Notebook Brand With Best Build Quality

Discuss which manufacturer has the best build quality in their consumer line of notebooks (not business line). Being fairly new to the notebook scene, I don't have a real informed opinion.

I'll say my HP/Compaq is built decent. I'd rather it be a bit more sturdy and composed of stronger materials... also not all the parts snap together perfectly. Overall I give it a 6/10 for a consumer notebook.

1 being very cheaply built - 10 being very superior build.

Anyhow, vote for who you believe builds them the best, and then rate your own notebook.

 

You forgot one major player in the poll - Panasonic.

My vote goes with them ( Toughbook).

 

You should add Asus to the list as well.

 

Indeed, Asus would definitely be my choice!

 

And Sager and MSI and Averatec (brands to add to the poll, not especially brands that I like). (just to have all options available) (also better if users could rate on a 1 to 10 scale). (and if list was alphabetical).

 

Asus.............................

 

I aint gona vote cos Asus aint there!

 

lol, my first thought when looking at them was where's Asus? I used to work for HP service at a level where I would actually have people order replacements for issues of multiple repairs.

 

The only presumably objective review, based on user feedback, that I know of is Consumer Reports which reports Sony having the most reliability and Gateway the least. The difference between all notebooks was small, however, and not really sufficient on which to base a selection. Does anyone know of any other reports?

 

I vote Asus.

Wheres the Asus option?

 

I vote for IBM. T 22 ThinkPad still going strong.

 

I think only ODMs should be on that list. The majority of companies in that poll don't make their own notebooks. Also, clearly define quality so we're all on the same page when we vote. What's quality to me isn't quality to someone else, and vice versa.

 

Isnt build quality = robustness/durability ?

If so, I cant belive people are rating HP/DELL/asus ahead of IBM thinkpads

 

Maybe they have never used one? You can't rate build quality without using a product.

 

True dat.
The IBM's have to be experienced, the only negative is that people might find it difficult then to move to other laptops --- its like crack.
I've had a T30 for 2 years, thinking about getting a Z96j from Asus (need bigger screen, ram etc under 1850 including tax,warranty), a bit apprehensive whether I will be able to move on.

 

In the past 5 months I've owned a Dell, HP, Hypersonic and Asus.

 

Hmm, perhaps they read the original post, which goes something like...

I've highlighted the relevant portion. What I've seen of Lenovo's consumer grade notebooks is pretty good, but they ain't no Thinkpad.

Oh, nearly forgot... I'm voting for :asus:

 

IBM. I have one that is seven years old and has traveled around the world and been used constantly-still going strong. perfect 10

Asus is also excellent as is panasonics toughbook series. 9 out of 10

Apple is close to excellence but I've heard a fairly good amount of issues with batteries and other issues so something like a 7 for them.

Dell I would probably give a mediocre rating their machines are fairly reliable but run hot and aren't built that well they just seem to run fairly well for 4yrs or so in my experience anyway and they at least support them fairly well. 5-6 for dell

HP and compaq probably a 5 or so as well

Gateway is similear to HP imo. Alienware makes some wonderful high end machines but they seem to have alot of issues and worse yet still they don't back up the machines when things go wrong!

 

And you get so dissatisfied that you move withn weeks to a different laptop, always in futile search of something good ?
Get a thinkpad man...

 

I agree, 3-4 years back a T30 used to cost about 2.2k, but now there are excellent deals on thinkpads, they have become consumer price, with business quality

 

Yeah, pretty much

I've stopped with my W2J. It's perfect. One Thinkpad looks just like the next. I like decent aesthetics in my notebooks to say the least.

 

As you can tell by my username, uniqueness and aesthetics are not issues for me

 

My vote goes to ASUS & IBM

 

IBM, Asus, clevo, and fujitsu.

 

IBM 10/10
Dell 6/10
Asus 9/10
Sony 7/10
Apple ?/10 (never had one)
HP/Compaq 7/10
Acer 5/10
Fujitsu 8/10

 

IBM!!

picked up an older thinkpad t23 and i aboslutely love it. don't know how long it's been used before me but i use it everyday for 2-3 hours when i get home from work and also take it to classes, library, etc. and just throw it in my backpack with the rest of my books. i'm so confident on its durability i don't need a laptop bag, it's just fine with my books and notes.

super solid hinges, cover, keypad. not one part of this thing is loose or "junky".

my roommates dell on the other hand. POS if you ask me.... the hinges are loose, the keypad is horrible and it creaks whenever you open/close it.

 

Well, I'm on the verge of getting a Compal HEL80 (PowerPro), so is there any reason no one's meantioned them? Is the Asus 96J that much better?
Oh yeah, OT, I have a Dell and shame on me but I really like it. I'd have to vote for IBM though considering their quality.

 

Bleh, I knew I forgot to a brand or two hehe. I created the poll after working a 12 hr shift before I went to bed so brain was only half working. Should definately have added Asus & Panasonic. I personally voted for IBM because I've had some experience with some ancient IBM notebooks sold in local government auction and they almost always still work perfectly.

