View Full Version : Recent study shows APPLE/TOSHIBA/SONY and ASUS (!?) as tops for Laptop build quality
LINK (http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2009/11/apple-fourth-best-among-build-quality-study-for-portables.ars)
SquareTrade, Inc., a company that offers extended warranties on all sorts of consumer electronics, has published a study on laptop longevity based on 30,000 costumer experiences. The numbers show that Apple is fourth in terms of reliability, as machines from the Cupertino company suffered a smidgen over 10 percent failure rate over a two-year period and an estimated 17.4 percent rate over three years. Asus, Toshiba, and Sony all had lower two-year and estimated three-year failure rates, with Asus taking the top spot at just under 10 percent over two years and an estimated 15.6 percent over three.
The statistics relevant to our interests are based on laptops that failed due to "natural causes"—not machines that were accidentally damaged. These numbers are broken up among nine different manufactures, all of which had a sample size of at least 1,000 units. Although Apple isn't on top, it can at least look at Dell, Lenovo, Acer, Gateway, and HP as companies that provide inferior quality laptops. While Dell was less than one percentage point above Apple on the three-year estimated statistics, Hewlett Packard had an estimated failure rate over of over 25 percent over three years.
At first glance, these numbers might make it difficult for Apple apologists to use build quality as an excuse for what some may consider to be inflated price. However, without the statistics broken down further by model and cost, it's hard to make those assumptions. SquareTrade does present numbers earlier in the study that suggest cost does effect build quality, but at only a two percent difference in failure rate between the high end and low end.
Of course, a company that sells warranties has every reason to make it appear that all kinds of hardware have a higher failure rate than they really do. Still, the statistics presented by SquareTrade seem reasonable and, frankly, the people who buy these types of warranties are likely to continue whether the numbers are high or low.
I wasn't surprised to see Sony & Toshiba because they are known for using quality Japanese factories for their manufacturing. Apple uses better-than-most Chinese factories. Asus though!? Anyone ever own a full size laptop from em?
Sirius Black
11-23-2009, 12:46 PM
Sony makes shitty laptops. Even if they are durable. I have heard that Toshiba's are durable, but at least from my experience working around service desks, they break down a lot. Apple for sure because they have their own hand in designing the computers layout, so there normally isn't a lot of issues with them. Asus laptops are HUGE in Europe, they just have no market penetration here. My friend has one and it's pretty good.
I'm surprised not to see Lenovo on this list since they've been making durable and damage resistant laptops since the beginning of time. I mean my hard drive has a roll cage and my LCD panel has reinforcement so that i can hold it by one corner of the screen and it will not break, or even put any pressure on the lcd at all.
Sony makes shitty laptops. Even if they are durable. I have heard that Toshiba's are durable, but at least from my experience working around service desks, they break down a lot. Apple for sure because they have their own hand in designing the computers layout, so there normally isn't a lot of issues with them. Asus laptops are HUGE in Europe, they just have no market penetration here. My friend has one and it's pretty good.
this part is my favorite part of yo reply..:D
HI Octane
11-23-2009, 01:00 PM
this part is my favorite part of yo reply..:D
it's donald's favourite part too :p
it's donald's favourite part too :p
HA HA HA.. Donald.. when you gonna return fire and make diz thread about PC's into a GENRE WAR!?
Sirius Black
11-23-2009, 03:58 PM
LENOVO MAKES THE BEST LAPTOPS!
there you happy now? :P
loprogression
11-23-2009, 04:15 PM
that's not how you start a genre war, donald.
tribal house is for hippies.
lenovo makes the best laptops!
There you happy now? :p
techno-logy ftw!
Sirius Black
11-23-2009, 08:55 PM
that's not how you start a genre war, donald.
tribal house is for hippies.
K how about this...
PEOPLE WHO BUY ACER LAPTOPS ARE STUPID!
there, that's about my regular flavor :P
K how about this...
PEOPLE WHO BUY ACER LAPTOPS ARE STUPID!
there, that's about my regular flavor :P
I support this statement.. don't forget GATEWAY as well :D
Same bank account now I think?
starforsaken
11-24-2009, 08:44 PM
Lenovo is quality, so is Asus. Asus is rock fucking solid.
New toshibas aren't the quality they once were, and after working for Apple there's no way I'd trust their shit.
Acer has come a fair way, and I would now say they put up a good fight against HP in the mid-level spectrum.
