Dell or HP? Quality of parts?

[srvblues00]

I am looking to get a new laptop since I will be on the road for 5 months during this summer/fall. I was originally going to get the Dell Inspiron 1100, but a few days ago I noticed that Office depot has an HP Pavilion ze4610us on sale. By the time I pay tax and shipping on the Dell, the HP would come about about $30 cheaper. The big factor for me is AMD vs Intel... I am a big AMD fan, and would rather have the AMD processor. However, a few of my friends have told me of their experiences with HP laptops, and were quite displeased with them and their quality. I am not too worried about the tech support; I am a computer guy. Most likely, the only time I would use tech support is if some hardware failed while under warranty.

I am looking to use the laptop about 2 or maybe 3 years before selling it and upgrading. I don't plan on gaming, but I will be watching some DVDs, doing some application development, and I always have at least 3 or 4 programs running at once.

That being said, what do you think? The sale on the HP ends this Saturday, so I am trying to make up my mind within a few days.

 

[AmigaMan]

I've had both Dell and HP albeit they were the business models (Latitude C840 and HP/Compaq NC8000). After using the Dell for a year, it doesn't seem to be very well put together. It creaks a lot and the plastic is separating in one place. My new HP feels more solid and so far it's been great although I've only owned it for a couple months. I definitely like the HP more than the Dell but only time will tell if the HP holds up.

 

[Abhi]

I ve personally had better experiences with Dell.

 

[Wah]

I have two dells.. one is an inspiron 8500 and the other is a inspiron 600m. The i8500 is pretty solid... my only complaint is a poorly designed button for the trackstick (requires a lot of pressure to register a mouseclick). The touchpad buttons work well. I use a mouse and the touchpad, so it is not really a problem for me. It does, however, say something about the QC at dell.

The i600m... is going back. The monitor just flat out sucks. Usually, when you view any screen from an extreme angle, the colors fade. On this monitor there is a "faded" look on half the screen from any angle. And the thing is, as my viewing angle changes, so does the location of the faded part. Also, the power button on the laptop is crooked. Half the button is flush with the case, and the other half is sunk below the case. Not a big deal, but its another example of the poor quality control. I don't think a $1800 laptop should be so poorly made. Anyways, I'm going to send the computer back to dell and get my money back.

Hope this helps.

 

[srvblues00]

Thanks for the info! After reading around on the net and talking with some friends, I have decided to go with Dell.. For what I will be using it for, I should be happpy with the Dell.

 

[MWink]

Having had 2 Dells (8000 and 8200) and 1 Compaq (X1000) I'd recommend the Compaq (HP) no question. I had problems with both Dells (ended up returning the first one) while the Compaq has worked perfectly. I also think the Compaq has a better design.

 

[dannybek]

Why limit your self to Dell and Hp? Why not an Emachine? I find both Dell and Hp's quality lacking. I personally owned a Dell 600m and a Hp Ze4101. The quality of the Hp was a tad better but the specifications was not hot. The Dell had a cheap chassis that was poorly slapped together.

 

[Abhi]

Originally posted by: Wah
I have two dells.. one is an inspiron 8500 and the other is a inspiron 600m. The i8500 is pretty solid... my only complaint is a poorly designed button for the trackstick (requires a lot of pressure to register a mouseclick). The touchpad buttons work well. I use a mouse and the touchpad, so it is not really a problem for me. It does, however, say something about the QC at dell.

The i600m... is going back. The monitor just flat out sucks. Usually, when you view any screen from an extreme angle, the colors fade. On this monitor there is a "faded" look on half the screen from any angle. And the thing is, as my viewing angle changes, so does the location of the faded part. Also, the power button on the laptop is crooked. Half the button is flush with the case, and the other half is sunk below the case. Not a big deal, but its another example of the poor quality control. I don't think a $1800 laptop should be so poorly made. Anyways, I'm going to send the computer back to dell and get my money back.

Hope this helps.

I have a 8500 too... possibly thats y i havent had problems..