Asus vs. Toshiba

[thefonz]

I'm currently torn between the Asus N61JV laptop and Toshiba's Qorismo offerings.

Basically (and realising ive started many threads on this laptop debate), I'm after a laptop that has at least a 15.6inch screen and I can play games (not on high settings!). The Asus above hits every nail I need it to and I'm not buying an Alienware.

Just wondering what you guys would pick though, I'm after no more than ?800 for this and ideally 4gigs ram, at least i3 processor with graphics card able to play the likes of Assassins Creed2/Modern Warfare 2, but like I say - not too bothered about the super high detail.

Cheers.

[+shift. MVC]

I like ASUS because they have 1 year accidental damage warranty and generally I think their build quality is better than that of Toshiba.

[SkinAddict]

I like ASUS because they have 1 year accidental damage warranty and generally I think their build quality is better than that of Toshiba.

I believe the accidental damage warranty depends on where you buy it and what model it is, so might want to double check on that detail.

As for Toshiba vs Asus in general, it's a COMPLETE no brainer. Toshiba is the bottom of the barrel as far as quality, while Asus is the cream of the crop. I've worked on every manufacturer out there for years, and Asus is my top pick, followed by a decent HP and even some Acers.

You'll definitely get more bang for your buck with an Asus.

[tsupersonic]

Toshiba has some of the worst build quality I've ever seen. My laptop broke 2 days within warranty period, and they refused to fix it. Sign of a poor company.

[GreenInspiration]

I believe the accidental damage warranty depends on where you buy it and what model it is, so might want to double check on that detail.

As for Toshiba vs Asus in general, it's a COMPLETE no brainer. Toshiba is the bottom of the barrel as far as quality, while Asus is the cream of the crop. I've worked on every manufacturer out there for years, and Asus is my top pick, followed by a decent HP and even some Acers.

You'll definitely get more bang for your buck with an Asus.

Maybe Asus is better than Toshiba. But, HP as a second option, you sure ?

[SkinAddict]

Maybe Asus is better than Toshiba. But, HP as a second option, you sure ?

Yep, they make good solid machines for a great price and have pretty decent customer service if you need a warranty replacement or part. I've had a few HP & Compaq laptops over the years and I've never once had an issue.

[tsupersonic]

Yep, they make good solid machines for a great price and have pretty decent customer service if you need a warranty replacement or part. I've had a few HP & Compaq laptops over the years and I've never once had an issue.

I'll agree to this, my 5 year old Compaq is built strong, no flex, and I've accidentally dropped it once. HP is stepping up their game in terms of design and build quality.

[dezzo]

I have an HP DV5-1007CA, and Im very very impressed with the build quality.

One thing you may not be thinking about, is the laptop speakers.

Many of the HP systems use Altec Lansing speakers, and some of the larger HP's also have a built in subwoofer.

The Altec Lansing speakers are verrrry nice, in my opinion. I can watch TV and movies on the laptop, and hear it clearly from across the room.

They don't sound tinny, and there is no rattle or distortion at higher levels. Voice and music comes through crystal clear, and while there is no subwoofer on mine, you can adjust the bass through software and it provides sufficient depth of sound to be pleasant and not sound "sharp" on the higher pitched sounds.

I've read some reviews on other brands of laptops, such as Dell, Toshiba, Asus, etc. And while not all reviews mention the speaker quality, the ones that did agreed that the speakers were very poor, and in some cases downright terrible, and often the worst part of an otherwise nice laptop. Audio quality was poor, and so was the level of volume which meant they had to huddle around the laptop to be able to watch a movie on it.

Meanwhile, the HP's with the Altec Lansing speakers got rave reviews.

Just something to consider when you are looking for yours.

Also, as for HP warranty services, I'm located in Canada and I've had nothing but good experiences with them. (The knowledge of their tech support is another matter though).

In one case, I had a minor optical drive issue and they had a replacement to me within 3 days.

In another case I was talking to tech support about a feature of the machine, and I just happened to mention that the AC adapter seemed quite warm compared to my old laptop. The agent immediately offered to send me a replacement through express courier, and I didn't even have to return the old one.

