are laptops reliable? questions

[FearoftheNight]

hey guys i was just thinking about laptop and i was hoping someone with more experience than me in computers might be able to answer these questions...


how prone to failure are laptops? what are the parts most likey to fail? if something does go bad...in which timeframe?


thanks!

 

[Infrnl]

as long as you take care of it; you should be trouble free for years.
I have an HP that I have had for a few years now. Still runs like a champ. The only problem is that it fell off the couch only got a crack in the case near one of the hinges. My wife and son were not careful enough and it progressively got worse. The laptop is now a 2 piece, but still works great.

I am now in the market for a new one, but on a smaller level. My current lappy is a 17"; looking for 13-15"ish, but I think I want one closer to 13" with excellent battery life. Will see what I end up with.

My current choices are: Asus U30JC; HP envy14, HP DM4, or possibly a Mac

 

[amdskip]

A laptop should not be purchased if it going to sit on a desk and not be mobile. A desktop is far more durable because it does not move and all the abuse is taken by a keyboard and mouse.

 

[FearoftheNight]

so are the worries of random hardware failure over time exaggerated?

 

[postaled]

The failure rate on a laptop that just sits in once place is probably similar to that of a desktop. Once you factor in the accidentally knocking it on the floor etc then you are more inclined to see hardware failure. If you take care of your laptop it shouldn't be an issue.

 

[Infrnl]

The failure rate on a laptop that just sits in once place is probably similar to that of a desktop. Once you factor in the accidentally knocking it on the floor etc then you are more inclined to see hardware failure. If you take care of your laptop it shouldn't be an issue.

basically what i said.
I have only owned 1 laptop and have had 0 hardware failures. I am sure they exist, but probably unlikely.
The biggest issue I can see is build quality/design. Some lappy's in the past had issues with hinges and locking mechs. Still the same as I can see, but they have definately improved afaik.

when choosing a lappy, make sure you look for reviews on the model you are looking at. I have not found much support/info in the lappy market; could be i suck at searches

@OP
Do you have any models in mind or are you trying to see if a lappy is worth the investment? I only use a lappy during travel and so I can sit in the same room as my family and claim I am spending time with them

 

[Skott]

The can be reliable, yes. Are they as long lasting as desktops? Generally speaking, no. Their batteries and power bricks give up sooner I feel and moving something around does put it at more risk of failure. Some laptops are more reliable than others IMHO. However, you cannot buy a brand alone and say its going to out last all other brands although some brands are better than others. Basically you have to go model by model IMO because all the manufacturers make some good models and all manufacturers make some bad models. When it comes to laptops, like all PCs, you really do need to research what you are buying. If you go by price alone, like many people in the general public do, you are taking a big risk I feel.

 

[hiddensniper11]

Against desktops, laptops have a higher rate of failure. This is due to the crowded space inside laptops, causing more heat to be trapped for far longer periods.

Having said so, it doesn't mean that 1 in 10 laptops will fail. It depends on many factors, manufacturing defects, build quality, quality of materials, how often or long the laptop is used, where is the laptop used.

General advice is to keep the laptop cool, get a laptop cooler if it gets too hot over time. Also check for forums on the quality of laptops before buying.

I hope this is useful.

 

[FearoftheNight]

thanks for the response guys. well one of my friends was thinking of picking up a macbook pro from 2-3 years ago so i was wondering how well those usually hold up. anyone have any experience with thoes?

 

[hiddensniper11]

That depends on the price of the macbook. If it is like <$100, I think it is a fair deal. Anything more than that I'd suggest you to spend a little more to get a low end but reliable laptop.

You can get laptops for as low as $299 these days.

 

[FearoftheNight]

That depends on the price of the macbook. If it is like <$100, I think it is a fair deal. Anything more than that I'd suggest you to spend a little more to get a low end but reliable laptop.

You can get laptops for as low as $299 these days.

i assume u mean $1000?

 

[GTaudiophile]

I am just about to retire my trusty HP ZT3000. I've owned it since 2005 and it's been on nearly 100 business trips with me in that time.

I've replaced the CPU, added RAM, installed a larger HDD, and it's always just kept on ticking.

Yes, this one has been very reliable. Never had a problem with it.

 

[FearoftheNight]

question...how were u able to replace te cpu on a laptop? what is the reason for retirement? is it having problems or are you replacing it cause you want a new laptop?

 

[Emulex]

consumer laptops (Except apple) = no
business class = yes reliable

 

[TheStu]

question...how were u able to replace te cpu on a laptop? what is the reason for retirement? is it having problems or are you replacing it cause you want a new laptop?

Some, not all, laptops have socketed CPUs that can be replaced. As laptops get thinner and lighter, you can expect the number that do have socket CPUs to dwindle.

2-3 yr old MBP... I would be cautious of it if it has the 8600m. Other than that, if my roommate hadn't completely trashed his (many liquid spills, falls, and just generally not nice to his electronics) it would still be going strong.