That about covers them, in my experience.
LSDave
11-24-2009, 09:18 PM
Lenovo is quality, so is Asus. Asus is rock fucking solid.
New toshibas aren't the quality they once were, and after working for Apple there's no way I'd trust their shit.
Acer has come a fair way, and I would now say they put up a good fight against HP in the mid-level spectrum.
That about covers them, in my experience.
i've had nothing but great results from apple products. The 3 apple laptops i OWEN'D had all worked really well.
loprogression
11-25-2009, 12:10 PM
Samerz. I've owned a good half dozen apple products, ranging from an old ass macintosh ii, to a powerbooks, ibook, and now a macbook and imac and have never had even 10% of the problems i've had with pcs. hardware, os, and software.
Lenovo is quality, so is Asus. Asus is rock fucking solid.
New toshibas aren't the quality they once were, and after working for Apple there's no way I'd trust their shit.
Acer has come a fair way, and I would now say they put up a good fight against HP in the mid-level spectrum.
That about covers them, in my experience.
I've worked with apple stuff over the years and never had any issues. I've only owned two products, my current iPhone and Macbook pro unibody. I like having a product with an OS and hardware platform from the same company. Kind of like a server from Compaq/Sun/IBM/ running a proprietary version of *nix. Better quality control is achieved.
I do however have a problem with 'THE SPORTS'.
loprogression
11-25-2009, 12:51 PM
I like having a product with an OS and hardware platform from the same company.
Word. That's why I use Logic for productions. Hardware, OS, and Sequencer all by the same company. Works for me!
NeoXDeath
11-25-2009, 03:45 PM
Toshiba laptops are SHIT. Come to my office and ask Stan how much he hates Toshiba. I'm so glad I'm not certified to fix them. Eugh...
HI Octane
11-25-2009, 04:12 PM
Toshiba laptops are SHIT. Come to my office and ask Stan how much he hates Toshiba. I'm so glad I'm not certified to fix them. Eugh...
yup. my sister and my dad both have one and they started malfunctioning within a year of buying em. they use cheap parts.
You cats read the article? It tells otherwise but everyone has their own experience.
I for instance have my 'OWEN' experience with all of the brands mentioned, which matches the findings of the study in the article exactly. Maybe i'm just lucky like that? :biggrin:
I like Toshiba/Panasonic/Sharp/Sony because they *OFTEN* use Japanese manufacturing, where as all the other major brands are Chinese only.
Sirius Black
11-25-2009, 04:32 PM
You cats read the article? It tells otherwise but everyone has their own experience.
I for instance have my 'OWEN' experience with all of the brands mentioned, which matches the findings of the study in the article exactly. Maybe i'm just lucky like that? :biggrin:
I like Toshiba/Panasonic/Sharp/Sony because they *OFTEN* use Japanese manufacturing, where as all the other major brands are Chinese only.
Sharp is shit. for the record. biggest pos ever. They push the technology, but they still haven't even mastered the art of displaying black properly.
Sony is overpriced and under powered for the dollar spent.
Toshiba is Toshiba. Their main market is retail, so making retail products means they will die quickly because skimp to make it cost less.
Companies like Lenovo and HP have their major market as the business sector, so their products typically are built better.
Sharp is shit. for the record. biggest pos ever. They push the technology, but they still haven't even mastered the art of displaying black properly.
What do you look like on their SCREENS then so? :D
Sirius Black
11-25-2009, 07:03 PM
What do you look like on their SCREENS then so? :D
Haha, I look like a pale grey. :P
Like seriously, some channels, or even movies, in black parts it looks light grey or greyish purple. Nowhere near black. Working in future shop i saw it all the time. It got to the point where I almost puked in my mouth every time I walked by one of our sharp tv's.
What you need is a BLACKTOP son!
Sirius Black
11-26-2009, 02:38 PM
What you need is a BLACKTOP son!
I was referring to the quality of the color representation on a television screen :P
alphagroove
11-26-2009, 02:41 PM
I was referring to the quality of the color representation on a television screen :P
yes... because this thread is about tvs right?
I was referring to the quality of the color representation on a television screen :P
I know, but the opportunity was there for the pun so I took it ;)
Sirius Black
11-27-2009, 05:35 AM
yes... because this thread is about tvs right?
No it isn't, but he commented on SHARP, so I thought I'd chime in on the personal experience.
Always there to make the unnecessary asinine comments eh Randal?
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