I'm not dissatisfied with my HP, it's quality is about what I expected when I bought it. Only thing that bothers me is my screen isn't snapped tight on the sides and some light leaks out, but it doesn't affect the screen at all so I can live with it.

 

asus is the best man you should have it on your list

 

IBM/Lenovo...put their laptops are somewhat overpriced.

I go with dell...as their laptops are a good combination of good build quality and value.

 

acer all that way!!!

 

Apples are tough, Seems like IBM gets majority, sounds like their nice machines. I have had no experience with IBM's so I wouldnt know.

 

I dropped my Toshiba Satellite 15.4 inch on a wet hard floor, and it still works fine.

....This just seems like a popularity contest

 

I don't think it is meant to be, but I don't think most members have that much experience.

I have used an HP and a Gateway. Both seem nice and neither gave me any real problems. Does that make my Gateway better than your Toshiba? Probably not, but I can't compare them, I can only say that the Gateway has been fine so far.

Also, a lot of things are subjective and depend on user experience.

The Gateway quit playing sounds after a month. I used system restore and went back to an earlier restore point, and it works fine now. Can't fault the computer for that, but many people would have returned it to the store and posted here "Gateway - sound quit after 3 weeks - piece of junk".

OTOH, the HP has always been sluggish for unknown reasons. (It's an XP-M 2200, so understand why it is slow compared to a new Core Duo, but it is slow compared to my XP-M 2800 Barton or even a Duron 1000 desktop that I have). HP problem, or software, or . . . ???

 

Asus + Ibm

 

for ordinary laptops, i think IBM has the best build quality except of course those rugged type notebooks such as the toughbooks!

 

sony's are really down there now..
drive is loose, battery wobbles, lid doesn't close firmly, touchpad buttons aren't even level, and so many things wrong about the new FE that my dad got.

My mom's 3 year old dell inspiron on the other hand is very well built and still runs very smoothly, but dell obviously needs to work on aesthetics. (this is pre-bumper generation. greyish with stripe through middle)

I'm using... what.. I thinka 5 year old dell desktop? dimension 4550. Still runs smoothly (and extremely loud).

I'd give sony a 5/6
Toshiba- 6
acer- 6
hp- 7
Dell -7/8
Thinkpad - 10.. (its too bad. Thinkpad and sony should team up)
Asus (never actually used one.. or seen one, but from what I've seen) - 8/9

 

Sonys are the worst buillt computers ive ever used, id give them 3/10 max
Samsung on the other hand are spot on, 9/10 kinda score!

 

i dont know about now, but the compaqs i have encountered in the past years have the worse quality of any i have seen. two friends of mine bought them and within weeks they have pretty bad hardware problems. dell also has pretty bad quality especially their lower tier notebooks. really terrible build quality. ordered a inspiron 9xxx series not too long ago and the whole computer has worse quality i have seen. the screen might be high res but is highly inconsistent in brightness. the case feels especially cheap and the material used feels like it could snap if you bent it abit too much.

sony seems to have decent quality build but i have not had much experience with their lower end stuff. higher end models are great. its nice to know that they use a solid magnesium casing for FS and FE models and others. good quality screen and parts inside are decently put together.

toshiba looks good from the outside but i dont know about the current generations. the models from 2 years suffer from very very cheap plastic casing. my father's toshiba notebook screen refuses to stand up by itself now. it will either fall close or 180 degrees.

 

The panasonic toughbook would be my vote, they have to be of a good build quality as the market they target demands a durable notebook.

 

Yeah, where's the toughbook option?

 

IBM/Lenovo hands down. My friend has a T20 and another has a T30 and they are still in tip top shape.

 

Asus is missing, and you said 'consumer line', yet you have IBM listed. Most of, if not all their machines are intended for business/work use. None are advertised for gaming/chat/Skype, therefore, I think that one should be removed from the list of 'Consumer Manufacturers'. If you want a vote on best build out of ALL lines of notebooks, then yes, IBM ThinkPad is your choice.

 

Hahaha, well, it gives a clear idea of the opinion on notebooks in general.

 

IBM. Without any doubt.

Charlie

 

Yes, ThinkPad. Without any doubt.

However, it's not fair to compare ThinkPads (business) to the consumer notebooks... that's the point.

 

Why not? The business line notebooks like the HP nc8430 and ThinkPad T60 get recommended here on the forum about as much as the cheaper mainstream consumer line like the Inspiron and Pavilion. I ordered a Lenovo Z61m to replace this Dell E1505 i just got. I have an HP dv2000t as well that i'm sending back because even though it's pretty well built it's not very rugged for travel and something is wrong with the video card as well.

 

QUALITY GAP!

Mentioned E1505 is a budget notebook (a very nice one but still budget) while Z61m is just a ThinkPad (great quality)

I said somethig similar ones and I was quated. Now I will take this risk again.
"The difference between E1505 and z61m is as large as the distance between Earth and the Moon."

That's way!

 

Asus and Panasonic
I personally own as dell and it is ok but not the best, I'd give it a 6or7 out of ten.

ucb9999

 

I don't think I see an ASUS option on that poll. Is there an ASUS option on that poll? Do you see an ASUS option there? Why isn't there an ASUS option? Where can I vote for the ASUS option?