HP also has a policy (here at least) that if your machine requires more than three repairs for ANY issue, you will often qualify for a whole new laptop, usually a newer more current model. Generally this is done if you request your case to be taken over by a Case Manager.

I'd definitely get the extended warranty with Accidental Damage Protection, if you can.

I believe that you have until the end of the first years manufacturers warranty to purchase the extended warranty, so if you don't have the cash for it at the time of purchase, save up and get it later. But verify with HP that you CAN buy it anytime within the first years warranty, just to be sure they have the same policy where you are. Just remember though, if you plan on getting the warranty upgrade and extension later, you likely won't have Accidental Damage Protection in your first year.

The HP Pavilion line of laptops seems to be their good quality consumer line. Models like DV4, DV5, DV6, DV7. I can't speak for the G Series laptops, but they are decidedly more entry level based on appearance, and features.

HP also just announced new Pavillion laptop models here in Canada/USA which will be out near the end of May. Perhaps new models will be available in your location soon too, so if you do decide to go with HP, you might want to wait a month, if that's possible. On the other hand, if you buy a model from the current lineup, you will very likely get a fair discount on it as they work to sell them off and make room for the new models. :)

And just so everyone reading this knows, I am *NOT* brand loyal by any means.

I just happen to be really impressed with the style and quality of my HP laptop, and the speakers in particular really impressed me. I use my laptop as an entertainment center, so that's kind of important. :)

Whatever you decide to get, good luck!

[omganinja]

Enough said...

[Farstrider]

I must say I am surprised at the comments regarding the Toshiba Laptops, I have sold many of them over the last few years and have never had any real issues with them. The local Toshiba agents here have always been fantastic and have been great with any issues that myself or my customers may have had.

That said, I would definitely recommend the Asus above the Toshiba!

Good luck with your choice!

[primexx]

Asus is an ODM.

[SkinAddict]

I'll agree to this, my 5 year old Compaq is built strong, no flex, and I've accidentally dropped it once. HP is stepping up their game in terms of design and build quality.

Yep, I've had my current Compaq for about 2 years, dropped it a handful of times, and other than killing the hard drive this last time (which is pretty normal), it is still running strong.

One thing you may not be thinking about, is the laptop speakers.

Many of the HP systems use Altec Lansing speakers, and some of the larger HP's also have a built in subwoofer.

All very good input, Dezzo! I would agree, speakers are often overlooked on laptops. One of the downsides to Compaq vs HP is that they generally have lower quality speakers, although mine have good quality, they just don't get very loud. This is the one thing I would warn to watch out with on the Asus laptops as well... some are fantastic, others not so much.

Enough said...

1. HP sells more laptops than any other manufacturer, so it's logical that they would have a higher "Malfunction Rate".

2. HP has better customer service than most, so their "Failure Rate" numbers are likely more accurate than others, who are generally repaired by a 3rd party rather than the OEM.

3. This came from a MAC News website, so it holds no credibility whatsoever in my book.

4. Next time AT LEAST link the article, not just some unexplained graph that doesn't give any details around what the numbers mean or where they came from.

5. You fail.

I must say I am surprised at the comments regarding the Toshiba Laptops, I have sold many of them over the last few years and have never had any real issues with them. The local Toshiba agents here have always been fantastic and have been great with any issues that myself or my customers may have had.

That said, I would definitely recommend the Asus above the Toshiba!

Good luck with your choice!

You obviously don't live in the Pacific Northwest... Toshiba repair centers here are absolutely the worst I've ever encountered.

Asus is an ODM.

That's a really helpful response to this discussion... or not?

Why don't you provide some input around that statement, rather than just throwing it out there with no explanation?

On a side note, I'm quite certain you're clueless about the topic at hand, which is why you haven't provided additional input...

[DreadBoat89]

coming from a guy who owns both an asus laptop and a toshiba laptop... i would recommend the asus...

[omganinja]

4. Next time AT LEAST link the article, not just some unexplained graph that doesn't give any details around what the numbers mean or where they came from.

