The reliability factor when choosing a laptop

There are some incredibly cheap prices out there when it comes to shopping for laptops. However, if the main factor for you is price, you may be in for some unexpected disappointments. Competition is enormous in the electronics industry and there is always pressure from manufacturers to cut corners to gain a price advantage or to improve their bottom line by using cheaper parts that are more likely to have problems.

Another factor to be careful with is the reputation of a brand. The industry is constantly changing, so an individual brand can lose quality considerably in a short time. The old adage that “you pay for what you get” often holds true even in the world of computing. Check each brand from time to time to see where it stands.

What can go wrong with computers? Computers are complicated machines with many different moving and stationary parts inside. I don’t care what a company does, if there are humans involved in it, things can go wrong. Hard drives fail, processors fail, keyboards stop working, etc. All manufacturers have products that need to be returned for repair.

Taking the time to do a little research can minimize your risk and save you a lot of time and money down the road when it comes to making the best decision for your personal or business use. So who makes the most reliable products when it comes to laptops?

PC Magazine recently handed out its Readers’ Choice Awards for 2010. Here are some of the interesting statistics it reported. The percentages of necessary repairs for each brand, according to the readers of the Magazines, are the following: MSI 5%, Asus 6%, Acer 10%, Toshiba 10%, Gateway 11%, Compaq 12%, Sony 12%, Apple 15 %, HP 15%, Lenovo 15% and Dell 18%.

Laptops less than a year old had this repair record according to their readers: Asus 5%, Apple 6%, Toshiba 7%, Gateway 8%, Acer 8%, Lenovo 9%, Compaq 10%, HP 10%, Sony 11 % and Dell 13%. Overall ratings for the top two are Apple #1 and Asus #2. To read the full article, go to http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2368149,00.asp.

Each brand will have some computers that need help. The real question is how much will the manufacture stand behind their products with support and warranty. Most companies offer a standard one-year warranty that covers basic failures like hard drive failure or if the motherboard fails on its own. Asus offers a minimum two-year warranty on its laptops. So if you want to compare costs, most places will charge an extra $150 or more for an extra year on top of the manufacturer’s warranty just to cover the same basic things. Also, if you want protection against accidental damage from drops and spills, it will cost an additional $100 more per year. So before you buy, add up what it would cost you to get a full two years of warranty and accidental damage protection before evaluating just the price.

Some other suggestions will be to take the time to read buyer feedback. If possible, read reviews from more than one site on a particular product to get a broader perspective. One note of caution is about reader comments. People who have something to complain about often do, and those who don’t aren’t as motivated. Balance reader feedback with computer magazines and consumer reports. Tip: Check the date of the article before reading the article. If it is older than two years, skip to another article. Your information may be out of date with changes in the industry.

When all factors are considered, paying more for a computer can ultimately cost you less and save you a lot of complaints. Have fun shopping.