toshiba or hp-compaq?

[ephraim]

I am going to get a laptop in the states for a relative, and i'm stuck with two choices. The budget is limited so it has been narrowed down to two options: a Toshiba Satellite and a Compaq Presario, with the former having an Pentium Dual Core processor and the latter having a AMD Athlon X2 processor. This will be used in college. If you were to place yourself in my shoes, which one would you pick and why?

And another question. How are Compaq and Toshiba laptops in general? And how is their service here in the country?

Thank you very much!

[frenchtower]

Compaq/HP service business in RP sucks! That's based on the accounts of my relatives in RP.

Not sure how Toshiba lappies rate as I have not owned one.

Between Toshiba and Compaq, I'm for Toshiba.

Also, I don't recommend purchasing at bestbuy (per your link) as the price you see does not include state tax. Ask your relative to buy your lappy online like amazon (free delivery and no tax) and other reputable online stores (but not directly from Toshiba or Compaq sites).

Costco also is another good source to scout for cheap lappies. Their return policy is top notch.

Hope this helps

[Horsepower]

Madali masira LCD screen ng Toshiba. sa HP usually keyboard lang which is relatively cheaper and easier to replace.

[woohoo]

Lenovo has the best tech support network, in my experience. Kaso wala palang Lenovo dun sa bestbuy

[badkuk]

we have one toshiba satellite laptop at the office. mga 2-3 years na ata sa amin, kakacrash lang ng (fujitsu)hard drive this year. hindi naman kaskasero ung gumagamit.

on the other hand, baka lemon lang ung nabili namin(locally). afaik IBM/lenovo and toshiba are veterans in the laptop game....and dati nang sikat ung dalawa for durability



newegg.com also has good deals

[1D4LV]

had experiences in using both, and i prefer HP/Compaq. why?

Toshibas have the tendency to have less durable LCDs and motherboards. In fact, my brother in law had his Toshiba lappy motherboard burned after 8 months of use. Good thing may warranty pa. When he bought his unit to Tricom, dami din daw dun nakapila na laptops for repairs... And sira? Board and LCD.

At least for Compaq units, parts are abundant and can be repaired by any qualified technician outside of the service center.

But if you really want a very durable unit, go for Asus.

[Jun aka Pekto]

I had an old HP Pavilion z5270 (P-4 2.4 ghz/512mb ram/ ATI IGP345) from 2003 which was ok until it fell from the roof of an SUV. It's nothing special.

I currently have a Toshiba Satellite A215-4757 (AMD X2 Turion 1.8ghz/2gb ram/ATI X1200) from 2007. It's ok, but nothing special.

Personally, I'd pick ASUS laptops. They're the custom pc's among laptops and have the best bang for the buck.

[Jun aka Pekto]

The most durable laptop (short of the Panasonics) I've ever bought is an old Sager laptop for my wife.

Also try Sager notebooks.

http://www.sagernotebook.com/category.php

[woohoo]

Keep in mind, though, that the sturdiest/most ruggedized models in the lineups of various manufacturers tend to be on the top-end of the price spectrum.

$399 for a laptop? Good luck on the durability there.

Just being realistic here.

[ephraim]

thank you for all your replies. i looked at other sites as well, and i found <url="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834146555">this</url>. i'm pretty sure that lenovo has good aftermarket service here and i think that this one would be more durable than the others.

and, as far as the budget goes, i realize that there's not much you can get for $400. but, that's really just the budget available. so, i'm trying my best to maximize the available options. :D