RELIABILITY IS THE QUESTION

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For about US$2500, which noteboook make(s) would you recommend, using
reliability as the MAIN determining factor?
 
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"NeptuneM" <r3jt@lycos.com> wrote in message
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> For about US$2500, which noteboook make(s) would you recommend, using
> reliability as the MAIN determining factor

IBM Thinkpad

--------------------
Richard Kaplan
rkaplan@flyimc.com
www.flyimc.com
 
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NeptuneM wrote:
> For about US$2500, which noteboook make(s) would you recommend, using
> reliability as the MAIN determining factor?

It's a landslide for IBM. Note, though, there are no published
statistics on notebook reliability. Every notebook vendor has had
reliability problems, some more than others: Gateway comes immediately
to mind.

Notebook reliability has improved markedly in the last five years. Any
of the major vendors offering a three-year warranty that offers what you
want is probably a safe bet. Not to detract from IBM which offers an OK
but not necessarily cutting edge laptop, many of the IBM proponents
formed their opinions from the IBM corporate market which is an
altogether different market than the consumer market. After all, IBM is
currently involved in a brouhaha over failed notebook hard drives.
Buying a major vendor with a good warranty and support is your best
insurance.

Q
 
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NeptuneM <r3jt@lycos.com> wrote:
> For about US$2500, which noteboook make(s) would you recommend, using
> reliability as the MAIN determining factor?

IBM Thinkpad "T" series!

Regards,

James
 
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Definetely IBM Thinkpad, consider the T series, R50 series, A series and X
series.

If you don't like these, then consider as a second choice : Acer, Toshiba
Tecras, Dell Latitude and possibly Compaq Armada (though not sure about that
last one). Also Apple Powerbook. I've also heard that Fujitsu are quite
reliable.

Duncan.

"NeptuneM" <r3jt@lycos.com> wrote in message
news:_qlfc.8643$hg1.2903@nwrddc02.gnilink.net...
> For about US$2500, which noteboook make(s) would you recommend, using
> reliability as the MAIN determining factor?
>
>
 
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I had a ton of problems with my Armada M700. It had 4 bad LCDs (each
with its own defect), a burnt motherboard, keyboard touching the LCD and
leaving scratch marks, a hdd crash and a bad battery. ALL I wanted was a
reliable laptop, but got a lemon instead. The tech support was amazing
though, on all the problems the laptop would come back within 3
bussiness days from the moment I would ship it out.

I have an Evo N410c now, and I know other people that own N600c's and
N620c's, and we never had any problems with them. The Evos are much
better built than the Armadas, I would definitely recommend them. The
chasis is very similar to that of the Armadas, but they fixed most of
the problems.

Other than Compaq Evos, you simply cannot go wrong with the IBM Thinkpad
T series, but they do come at a premium even used.


Cosmin

Duncan James Murray wrote:
> Definetely IBM Thinkpad, consider the T series, R50 series, A series and X
> series.
>
> If you don't like these, then consider as a second choice : Acer, Toshiba
> Tecras, Dell Latitude and possibly Compaq Armada (though not sure about that
> last one). Also Apple Powerbook. I've also heard that Fujitsu are quite
> reliable.
>
> Duncan.
>
> "NeptuneM" <r3jt@lycos.com> wrote in message
> news:_qlfc.8643$hg1.2903@nwrddc02.gnilink.net...
>
>>For about US$2500, which noteboook make(s) would you recommend, using
>>reliability as the MAIN determining factor?
>>
>>
>
>
>
 
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"Quaoar" <quaoar@tenthplanet.net> wrote in message
news:h_SdnRx-IISnPOPdRVn-gg@comcast.com...

> Buying a major vendor with a good warranty and support is your best
> insurance.

And IBM winds hands-down in the warranty/support department... stories are
legendary of IBM going beyond the call of duty with warranty support. The
other manufacturers all have people with war/complaint stories; I have yet
to hear someone with a significant negative complaint about IBM warranty
support -- has anyone here had a negative experience?

--------------------
Richard Kaplan
rkaplan@flyimc.com
www.flyimc.com
 
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Richard Kaplan wrote:
> "Quaoar" <quaoar@tenthplanet.net> wrote in message
> news:h_SdnRx-IISnPOPdRVn-gg@comcast.com...
>
>> Buying a major vendor with a good warranty and support is your best
>> insurance.
>
> And IBM winds hands-down in the warranty/support department...
> stories are legendary of IBM going beyond the call of duty with
> warranty support. The other manufacturers all have people with
> war/complaint stories; I have yet to hear someone with a significant
> negative complaint about IBM warranty support -- has anyone here had
> a negative experience?
>
> --------------------
> Richard Kaplan
> rkaplan@flyimc.com
> www.flyimc.com

I do not want to belabor the question, but once again stories are
stories. Most thoughful users can negotiate service with ease for most
laptops, there are exceptions. I am not denigrating IBM, but in real
terms there is a signal lack of independent corroboration that IBM is
any more effective at service than other vendors.

Q
 
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"Quaoar" <quaoar@tenthplanet.net> wrote in message
news:R7GdnSGElfcQS-PdRVn-vg@comcast.com...

> laptops, there are exceptions. I am not denigrating IBM, but in real
> terms there is a signal lack of independent corroboration that IBM is
> any more effective at service than other vendors.

