gtsberg

Given the same specs on Dell/ HP/ Toshiba. Who here could say which company makes the best machines for reliability and service? Anybody have recent bad experience with any of these machines? Sure Dell has just had the battery thing, but that's fixed. I want to know which machine will be more reliable.

r.mistry6

Avoid DELL at all costs. Toshiba are more of a media and portability laptop company whereas HP just have features with a decent spec and great portability. I would say HP unless you're wanting the laptop for some media usage... Though Toshiba are powerful machines too.

computerhakk

Dell are actually rated pretty high, atleast in the top 5 or even 3 when it comes to laptops. Toshiba have some great quality builds to their laptops. However, if it was my personal opinion, I would go:
1. Toshiba
2. Dell
3. HP

With Dell not being too far away from taking first. Reason being because I just feel safer with a Toshiba if it was those three. I've used Toshiba in the past and find that they last quite a while.

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bamhm182

I havn't heard of Toshiba, Dell computers work good, I had one for about 8 years or so and it only crapped out on me a few times, all my fault though because that was back in the day when I didn't know how to use a computer. I think that HP is a good company. I'm not sure though because I'm not sure if I've had one before, I think I did and I hated it, that was just because it was Windows 98, than ME I think, and those operating systems were evil, lol.

EDIT: I would either get a dell, or build your own, but that's just me.

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bccws

I have a Dell XPS M140. I have been having wireless problems with this computer from the beginning. I also have problems when i open outlook I must close and open outlook several times for the software to bring me my email. I also feel the computer is running extremely hot. I have this on my desk, on my legs and think the computer is going to catch fire. Then next thing with this laptop the LCD screen has come loose on the right side. Don’t know why. I don’t walk around with the laptop open. And now my battery will only hold a charge for 30 mins.
I called Dell Tech Support and they want me to send my computer in to have it repaired.This will take 6-8 days. In the meantime I would not have a computer to use for my job. Dell will not credit me the time the computer is at their depot to get fixed either. The computer is 6 months old and should not be falling apart. Everyday I am without my computer I am losing money. I use this for my full time job and to run my small business.
I explained to Dell Tech Support that this is not fair. They say they are only able to give me the support that I paid for. My question is, why are they selling computers that fall apart in 6 months.
I have finally come to realize why Dell is losing money. Their Support is awful, and they do not care about their customers.

I have made my mistake and will not buy another Dell again.

JFHuff

I agree with you 100%. Ive actually made the mistake twice. The second one i got started dieing within the first week. And of course Dell support didnt help. They kept reffering me to different people and they wouldnt take responsability for anything.

Id say go with the Toshiba. Ive had one of those before and they work well. im not saying anything bad about Hp bc they work well to. I just prefer the Toshiba.

Vista

Cannot say anything for my part on Toshibas, I have never had one. But I am pretty satisfied with my HP, though if you want a good laptop at HP you must target the high levels one (zd8000 series)...which are also the most expensive.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1706542,00.asp

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bamhm182

okay, don't get a dell laptop, Dell computers work well, it's just the laptops suck I guess. I don't know how good the HP laptops are, same with Toshibas. But I'd say get a Toshiba because I don't really like my HP, the desktop I got from them SUCKS, it hates me, and I hate it, the thing only works when it wants to, and it NEVER wants to. I should quit talking bad about it though since I'm on it right now and it might have another "acidental failure." lol

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alienationware

I know that many people said to go HP/Toshiba over Dell. But if you want honest opinion, try operating a laptop daily down in the Caribbean where it is HOT, HUMID and the air SATURATED with SALT (can anyone say rust?). Do this for a year and 1/2 and you'll see what I mean.

Imagine a class of 50 people, each with some brand of laptop down in the Caribbean going on their daily business (I am one of those people) for almost a year a 1/2. The end result? Dell wins. Here's why:

1. Power supply is a BIG issue, I've witness many laptops in the past 1 +1/2 year down in the Caribbean (mostly Toshibas) where the power jack was unstable and literally MELTED the casing around it. I've witness a Gateway power supply where you have to insert the power jack in the CORRECT way, or else it'll disconnect and switch to battery mode. Amongst the 20 or so Dell in my class, NONE had power supply issues during my yr + 1/2 stay down at the Caribbean.

2. Mechanical failure. One guy had his daughter strip some keys from the key board, but the buttons still work. It was a Dell. Another guy had ISSUES with his Toshiba, got a free BRAND NEW replacement under warranty, but this replacement had issues turning ON (mechanical power on button failure). Once again no Dell in my class had this problem.

3. LCD screen. Doesn't it get anoying when you see missing lines on your LCD screen? No laptop is perfect, even Dell. Seen a Dell, HP, and Toshiba give out bad lines. One guy took his laptop home to the US during the break, the issue was a VIDEO CARD problem.

4. I'd be making this up if I didn't say that I saw a Dell fail. But this was one month after they got their brand new Dell (defective manufacturing, not failure d/t use/misuse). They sent a guy down to the Caribbean right away. The Dell guy replaced the motherboard for free onsite.

5. Laptop speakers generally SUCK! However, I could not imagine that my friend's $1000 Gateway laptop had much CRAPPIER speakers than my $600 Dell laptop. The sound on the Gateway would CRACKLE and BLUR at high pitch/really low base.

Overall, I would say that Dells aren't the most good-looking laptops (I totally adore the Gateway design), but they are sturdy in their power supply. Although certain non-Centrino Dell models can get really hot and you think that they'd catch on fire, they will NEVER get hot enough to melt their casings, even in the humidly hot Caribbean weather (unlike TOO MANY TOSHIBAS that I've seen). Dells don't have bad power jack connection issues. Best of all, you can rest assure that even though you may have purchased the lowest end Dell laptop, you can be pretty sure that Dell paid 3X more for the speaker parts than other brand named laptops, and yes your Dell speakers will actually WORK at high pitch/really low base (even though the sound coming out would be crappy). In the end, whichever laptop you buy, make sure that you get at least 3 yrs of return to depot warranty as you don't want to flush that investment down the toilet 0.0001sec and 1 year after warranty expires when your laptop begins to fail (or in my case, a BIOS flash gone wrong).

rman

The reality is that even though all these systems by Dell,HP and Toshiba are made by a handfull of manufactures in Asia a lot of the engineering takes place in the US. From that standpoint I can said that HP is far superior over Toshiba and for sure Dell.
Remeber the laptop battery issue, well HP uses Sony batteries too, but their circuit design in their laptop does not allow to this overcharging where the batteies will explode or catch on fire. That is superior engineering, the same happens with printers and specially servers.