Laptop Brand Suggestions

[MWE]

My laptop just crashed (again); this time with the hard drive completely destroyed. This is the 4th IBM laptop I have "owned" in the past several years where the hard drive had to be replaced within 18 months. The first 3 (a T21 and two T22s) were company computers; the most recent, a T40, is personal. Actually, the hard drives on the first three lasted less than a year each. The T40 drive lasted 18 months, so I guess I should not complain. Why I bought a IBM laptop with "my own money" when I had less than ideal experiences with company machines is a long and pitiful storey that will not be related here:banghead::banghead:. I was all ready to buy a Dell 18 months ago (instead of the T40) when stupidity intervened.

Contrast this with a dozen other desktop computers I have owned (Compaqs, Dells, MACs, a few "off brands" but no IBMs) that have NEVER had a hard drive failure.

For several reasons, I am probaly not going to repair the T40. A new hard drive is only $100, but the machine has had so many other problems, and Murphy is staying at a local hotel (or so it appears), so it is time to move on. So, for those of you with laptop experience, any suggestions. My need is mostly "desktop" and perhaps, 15% laptop. So a "desktop replacement" vs something very light and portable is probably the right category.

[MOS MASTER]

Hi Mark, :yes

So sorry to here about your HD crash!

Seams to me you're out of luck with your IBM machines! I'm using IBM as well for work and for personal use. My personal laptop is a R40 and I'm very happy with it. (No HD crash thank god)

For me the best machines are still IBM & DELL but I could imagine you'd be upset with IBM for bringing you so much grief you've lost faith in there hardware. (mines ok for now I may add)

So I'd advice you to buy DELL I think all there laptops are Ok so look for the one you need. (Speeking of processor/Ram,etc...)

I hope you'll have more luck with the next Laptop you buy. :whistle:

[MWE]

Hi Mark, :yes

So sorry to here about your HD crash!

Seams to me you're out of luck with your IBM machines! I'm using IBM as well for work and for personal use. My personal laptop is a R40 and I'm very happy with it. (No HD crash thank god)

For me the best machines are still IBM & DELL but I could imagine you'd be upset with IBM for bringing you so much grief you've lost faith in there hardware. (mines ok for now I may add)

So I'd advice you to buy DELL I think all there laptops are Ok so look for the one you need. (Speeking of processor/Ram,etc...)

I hope you'll have more luck with the next Laptop you buy. :whistle:
thanks for you advice. I have had very good luck with Dell's; virtually no problems. In fact, my backup machine is a 1997 Dell XPS266 (the fastest machine Dell made in 1997) that has run flawlessly for 8 years. Even the monitor is still perfect..

But the IBM saga gets better. I checked with IBM to see if they would honor the warranty and provide a new HD. They did and shipped it out very qucikly. I installed it and reloaded all the opsys s/w and IBM stuff. Everything seemed fine until the first real boot after loads. Then, no video. More discussion with IBM (I must admit that it is realatively easy to get them on the phone) and they diagnosed a bad mother board. So, the whole machine will be sent back to IBM next week. :motz2:

[MOS MASTER]

Hi Mark,

IBM Support is Excellent and so is there warranty! I've also had some plessant encounters with them.

And Hardware will be hardware..Some is more stable then others and bottomline just like buying a car...you just have to be lucky! :yes

I hope the warranty will work out fine at IBM and if not the DELL is still a good choise to go by. (But I'll stick to my IBM's!) :whistle:

[Paleo]

I always liked Compaq/HP machines because of its strength, mine have fallen some times on the floor and have never breaken, so I believe its strong enough:rotlaugh:

[MWE]

Just an FYI regarding what I finally did ...

IBM returned my laptop with a new motherboard and the laptop is now working fine. Although there was more fooling around than I would have liked, all the work was done within warrenty. The only lingering problem is that IBM wants me to return the original bad HD (or else charge me for a new HD). I am not inclined to return a drive filled with my data to IBM. So I need to find a way to clean it first ...

While IBM was playing around with my laptop, I decided to bite the bullet and buy a proper desktop (actually a replacement for my old Dell XPS266). I ended up with a Dell9100 with the new Intel dual core processor, 2G of high speed RAM, dual 160 GB disks with RAID0 and the standard other stuff. Fantastic machine, but Dell's customer service has certainly slipped in the last few years. I had a few problems that should have been resolved in 5 minutes, but they took several weeks. The main one was getting original CDs for the op/sys and other Dell installed s/w. Dell has migrated to the "hidden partition" approach where the CDs are on your HD. I do not like this approach because it eats up HD space, reduces HD partition flexability and is useless if you have a real HD crash. I had to laugh when the folks at Dell stated that they do not recommend multiple partitions

[Ken Puls]

I am not inclined to return a drive filled with my data to IBM. So I need to find a way to clean it first ...

I've heard that a really big and powerful magnet works wonders... :rotlaugh:

[MWE]

I've heard that a really big and powerful magnet works wonders... :rotlaugh:
That is a particularly good solution when you do it by accident.

One of the more irritating aspects about this is that if I do not return the original HD, IBM wants to charge me $195 for a REBUILT 60GB 4200 RPM drive. The street price for such a drive is ~ $100. I understand their desire to "swap" drives, but, given the horrendous noises the drive made as it was failing, I suspect that the drive is well and truely trash. They will spend more $ rebuilding it than it is worth.

I may be lucky and IBM will forget about this

[MOS MASTER]

Hi Mark, :yes

Seams to be a troublesome road you've taken. :(

And I do wonder if big companies forget stuff....They usualy have programs to remind them not to...:whistle:

[Bob Phillips]

I've heard that a really big and powerful magnet works wonders... :rotlaugh:

Put it in the freezer.

[MWE]

Put it in the freezer.
I thought of that but did not want to chance spoiling the other electronics that are stored there.

[xCav8r]

I thought of that but did not want to chance spoiling the other electronics that are stored there.:rotflmao:

[MOS MASTER]

I thought of that but did not want to chance spoiling the other electronics that are stored there.

Excellent Mark...didn't see that one comming! :rofl: (Please give us more)

Get him BOB! :devil: