A Trillion here, a trillion there

[gman]

Well, I have had an HP desktop for a long time, and it still runs fine. I had a 17" HP laptop, and didn't last. I found out there had been a past recall, and that all sizes in the line of HP laptopns were fraught with problems, mostly video problems and insufficient cooling leading to fried boards. I probably wouldn't buy an HP laptop again. I do like the look and feel of many of their products, but I personally know too many people who had an HP blow up on them. Some of their newer laptops havd a heavy, clunky feel to them. Keyboard and mouse are hard to push.
I bought a Lenovo from Best Buy. It was at the tail end for that product, and the price was down to $350; for a dual core processor that got good ratings. The customer reviews were also very good overall. The keyboard is not lit, but it has pretty much everything else you would expect from a model that originally sold for 500+. The keyboatd is a bit compressed, but they did that to make room for a number pad, which was a big selling point for me.

[executioner]

Well, I have had an HP desktop for a long time, and it still runs fine. I had a 17" HP laptop, and didn't last. I found out there had been a past recall, and that all sizes in the line of HP laptopns were fraught with problems, mostly video problems and insufficient cooling leading to fried boards. I probably wouldn't buy an HP laptop again. I do like the look and feel of many of their products, but I personally know too many people who had an HP blow up on them. Some of their newer laptops havd a heavy, clunky feel to them. Keyboard and mouse are hard to push.
I bought a Lenovo from Best Buy. It was at the tail end for that product, and the price was down to $350; for a dual core processor that got good ratings. The customer reviews were also very good overall. The keyboard is not lit, but it has pretty much everything else you would expect from a model that originally sold for 500+. The keyboatd is a bit compressed, but they did that to make room for a number pad, which was a big selling point for me.

Thanks for the heads up on the HP laptops. My son is saying most kids have a Toshiba brand laptop and they all love them, but CR rates them near or at the bottom. In some ways I'm more confused then when I started

[gman]

I did not hear that CR report. I had a Toshiba desktop that was great, and I've been impressed with the Toshiba laptop I've looked at.
I bought Lenovo partly on the suggestion of a friend. Also, I wanted the number pad, and at least 3GB of memory with the option to add more. I also took note of the the processors in all the machines in price range. I looked up each one to see how they fared in testing. I sticking to the $350 or less price range, and many of the processors were rated as slow. After looking at all the specs and features of each one, adn the ratings of the processors, the Lenovo was a no brainer. I've always stayed from the no names because I've heard they use inferior parts, but apparently, HP's parts weren't so good either.

[executioner]

We finally went this weekend and got a Samsung LED 40 inch and had Directv come out and install a HDDVR receiver; after some adjustments with picture settings it looks really great. I decided against spending the extra $300 to get the model with all the apps and sole internet connection because I found a Blue-Ray player will do all that for half the cost. We have yet to find a suitable laptop but are leaning towards a Samsung or ISIS(I believe is the name), but will get one alot quicker now because Directv installed a wireless router with our HDDVR that has a internet connection.

[LivingRock]

Personally, I have a Toshiba laptop and I hate it. It's been to a repair shop six different times and it still doesn't work right. Give me a Dell anyday; for what I've paid in repair bills, I might as well have bought a better quality computer in the first place! That's what happens when you try to save money.

[executioner]

When buying electronics I always take my time and research everything from Consumer Reports to customer based opinions. I've had my Dell desktop for 8+ years now and never have had any trouble out of it. We moved last October and I just never got the time to get internet and with having my HTC Evo really haven't needed it, but before that my Dell was great and I'm considering a laptop from them, but have notice they are somewhat pricey with the other makes.

[brent]

I have about 60 seconds, as I am SUH-LAMMED with a church install, then I am off of this forum for about another week.

Hardly anyone makes everything they sell. No company manufacturers all of the components in their CES products. Manufacturers offer exclusive skus to the major retailers for a price point, that cannot be directly shopped against the others. For instance, Pioneer has a line made for Best Buy that cannot be had anywhere else. So, to say one brand sucks worse than another is not fair, because no two product lines are the same, even from the same manufacturer, and the retailer and cost has much to do with what goes in (or does not go in) to the products.

Remember how Intel re-branded processors that did not pass QC and just turned the math coprocessors off? Same thing happens in consumer electronic devices. Some products have DSP chips that did not pass one manufacturers specs, so an alternate line was created to reduce losses. In the MI world, companies like Behringer buy the sub-par rejects and crazy tolerance components to build something cheap.