Durable laptop recommendations needed

[hailstreak]

Hi everyone,

Any recommendations for a durable laptop $500 or under? My new HP Pavilion lasted only six months. The case repeatedly cracked around the hinge. After multiple repair attempts by HP, they decided to buy back the laptop, so I am in the market for another one.

I don't need much power. A Core i3 that I can swap an SSD into is all I need. My main concern is durability. I am very careful with my laptops, but I do use them a lot, and they need to be able to handle frequent use, opening/closing of the lid, etc. I thought my last Toshiba laptop was fragile until I got this new HP. At least the Toshiba lasted a couple years before its cheap plastic fell apart.

Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

[jsmithepa]

Do they still sell Panasonic Toughbooks? Those are built like tanks.

 

[hailstreak]

Police officers in my area still use the Panasonic Toughbooks. They are bombproof, but I doubt I need something that strong. Just a regular laptop with good build quality and strong hinges would be enough for me. It is amazing how hard they are to find!