most reliable PC laptop

[roland.g]

I have and always will be a Mac user. I have worked for Apple retail and currently have a 5+ yr. old 1st gen g4 tower - 450 'sawtooth' which I am planning on replacing shortly with a iMac g5 20" once Tiger is preloaded and a speed bump is introduced. However, I am currently working a new career which requires that I get a Windoze based laptop (virtual pc will not suffice) and am looking for advice from Mac users on which is the most reliable brand. I am looking in the $1200-1500 price range and considering an HP dv4000 or or zv6000 but also would consider a Dell. Other people have told me to look at Toshiba and/or Sony though I do not like all the proprietary problems that Sony comes with. I understand that recommending a PC laptop is a Mac sin, but sometimes you have to use a big truck while you work and drive your exotic the rest of the time.

Thanks.

[mkrishnan]

If reliable is the top concern, I would personally recommend IBM, esp. the T4x series... I know that they are in the midst of selling to Lenovo, but the Thinkpad is really the crown jewel of IBM's hardware, and I suspect that the new owners will not let it tarnish by failing to properly support it. There is a company that does laptop reliability rankings, and IBM (along with Apple) consistently does exceptionally well. If I can find it, I will link you. :) Toshiba gets excellent reviews from reliability too, though, esp. in terms of corporate customers, FWIW.

[mkrishnan]

Here is the link:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1624242,00.asp

If you click on notebook results in the middle column, you will see that IBM ranks second in every category in which Apple was rated (they were dropped from the Home category because of insufficient data), and first in the one category in which Apple was not rated. :rolleyes:

In the reliability tab, they also do very well, although surprisingly, Gateway seems to be better (that I was actually surprised at, and also how poorly Toshiba did in that part of the survey).

There are issues with this kind of survey, though, to be aware of. Just like JD Power's IQS for cars, it is very subjective as to what is considered bad quality, and people say that consumers of aesthetically fancy notebooks (Sony and Apple) are pickier about "minor" problems than users of, say, Dells or Compaqs.

[roland.g]

Thanks Mohan,
I will check it out, I guess one thing I am trying to get here is decent performance versus cost. Doesn't have to be the newest fastest etc, I want to save my $$ for my Macs, so $1300-1500 is my limit and I would like to stay closer to the $1200 range, but I want things like Wireless, Bluetooth, etc. Graphics is not a big deal, won't be gaming on it. I just need it not to let me down, though I realize there is no such thing as hassle free, not even from a laptop. That's one reason I shy away from Sony, because I don't want a bunch of preloads I don't need + I want to be able to customize.

[twoodcc]

i would recommend a dv1000, or the equivlent if they have come out with a newer model. i have an HP 1040us. i got it about 6 months ago, and i have to admit i've had no problems. any questions about it i'd be happy to answer.

good luck with your decision :)

[iGary]

Had two Sony Vaios that I beat the crap out of...no problems.

[mkrishnan]

...$1300-1500 is my limit and I would like to stay closer to the $1200 range, but I want things like Wireless, Bluetooth, etc....

I know that IBM can handle all of those requirements except for built-in BT. There are T42s in your price range, and there are T42s that offer BT, but I'm not sure if there are ones that do both at the same time, and I found the configurator at IBMs site slightly confusing.... :(

[clayj]

I'm not sure what you mean by "proprietary problems", but I've had numerous Sony notebooks over the years and they have always been rock solid.

[Gee]

I know that IBM can handle all of those requirements except for built-in BT. There are T42s in your price range, and there are T42s that offer BT, but I'm not sure if there are ones that do both at the same time, and I found the configurator at IBMs site slightly confusing.... :(

I second the ThinkPad recommendation. Pretty solid, hard wearing and well made. Of course, they look like they fell out of the ugly tree and smacked every branch on the way down (for styling think mid 80s Honda dash), and I think they still all come with that pointless joystick thing in the middle of the keyboard that used to pass for a trackpad. But solid, nonetheless.

[RGunner]

IBM thinkpads are pretty tough, easy to use / work on laptops.

check out:

www.thinkpads.com for bill morrow's site

great user forums there, as well as a good site to buy products at discounted prices.

[mkrishnan]

I second the ThinkPad recommendation. Pretty solid, hard wearing and well made. Of course, they look like they fell out of the ugly tree and smacked every branch on the way down (for styling think mid 80s Honda dash), and I think they still all come with that pointless joystick thing in the middle of the keyboard that used to pass for a trackpad. But solid, nonetheless.

LOL, after a while, I started to like how Thinkpads look. And they're cool to geeks in a sort of Elvis-Costello-glasses kind of way. And if this were the gay thread, I'd have something highly inappropriate to compare the pointer too, but I will refrain. :eek: But they *are* probably the most bombproof laptops in the PC world, outside of those Toughbook kind of things with shocks and stuff.

[budugu]

i would recommend a dv1000, or the equivlent if they have come out with a newer model. i have an HP 1040us. i got it about 6 months ago, and i have to admit i've had no problems. any questions about it i'd be happy to answer.

good luck with your decision :)

I second that! HP makes really good machines i have used 3 of them (1 had a power cable insert getting loose) ... they have all worked well. I think DV1000 is the best notebook arround and it definitely matches your price and the warranties are not hugely expensive with HP. people fancy IBM but i see no reason why you should take their overpriced stuff when HP is better looking and of the same quality. Otherwise i would recomend dell 700m as the next option.

But DV1000 is one of the best designed notebooks out there (with out dedicated graphics). And perfectly fits your price.

[CaptainCaveMann]

Well, if were talking pee-cees here. Id say go with Ibm. If i didnt buy a mac i probably would have bought the Ibm t42. Or the newer version of the t42 they just released.

[SeRgIo_42]

I also believe any Thinkpad T4* would make you suffer
less but upgrading RAM, choosing a reasonable video card
and other extras would easily go over your budget limit.

If you really have to stick with that price range I
would check www.notebookreview.com to get
a Dell coupon. Yes, Dell it is.
Last time I checked, you can get a unbelievable configuration
for US$ 1100 after using a 600.00 coupon (they had
even 800 coupouns but even so the total price was over 1100).
If I am not wrong, with 1100 you can get :

Pentium M 1.80GHz
1Gb RAM
64 MB Vram
HD 80Gb
DVD+-RW (double layer)
and the other stuff (wireless, ethernet, blablabla).

In the next 2-4 years this config will suffice your needs.
After that, even an IBM would show its age and, who
knows, then you use a PB G5 for your daily tasks.

Hope it helps.

S.

[Kosher Terror]

If you go to Costcodotcom they have some good sales on some HPs if those interest you.
Costco (http://www.costco.com/Common/Category.aspx?whse=BC&topnav=&cat=4580&hierPath=84*&Browse=)