[wplug] (OT) Laptop Durability

[john at simplykiwi.com]

I've been using an IBM Thinkpad T21 for about two and a half years now,
with no problems at all. I purchased it refurbished from IBM directly, and
it was delivered quickly and in excellent condition. A few of the letters
were worn a bit, but this certainly isn't something to be bothered by.
Also, it runs linux very well.

I'm especially pleased by the amount of technical documentation available
directly from IBM for each of their laptops. I was able to obtain all the
documentation that a service technician would need to do whatever repairs
necessary, including replacing the hard drive.

On other models, I've had bad experience with Toshiba satellite series and
Dell Latitudes. Though I do treat my laptop very well, it's sustained
quite a few falls that have destroyed the fans in Dells, and Toshibas. I
suspect this is to be attributed to the construction and materials. It's
obvious from holding and examining the different models that the IBM one
is solidly constructed with a hefty bit of metal, while the other models
have gone the way of plastic.

Best of luck to you in finding something suitable.

> Hi,
>
> I'm thinking about getting a laptop, which I would dual boot with Linux
> and
> FreeBSD. I've never had one, and I'm a bit concerned about their
> durability. I know that many wplug subscribers have experience with
> computer support, so this may be a good forum to ask some of my
> questions about laptops.
>
> How long do they generally last? (I would probably be carrying it back and
> forth between school and home daily.) Are there certain brands that have
> a good reputation for durability? How easy is it to have failed parts,
> such
> as a bad hard drive, replaced?
>
> Of course one reason I'm interested in this is because laptops are
> expensive and I want to use it as long as possible! Another reason,
> though, is that I'm thinking about purchasing a refurbished laptop to save
> some money. Has anyone had any notable experiences with refurbs?
>
> Thanks for any insights you can share,
> Mark Haney
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