Have laptop hinges significantly improved from 7 years ago?

[kyrax12]

I got a hp dv9000z in around 2006/2007 and after two years the laptop's hinges began to weaken and eventually broke off. My cousin had the same model and his hinges broke off like mine too. Not sure if this was an HP issue only though. Were there significantly improvement in the hinges from 2006-2007?

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Depends on the brand and model. I've seen relatively new laptops get opened too fast just one time, and they go limper'n boiled spinach.

Home consumer-oriented laptops - particularly desktop replacement models like the dv9000z - are built with crappy hinges. Desktop replacements in particular (those big 7+ pound "gaming" or "multimedia" laptops) are designed to be set up in one spot and not opened/closed too often.

Anecdotally: Among other oddball machines I've gathered or saved from trash heaps, I've got a 10 year old Thinkpad T30 with hinges in great shape, and a four year old Macbook with hinges that work fine too. I'd buy either machine again. In my experience at work, HP's business lineup (ProBooks) are actually pretty decent. Hinges are usually one of the last pieces that break. (Screens and keyboards, mostly. People suck.)

 

[fralexandr]

Yep, depends on the notebook. The materials/build quality of the hinges varies greatly.

For instance, Alienware had a recall on some of the m11x, since the hinges would fail. The recall replaces some plastic parts in the hinges with metal ones.

 

[TheStu]

I would say that no, hinges haven't improved significantly in the last 7 years. But they also didn't need to. If a company was using cheap hinges on cheap laptops 7 years ago, I assume that they still are today. And if they were using decent hinges on decent laptops, then they probably still are as well.

The better question is, are companies still using the cheapest parts possible to save a few pennies? And the answer is, of course they are, they aren't a charity, they are in this for the money.

 

[gorcorps]

spend more than $500 on a laptop and you might get better hinges

 

[corkyg]

Cheap lappies, such as WinBooks, had a boatload of hinge problems. OTOH, quality business models such as Thinkpads and MacBooks have had few if any problems. So, as has been said - depends on the notebook. All things being equal, you get what you pay for.

 

[kyrax12]

I would say that no, hinges haven't improved significantly in the last 7 years. But they also didn't need to. If a company was using cheap hinges on cheap laptops 7 years ago, I assume that they still are today. And if they were using decent hinges on decent laptops, then they probably still are as well.

The better question is, are companies still using the cheapest parts possible to save a few pennies? And the answer is, of course they are, they aren't a charity, they are in this for the money.

I am not sure if the Y410P is considered a "cheap" laptop or not.

Bought it for $820 when it was on sale from $1,249

I would be guessing its hinges would be pretty good then?

 

[AnitaPeterson]

spend more than $500 on a laptop and you might get better hinges

I don't know, man...

I have two laptops (actually, one 15-inch Toshiba laptop and one 11.6-inch Acer ultraportable).

The two devices have seen extensive use, yet the hinges are as good as new. And I guarantee that I haven't paid $500 for either one. In fact, the Toshiba is quite old, but sees regular in-town travel and use (mostly desktop publishing), and the Acer is my default long-haul travel companion.

I guess it pays to also take care of your stuff. But the only hinge problems I've seen were on HP and Compaq laptops.