If I do a Google search or a dejanews search, I can find negative stories
about every single laptop manufacturer except IBM.

In my mind that is extremely useful information.. better, in fact, than lots
of "consultant" reports I read all the time.

--------------------
Richard Kaplan
rkaplan@flyimc.com
www.flyimc.com
 

zebedee

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"Richard Kaplan" <rkaplan@flyimc.com> wrote in message
news:9877731820014dd67aebf702cb94db49@news.teranews.com...

> If I do a Google search or a dejanews search, I can find negative stories
> about every single laptop manufacturer except IBM.

This is probably because IBM will provide spares for every laptop they make
and have made. I bought a new manual for my 760EL last year - brand new and
a charger - also brand new. Both from IBM. Can't fault them for after-sales
service!

--
Yours

Zebedee

(Claiming asylum in an attempt
to escape paying his debts to
Dougal and Florence)
 
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On Thu, 15 Apr 2004 12:38:00 -0600, "Quaoar" <quaoar@tenthplanet.net>
wrote:
>I do not want to belabor the question, but once again stories are
>stories. Most thoughful users can negotiate service with ease for most
>laptops, there are exceptions. I am not denigrating IBM, but in real
>terms there is a signal lack of independent corroboration that IBM is
>any more effective at service than other vendors.

What a world, where multitudes of happy customers isn't enough...
Emanuel
 

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On Sat, 17 Apr 2004 00:45:44 GMT, E Brown <epbrown01@att.net> wrote:

>On Thu, 15 Apr 2004 12:38:00 -0600, "Quaoar" <quaoar@tenthplanet.net>
>wrote:
>>I do not want to belabor the question, but once again stories are
>>stories. Most thoughful users can negotiate service with ease for most
>>laptops, there are exceptions. I am not denigrating IBM, but in real
>>terms there is a signal lack of independent corroboration that IBM is
>>any more effective at service than other vendors.
>
> What a world, where multitudes of happy customers isn't enough...
> Emanuel

Actually, not all IBM Thinkpad customers are "happy". I (still) have
an old 365XD that has never had a problem. But my just over 1-year old
A30 has a problem that is estimated to cost over $600 to repair
(replacing the mainboard because the unit fails to charge the battery
or allow the computer to run on the AC main). For a computer that cost
me just over US$1000 a bit over a year ago, that's a bitch....
basically it's a throwaway. 1000/year is beyond my price range for a
laptop computer.


Charlie Hoffpauir
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~charlieh/
 
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On Sat, 17 Apr 2004 20:00:48 -0500, Charlie <invalid@invalid.com>
wrote:
>Actually, not all IBM Thinkpad customers are "happy". I (still) have
>an old 365XD that has never had a problem. But my just over 1-year old
>A30 has a problem that is estimated to cost over $600 to repair
>(replacing the mainboard because the unit fails to charge the battery
>or allow the computer to run on the AC main). For a computer that cost
>me just over US$1000 a bit over a year ago, that's a bitch....
>basically it's a throwaway. 1000/year is beyond my price range for a
>laptop computer.

I didn't say *everyone* is happy; some people simply never will be.
But the majority are, and I get several votes, having owned a couple
dozen Thinkpads myself.
Odds are you can snag a parts A30 on eBay for cheaper, I'd think.
Emanuel
 
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I have an IBM T40, and the combo drive seemed to be acting wierd on it
- I think it might be the tray is so thin (the height of the drive is
9.5mm), and got bent - it still worked, but seemed to take longer to
read discs, and one DVD I had, it wouldn't play. I phoned up tech
support, and was disapointed to hear an automated system on the other
end - however, I was then completely thrown off guard when after
pressing another button, I was almost immediately anwsered at the
other end by a real person - didn't have to wait at all. -this is the
way it was meant to work!

I a couple of days they'd swapped the drives, and everyone was happy.

However, if the original poster to this thread has not had a laptop
before, I think he might be disapointed to know that even IBMs
thinkpads break-down - Laptops are generally less reliable than
desktops, and even though I think people have had the least problems
with IBMs, that doesn't mean to say you can abuse the laptop and still
expect it to work.

For example, I know someone who had a T20, and never had a problem
with it for nearly three years, (this was what made me buy a T40), but
he used to treat it pretty badly - lifting the laptop by the screen,
and knocking it around while the harddrive was still working.
Recently the top right corner of his T20 has started to work loose...
just where the joint is.

On the other hand, I know someone who treats his HP quite badly, and
has had four major repairs within the first year of buying it brand
new - including the whole screen going, and motherboard melting.

Duncan.



"Zebedee" <abuse@127.0.0.1> wrote in message news:<407ef269$0$5721$afc38c87@news.ukonline.co.uk>...
> "Richard Kaplan" <rkaplan@flyimc.com> wrote in message
> news:9877731820014dd67aebf702cb94db49@news.teranews.com...
>
> > If I do a Google search or a dejanews search, I can find negative stories
> > about every single laptop manufacturer except IBM.
>
> This is probably because IBM will provide spares for every laptop they make
> and have made. I bought a new manual for my 760EL last year - brand new and
> a charger - also brand new. Both from IBM. Can't fault them for after-sales
> service!