hoods, melt on overheating engines and so on. You have to clean out the computer with pressurized air every day unless you want the fans to clog up and the computer to overheat.

My current laptop, a Panasonic Toughbook CF-29 has been dropped from the cabin of a lorry onto concrete, run over by a corsa, dropped and rolled down stairs and its still working. I've had it for a few months now, and it still works fine.

 

I would need the computer to come in by Saturday. I have to leave Tuesday or Wednesday.