5. You fail.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=laptop+failure+rate

[SkinAddict]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q...op+failure+rate

haha, I didn't notice the SquareTrade reference before... being that they're trying to sell laptop warranties, and more HP laptops are sold than any other brand, particularly through third party channels that SquareTrade would support, I still don't think it's a very valid assessment. I know for a fact that both Toshiba and Dell suffer more catastrophic failures (like motherboards going dead) than HP, so I'd certainly be interested to see what is counted as a failure, and some numbers from a non-sales-based organization. :)

[omganinja]

No matter what the brand, it really all depends on where you buy in the market. If you buy a cheap laptop, you'll get a cheap laptop.

In all honestly, I wouldn't buy an Asus or a Toshiba, if I was laying out that sort of money, I'd want something that looks nice, obviously looks are my first priority when choosing a laptop, but both Asus and Toshiba's are horribly ugly, but I suppose it all comes down to personal preference.

Also, I have a HP DV7, I've had no troubles with it, but to add to what dezzo said, the altec lansing speakers (inc subwoofer) aren't all that great, sure, they sound better than a lot of laptop speakers, but they still sound tinny(sp?) compared to my 20 dollar logitech LS11 speakers.

[TEX4S]

Toshiba has some of the worst build quality I've ever seen. My laptop broke 2 days within warranty period, and they refused to fix it. Sign of a poor company.

I think you just had some bad luck -

Enough said...

Yep, I've had my current Compaq for about 2 years, dropped it a handful of times, and other than killing the hard drive this last time (which is pretty normal), it is still running strong.

All very good input, Dezzo! I would agree, speakers are often overlooked on laptops. One of the downsides to Compaq vs HP is that they generally have lower quality speakers, although mine have good quality, they just don't get very loud. This is the one thing I would warn to watch out with on the Asus laptops as well... some are fantastic, others not so much.

1. HP sells more laptops than any other manufacturer, so it's logical that they would have a higher "Malfunction Rate".

2. HP has better customer service than most, so their "Failure Rate" numbers are likely more accurate than others, who are generally repaired by a 3rd party rather than the OEM.

3. This came from a MAC News website, so it holds no credibility whatsoever in my book.

4. Next time AT LEAST link the article, not just some unexplained graph that doesn't give any details around what the numbers mean or where they came from.

5. You fail.

On a side note, I'm quite certain you're clueless about the topic at hand, which is why you haven't provided additional input...

:rolleyes: - Oh these kinds of posts are my favorite. The ones where someone blasts someone else and tells them they know nothing - when in fact - it is them who are absof*ckinglutely brainless.

this thread looks like it is getting like the one from 3 weeks ago about HP v. Toshiba - where a lot of people chiming in who know absolutely nothing and are basing their "vast experience" on the fact their mom had a Compcrap.

As far as the graph - it is Malfunction RATE - not #, or gross, or quantity -- its RATE - meaning market saturation is considered..

Generally repaired by a 3rd party ?? Uhhh... so does HP, Lenovo, and just about everyone else if youre in the US - by a company called Wistron in Grapevine, TX - I used to work there. ;)

Dont start jumping all over someone because they dont agree with you and then claim your own vast knowledge tells you that youre right - when your s-called "vast knowledge/experience" is nothing more than reading an occasional thread, or article online. OK ?

You think he failed, huh ? :no:

I am not saying anything in contradiction to what tsupersonic said - he mentioned his comments were based on his experience, and I know he has been in HH a long time and knows what he is talking about - you on the other hand ?? must be on drugs....good ones

My question is, why are you so gung-ho on HP/Compcrap ? Mad about everyone in the industry constantly bashing your laptop brand ? The one you thought was good ? You need to pay attention to where you get your info, the 14 year old next door isnt the best source.

Since you like to assume, its a pretty safe assumption when constant, annual reports, graphs, surveys, and comparisons always say HP is among the worst there is -- that there is probably some truth to it.

___________________________

Now in my opinion:

1.) ThinkPad

2.) ASUS

3.) Toshiba

4.) Dell

5.) HP

6.) Acer, Compaq, e-machine, avaratec, and all of the other bottom feeders

Oh, the reason Lenovo is so far down the list - is because of their Ideapad line - ThinkPads have 30% less warranty repairs than any other manufacturer.