My almost 4 year old MacBook is still going strong, my sister is using it now. I have a 6 year old PowerBook sitting next to me that still works pretty well. The heatsink mounting screws are stripped so it overheats in a heartbeat, but otherwise works ok.

hiddensniper did mean $100 not $1000. However, since Macs hold their value better than PCs, both artificially and actually, and can run OS X, the odds of you finding one for $100 is unlikely. I personally would probably never buy a cheap laptop. The cheapness is shown in so many regards IMO, from the materials chosen, to how solid it feels to any number of other factors.

 

[Winterpool]

Both factors matter: mobile systems are exposed to more abuse (and are generally constructed more, well, tightly); therefore, build quality matters more than in a spacious, stationary tower. And most of us would have difficulty repairing notebooks, so the quality of vendor/manufacturer support is more critical too.

I think everyone who really carries their notebook around has dropped it and/or dropped something on it. I don't often take my MacBook Pro outside (it's a tad too bulky for casual mobility, plus I'm a bit overprotective of it), but I've still dropped it, albeit from a very low height.

Other than impact and spillage, vulnerabilities are often to do with heat and moving parts (drives, fans, possibly dodgy nVidia graphics, heh). You may want to look for models whose innards are easy to access.

Go to a consumer electronics shop and closely examine the build of a 'unibody' MacBook Pro. Then take a look at a typical Windows notebook. Which do you think will take abuse better?

I have the last-gen pre-unibody MacBook Pro, so it's getting towards 2 years, and looks nearly mint, but as I said, it hasn't really been out in the real world. My buddy who works for Apple rode his MacBook Pro pretty hard, and he had to replace the hard drive at about 2.5 years. My ex-girlfriend's white MacBook is almost 4 years old now, was her primary machine at home and uni, and it's starting to get somewhat wonky now. I expect a unibody MacBook would be much more robust than these.

As Emulex suggested, if you get a Windows notebook, try for one from a 'business' line. They tend to be better constructed (magnesium frames, etc) and sometimes offer better support. ThinkPad is the standard, but everyone seems to agree build quality has suffered over the years.

Get a good warranty.

 

[Hacp]

It depends on how you use them. If you use your laptop like a regular desktop and also purchase a cooler for the laptop, it should last just as long as a desktop. If you use it like you would use a laptop, expect about 3 years of use before you need to buy a new one.

 

[Brainonska511]

It depends on how you use them. If you use your laptop like a regular desktop and also purchase a cooler for the laptop, it should last just as long as a desktop. If you use it like you would use a laptop, expect about 3 years of use before you need to buy a new one.

Why would you purchase a cooler? For the most part, it does nothing except lighten your wallet a little.

I've used my laptop like a laptop and like a desktop and it's lasted 4+ years now and should last for at least 6 more months before I consider replacing it.

But to generalize about all laptops based on personal experiences is stupid; each laptop is going to be different and you really have to look at specifics. Though, in general, you should get a good amount of use out of a laptop before you want to replace it. Just do some research beforehand to pick out something durable.

 

[Hacp]

Why would you purchase a cooler? For the most part, it does nothing except lighten your wallet a little.

I've used my laptop like a laptop and like a desktop and it's lasted 4+ years now and should last for at least 6 more months before I consider replacing it.

But to generalize about all laptops based on personal experiences is stupid; each laptop is going to be different and you really have to look at specifics. Though, in general, you should get a good amount of use out of a laptop before you want to replace it. Just do some research beforehand to pick out something durable.

For anything with a non integrated intel gpu, a cooler is needed. GPUs were simply not meant to withstand these conditions in the laptop.

 

[Brainonska511]

For anything with a non integrated intel gpu, a cooler is needed. GPUs were simply not meant to withstand these conditions in the laptop.

I have a mid-range (for the day) graphics card in my 14" laptop. It's just fine. You just have to have the proper cooling system internal to the laptop. It's just that some of those laptops have crappy cooling systems.

 

[Hacp]

I have a mid-range (for the day) graphics card in my 14" laptop. It's just fine. You just have to have the proper cooling system internal to the laptop. It's just that some of those laptops have crappy cooling systems.

I guess you were lucky.

 

[Brainonska511]

I guess you were lucky.

Or you're just unlucky.

 

[ASTOCADDIDS]

A good thing too, otherwise those laptops might be quite a lot more expensive then they already are..

 

[TheStu]

Or you're just unlucky.

I got a cooler for the PowerBook in my sig, but the whole thing is aluminum and acts as a heatsink so it does help. The PowerBook that I have overheats early and often, so every little bit helps.

 

[Emulex]

the grafx card on my 8730w i think its old quadro FX3700M it is removeable. like a pc. you use standard nvidia drivers for autocad etc. not oem tethered versions.

i'm not sure why people don't go that route? that way you can choose on-board, and buy a video card later. or change it out.

boggles my mind why they force you to stick to one.

google dude who got expresscard -> PCI-E x1 -> badass video card + power supply

he got mad 3dmark06 from a cheapo laptop.

I think honestly a dock with a nice video card would be my preference. that way you don't kill your battery.

I consider a GT220/8600GTS bottom of the barrel as far as video cards. most laptops have a 9400M which even in hybrid SLI doesn't touch those speeds. so why bother? give the user a pluggable solution and sell those solutions.