Best laptops? Toshiba, Vaio?

[mekannik]

Toshiba are hard as nails. I had one back in college years ago that I dropped and cracked pretty much the half the screen casing. Screen integrity was not compromised at all - damn thing lasted 3 more years before I gave it to my friend to use in school.

Much like (forgive IT gods) Dell's Latitude line - you pay more for the business grade machines because they are more durable physically. Toshiba's are just more durable through all their lines.

 

[mylife]

I need a laptop asap, price isn't much of an issue although I'd like to keep it under 2k.

I was looking at the Toshiba Satellites which had a 2.2 ghz p4 and 256 megs of RAM. That was $300 more expensive than the Vaio which had a 2.8 + 512 ram.

Is there any reason the toshiba is more expensive than sony? Who else makes nice laptops?

Here's the one I'm leaning towards as of now:

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INT...y_item_a&ProductSKU=PCGFRV28&ContentItemPage=

 

[XBiker]

Toshiba's are pretty solid and last.

Sony VIAO's are thin and don't hold up very well (IMO).

Dell's are solid, have good support and will do you right.

 

[HANSEL]

I use a Fujitsu at work and I find it to be a very nice unit.
That being said, Im a die hard Toshiba fan.

 

[WarriorPL]

Take a look at http://www.powernotebooks.com/

In the top 5 of http://www.resellerratings.com/ and i've never heard a complaint about them honestly. But i know not too many people trust it because it's not such a popular name brand. If thats the case then go for the Toshiba. Or the viao if size is an issue..

 

[mylife]

How good are the p4 mobiles? The mobile p4 2.5 ghz is $500 more expensive than the regular p4 2.8 ghz.

By 'mobile', does that mean it's already configured for wireless net browsing? Would I need routers, access points, netstumbler, etc?

I'm confused. Help NoDaddyNo, please. (i'd ask code but he has little patience for simpletons)

 

[Mr. dB]

There's really only two companies who can make a proper laptop -- Apple and IBM. If you're not a Mac-using monkey, that pretty much leaves only IBM. IBM Thinkpads rock! Sometimes they don't look as good as Dells on paper because Dell always seems to have the latest video chip, but the Thinkpads are always rock solid, and so is IBM's support. And Thinkpads have the Trackpoint pointing device which, once you get used to it, is much more efficient and user-friendly than a touchpad.

Sony VAIOs tend to have flaky drivers for proprietary hardware, but they have pretty cases.

 

[Y_lifter]

Either Dell Or Toshiba are good.

Go with whomever has the best deal on the best pkg now.

 

[NoDaddyNo]

Take a look at http://www.powernotebooks.com/

In the top 5 of http://www.resellerratings.com/ and i've never heard a complaint about them honestly. But i know not too many people trust it because it's not such a popular name brand. If thats the case then go for the Toshiba. Or the viao if size is an issue..

I was going to point this link out as well.

Nobody seems to understand that laptops aren't really made by all the various makers as they claim. They branded by the makers.

Powernotebooks.com distributes the notebooks made by the worlds largest maker of laptops (I forget the name, but it something like Sager). Sager (or whatever the name is) makes laptops for HP/Compaq, Sony, Toshiba, Alienware, Dell, and for a bit Apple even used them (doubt that they still do).

When you buy a laptop through a major retail name such as HP or the like, you are paying for their branded service - but you are getting the same system, just with a different badge and/or maybe some extra plastic or colors.

 

[Zebo]

Dell Latitude here.....I love it.

 

[bigschweeler]

Don't get a Viao...POS if you ask me.

The one I had was incredible slow and came with Windows ME of all operating systems. I would think this has changed now, but the mere fact that at one time Sony loaded Windows ME should tell you something.

 

[Mr. dB]

Is nobody listening? IBM Thinkpad!

 

[Y_lifter]

Is nobody listening? IBM Thinkpad!

Good machines, but a bit Too heavy and Way overpriced.
Also not near as Rugged as a Dell or Toshiba IMO..

 

[Scarlett33]

I love my Sony. I am hard on it and it has held up very well. A few weeks back I spilled a whole glass of tea on it, I just used a blow dyer to dry it and its going strong. I guess its not really a fancy laptop but it has worked well for me.

 

[WarriorPL]

powernotebooks...

 

[Mr. dB]

Good machines, but a bit Too heavy and Way overpriced.
Also not near as Rugged as a Dell or Toshiba IMO..

Heavy? I thought we were all weightlifters in here...

My two-year-old Thinkpad A-series is from their heaviest line, it's a three-spindle machine (HDD, CD/DVD, AND floppy), and I have no trouble lugging it around. It has stood up to a lot of abuse, and is sturdier than any of the Dells that I've seen.

Thinkpad T-series is two spindle (no internal floppy) and has a titanium-skinned case, so it's a bit lighter. The R-series is their low-priced line, and they're pretty thin and light too.

As for price, there are deals to be found. IBM frequently blows out discontinued models at low prices either on their own site or on the IBM page at eBay, that's where I got mine. It's an A-21, but I bought it when the A-22s came out.

 

[[email protected]]

I’ve had a Dell, Toshiba, and an IBM. All top of the lines. What I just bought again? IBM ThinkPad.

Both Dell and Toshiba had issues that needed to get shipped back to the manufacture for warrantee service. Dell 3X. Keyboard, internal modem blown, and PCMCIA blown. Since I had W2K on it and it came with W98 they actually tried to screw me even on hardware failure with the extended warrantee service that I purchased.

My original IBM lasted 5 years without ANY problems as a primary and then just a backup.

IBM you get a little slower processor for a higher price but they are the REAL thing. I have beaten them, dropped them, slammed them, and used them for days on end without any mechanical failures.

Dell NEVER AGAIN. Gateway NEVER. None of this OEM crap out there.

 

[hellorhih2o]

go to http://reviews.cnet.com/Notebooks/2001-3121_7-0.html?tag=glnav and check out the reviews.

One vaio might be good while another model might suck. It's impossible to say that one brand is better than the other IMHO.

 

[Mr. dB]

I’ve had a Dell, Toshiba, and an IBM. All top of the lines. What I just bought again? IBM ThinkPad.

Yeah, there's a reason why Thinkpad owners are so fiercely loyal...