Is dv2000t durable?

After owning for over 2 months, I begin to like my dv2000t. But then I start to think how durable this laptop is.

According to your judgment, what do you think of the building quality of it?

 

If it's anything like the dv6000t (which it is since it's just a shrunken version) then I'd say no...the whole thing just feels really cheap and plasticky...and by plasticky, I don't mean the hard durable plastic either, just a really soft, brittle shell that could crack or shatter if accidentally struck too hard.

 

I agree. My friend just tosses his dell in his backpack with all his book and stuff, other then scratches its in good shape. I baby my dv2000, always using a sleeve. In 6 mo. it has shown alot of wear. The bezel around the touch pad has cracked. Also the plastic cover on the hinge came loose, I had to super glue it in place so it wouldn't bind when opening the lid.

 

On the whole, all laptops have durability problems. I've been using laptops since 1990 and the more you like them, the more you use them; the more you use them, the closer at hand you keep them, all the time. Since they're portable, they get lugged around and naturally suffer much greater hardships than desktops, which are a pain to move.

On the whole, I think laptops today are much more durable, even though they don't feel like they are, than they were several years ago....which is not to say that they're perfect, but manufacturers of both laptops and the components that go in them have had a lot of experience with designs that work and designs that fail.

Since HP offers a "accidental damage" warranty, you REALLY should take advantage of it. I've been bitten by IBM (now Lenovo) on their Thinkpads by the "it's your fault it failed and we're going to charge you huge bucks to fix it" bug several times. Being able to get a warranty that ignores whose fault it is was a very real motivation in my going with HP.

There are lots of people dissing HP on this board, but I think they're holding the company to a totally unrealistic standard. Maybe I've just become innured over the years by my experience with computers and their foibles, but I can't help rolling my eyes pretty often at some of the complaints I've been reading about on this board these past couple of days. Holy Cow.

Laptops today take, and are subjected to much more abuse than they used to be and still hold up quite well. I mean, face it, are today's $2000 (in 2007 dollars) laptops given anywhere near as much care as those $6000 (in 1997 dollars) laptops required a few years ago? No! And lots more people, who know much less about computers and their care, have them these days and yet they remain reliable.

I have no experience with the dv2000t, and I sent back (and immediately reordered) the dv9000z I received earlier this month. Still, I would hazard to assert that, if after 2 months you still like your 2000, you will continue to like it for the next two years. After that, you'll be looking for excuses to buy a newer model anyway....and if you have any doubts about it (and even if you don't), buy the accidental damage warranty now while you still can.

 

What would be the average life of laptops until they begin to fall apart? (for normal daily usage)

 

It will probably be different for everyone as your "normal daily use" differs from the next person. I had a laptop that lasted one year before the power plug broke off and I had to fix it. I also had another that lasted for 5 years before it started to falter. So just depends on what is normal use and how often you move that laptop. Every movement will bring a risk of it breaking.

 

I have no problem with the build quality I think it is a very good and sturdy laptop

 

Guess I need to watch out on the hinge. Didnt know it was weak..

 

My dv2000t laptop feels much more sturdy than my three year old dell inspiron. It feels very solid, and unlike my dell, does not creak when you pick it up. Overall, I would say that its build quality is very high. However, I have not traveled with the laptop much, except for when I go back home/back to school. I also treat it very carefully, since it looks good.

 

My 2000t is very sturdy. I have hit the side of it to a stairway rail hard enough to make the stairway shudder and there is barely a dent (too small to really notice). It doesn't seem to scratch easily but fingerprint show very clearly. It feels well put together better than some other laptops I have used, solid even unlike some Dells where hinges and cases feel off and kinda loosely put together. I really like it, not as much as my old Compaq x1000, but I get approvals from people who see it on my desk.