what computer brand is best??
The December 2011 Consumer Reports survey of computers bought from
2008-2011 listed these failure rates (differences of less than 3% are
statistically meaningless):
Laptops:
9% Apple
10% Acer, Toshiba
11% Lenovo, Gateway, HP
12% Sony, Compaq, Dell
Desktops:
7% Apple
11% Compaq
12% Dell, Acer
13% HP
17% Gateway
I'd rather buy a computer according to the quality of customer service
and tech support. You should phone tech support before making any
purchase, to tell if the employees actually know the products or
merely type questions into their own computer and read answers off the
screen. Toshiba is one of the worst for that regarding hardware
questions, and you have to talk with 3rd level support to get somebody
knowledgeable; OTOH their software support is good. Also check
company websites for availability of information because the amount
varies widely, with Apple, Lenovo, Gateway, HP/Compaq, and Dell
providing a lot, while Sony and Toshiba are really skimpy.
For laptops I'd probably prefer Apple, Lenovo, or Dell, and for
desktops probably Dell, although they use nonstandard motherboards and
cases.
If you're going to build your own desktop, the best motherboards may
be Asus or Gigabyte, while the best memory modules are anything made
with chips whose actual manufactuer (Samsung, ProMos, Nanya, Elpida,
Hynix, Micron, PowerChip, Winbond) can be identified by the logo or
part number printed on the chips. But the only ways to be assured of
getting such chips is by looking at the modules before purchase or by
choosing Samsung or Crucial modules. For power supplies, check
JonnyGuru.com , but the best manufacturers are Enhance, Zippy-Emacs,
and Win-tact, probably followed by Delta and Fortron-Source/Sparkle.
These are sold under many brands, including PC Power & Cooling,
Corsair, and Antec.
