# Laptop/Netbook reliability stats



## ToeClaws (Nov 20, 2009)

Thought this was an interesting read - basically outlines the reliability of various portable systems both in general and from specific manufacturers:

http://www.digitaltrends.com/comput...op-squaretrades-reliability-figures/?news=123

Quick overview...

*General 1 year failure rates:*
Netbooks: 5.8%
Cheap laptops (under $1000): 4.7%
Good laptops (over $1000): 4.2%

*Specific Manufacturer 3 year failure rates (best to worst):*
15.6% - Asus
15.7% - Toshiba
16.8% - Sony
17.4% - Apple
18.3% - Dell
21.5% - Lenovo
23.3% - Acer
23.5% - Gateway
25.6% - HP/Compaq

I would have liked to see an additional break down of failure rates of each of the company's premium gear compared to their cheap consumer stuff too, but still, neat stats.  They have a PDF that you can download that goes into more detail.


----------



## AshleyAshes (Nov 20, 2009)

While I understand that a warrenty company couldn't get the numbers, I'd love to see a comparison of how often the laptops are transported around and generally carried, moved, lugged and kicked around in their lives to how often they fail.


----------



## ToeClaws (Nov 20, 2009)

AshleyAshes said:


> While I understand that a warrenty company couldn't get the numbers, I'd love to see a comparison of how often the laptops are transported around and generally carried, moved, lugged and kicked around in their lives to how often they fail.



Aye - there's a lot of little factors this doesn't really explain, but then, the same can be said for a lot of "general usage" statistics, like automobiles, shoes, luggage, etc.  I'd love to see some variation in the test criteria as well, but each variation requires separate sample pools, so not likely to see such detailed reports. :/


----------



## Aurali (Nov 20, 2009)

honestly, when I stopped carrying my laptop around and started using it like a normal desktop.. it stopped breaking.


----------



## pheonix (Nov 20, 2009)

Damn. I have an HP. D:


----------



## LotsOfNothing (Nov 20, 2009)

My graphics card just died on mine.  

That's about...I guess a 3 year run with it.


----------



## ArielMT (Nov 20, 2009)

My main field notebook is a Compaq Armada M700, a 9-year-old book built like a tank and still running the original installation of 2KPro.  It's seen abuse that no sensible notebook should ever be exposed to, abuse such as sitting on dusty earth, having ants crawl over and inside it, and sitting on rocks and loose dead brush.

I also have a Compaq Presario 1690 whose screen completely died two years after I got it.

Both of these books were manufactured before the Compaq-HP merger.

I wish they'd delve deeper into each manufacturer's brand lines, such as Inspiron, XPS, Vostro, and Studio in Dell's case.


----------



## pheonix (Nov 20, 2009)

My HP pavilion dv9000 is a little over a year old and still runs great. (though it was built with a small hardware issue and likes to shut off when coming out of sleep or when you restart it wont turn on for 10 minutes) I'm hoping it lasts for a good long time cause if not I have nothing to store my work and misc crap on.


----------



## Runefox (Nov 20, 2009)

Even though this is by manufacturer, it also neglects to mention which lines within a given manufacturer are counted; Lenovo, for instance, builds incredibly reliable business-class notebooks - More reliable, in my experience, than Sony notebooks (though Sonys aren't very common around these parts to begin with).


----------



## ToeClaws (Nov 20, 2009)

*nods* As I said in my original post, and has been echoed by RuneFox and AerialMT - I agree, it'd be nice to see separate stats for the *very* different quality of product lines each company offers.

Like Aerial, my ex had a Compaq Armada M7400 - 11 years old.  It finally died just a few weeks ago (LCD backlight burned out).  I also use a Dell Precision M65 at work, and we buy only the Precision (workstation class) laptops from them, none of which have had a failure in our 4 years since switching to that line.

With some companies, their high-end line is so vastly different from the low-end that it's unfair to clump them all up as one result.


----------



## CaptainCool (Nov 21, 2009)

i hope my ideapad from lenovo doesnt break too soon then >.>


----------



## Trpdwarf (Nov 21, 2009)

Sweet....I'm looking at an Asus as my next Laptop. Although in all honestly i wonder how much the failure rates have to do with, you know, bad handling? Tossing around the lappy like it's a toy or something?


----------



## ToeClaws (Nov 21, 2009)

Trpdwarf said:


> Sweet....I'm looking at an Asus as my next Laptop. Although in all honestly i wonder how much the failure rates have to do with, you know, bad handling? Tossing around the lappy like it's a toy or something?



Oh I imagine a good deal of them do - as a warranty company, their stats are based on a wide variety of things 'causing failure, but I'm sure misuse accounts for the largest percentage.  Same could be said for a lot of things. :/


----------



## Trpdwarf (Nov 21, 2009)

ToeClaws said:


> Oh I imagine a good deal of them do - as a warranty company, their stats are based on a wide variety of things 'causing failure, but I'm sure misuse accounts for the largest percentage.  Same could be said for a lot of things. :/



That makes sense.

The Asus I'm looking will cost well over the 1000 mark....and I'm probably going to pull a student loan for part of it. That's going to be a comp that stays at home, on a desk or something. It's a damn good laptop, everything is maxed out, and they put a monster of a good fan for drawing out all the heat the insides will generate.

That one will probably last a good many years since it's not going to be carried around like my current lap-top, therefore it won't go through the usual bumps, bangs, and stuff that wears a computer down.


----------



## Jaxinc (Nov 22, 2009)

I have a Falcon Northwest DRX, had it two years and had one bluescreen to my own stupidity and another from an external device dying. Never had a problem since ._.

Course they arnt on that list...


----------



## Runefox (Nov 22, 2009)

Jaxinc said:


> I have a Falcon Northwest DRX



o_____O; I wish I had the money for one of those. As far as boutique computers go, Falcon's one of the best in the business.


----------



## Jaxinc (Nov 22, 2009)

Ya it ran me little over 6,000, but was well worth it. I've gone through other laptops like candy, simply because they are not made to run 24/7/365... and my Falcon was.


----------



## Koda (Nov 22, 2009)

Oh snap! I just bought a Gateway P7809U!!! 

http://www.jr.com/information/pop_z...oductimages/GTWP7809U.PNG&ZHRTitle=GTW P7809U

Meh, I've never had an OEM computer fail on me really. Its all a matter of the environment and what type of user is buying what type of computer. Also market volume. A more popular product is going to experience more users complaining than a less popular one.


----------



## Runefox (Nov 22, 2009)

Gateways in my experience are a mixed bag. They're fairly reliable, but when they have trouble, it seems to be due to faulty components (like a bad/weak hard drive or so on). Most of the Gateways I've sold have actually been really nice machines for the price, though I've got to say that more of them came back with hardware issues than any other laptops we'd sold, including used Dells. Keep an eye on it; Chances are still good you won't have trouble, but if you do, you'll want to catch it as soon as it happens.


----------



## Kryn (Nov 22, 2009)

I have a Dell Inspiron 1400 from 2001. Running Windows xp with only 128mb of ram, it's missing the L and C keys on the keyboard, it's battery cannot hold a charge at all which results in accidentally kicking the cord a lot and it turning off. But It still works, I hate that computer with a passion too cause it's so fucking slow, plus because of the missing keys sometimes the metal nubs will shock me. I wanna chuck it off the roof or shoot it with a shotgun one day.


----------



## Hottigress (Nov 26, 2009)

I have an Acer Netbook and it gets nice bettery life. up to 20 hourssometimes. I gotta red one, but I wanna purple one


----------