[omganinja]

I think you just had some bad luck -

:rolleyes: - Oh these kinds of posts are my favorite. The ones where someone blasts someone else and tells them they know nothing - when in fact - it is them who are absof*ckinglutely brainless.

this thread looks like it is getting like the one from 3 weeks ago about HP v. Toshiba - where a lot of people chiming in who know absolutely nothing and are basing their "vast experience" on the fact their mom had a Compcrap.

As far as the graph - it is Malfunction RATE - not #, or gross, or quantity -- its RATE - meaning market saturation is considered..

Generally repaired by a 3rd party ?? Uhhh... so does HP, Lenovo, and just about everyone else if youre in the US - by a company called Wistron in Grapevine, TX - I used to work there. ;)

Dont start jumping all over someone because they dont agree with you and then claim your own vast knowledge tells you that youre right - when your s-called "vast knowledge/experience" is nothing more than reading an occasional thread, or article online. OK ?

You think he failed ? LOL

Hewlett Crapard ?? good ?? LOL

I am not saying anything in contradict what tsupersonic said - he mentioned his comment was based on his experience, and I know he has been in HH a long time and knows what he is talking about - you on the other hand ?? must be on drugs....good ones

<3 TEX4S

[SkinAddict]

:rolleyes: - Oh these kinds of posts are my favorite. The ones where someone blasts someone else and tells them they know nothing - when in fact - it is them who are absof*ckinglutely brainless.

this thread looks like it is getting like the one from 3 weeks ago about HP v. Toshiba - where a lot of people chiming in who know absolutely nothing and are basing their "vast experience" on the fact their mom had a Compcrap.

As far as the graph - it is Malfunction RATE - not #, or gross, or quantity -- its RATE - meaning market saturation is considered..

Generally repaired by a 3rd party ?? Uhhh... so does HP, Lenovo, and just about everyone else if youre in the US - by a company called Wistron in Grapevine, TX - I used to work there. ;)

Dont start jumping all over someone because they dont agree with you and then claim your own vast knowledge tells you that youre right - when your s-called "vast knowledge/experience" is nothing more than reading an occasional thread, or article online. OK ?

You think he failed ? LOL

Hewlett Crapard ?? good ?? LOL

I am not saying anything in contradict what tsupersonic said - he mentioned his comment was based on his experience, and I know he has been in HH a long time and knows what he is talking about - you on the other hand ?? must be on drugs....good ones

Says the guy that can't even comprehend the very statements he's attempting to dispute, has difficulty writing comprehensible sentences, and instead throws in names like "Hewlett Crapard" as his supporting evidence.

An OEM outsourcing warranty repairs is NOT the same as a 3rd party repair shop like the oh-so-famous Geek Squad, which would not be included in a "study" like this. Not to mention this doesn't say anything about the actual numbers as you seem to think, it's only looking at SquareTrade warranty repairs which represents a tiny fraction of the repairs actually completed every year in this country.

Why don't you try reading before you jump down people's throat or just stfo?

[TEX4S]

haha, I didn't notice the SquareTrade reference before... being that they're trying to sell laptop warranties, and more HP laptops are sold than any other brand, particularly through third party channels that SquareTrade would support, I still don't think it's a very valid assessment. I know for a fact that both Toshiba and Dell suffer more catastrophic failures (like motherboards going dead) than HP, so I'd certainly be interested to see what is counted as a failure, and some numbers from a non-sales-based organization. :)

please show your sources - I always have been curious as to which manufacturer had the most epic screw-ups. Like DeLL's 5150, 5160 class action lawsuit, and HP's dv6--- extended warranties. The ones where it was obvious they screwed up, admitted they screwed-up and had to make amends in some way.

Square Trade's #s are close to the study/survey and graph which has been bounced around alot - where it originated ? who knows ? Consumer Reports even came out with their list a couple of months ago-- same results.

I admit - the 3rd party repair bit - my mistake 100% - when I read it I immediately thought you were saying HP does their own repairs, now after re-reading your post - I see I was wrong.

"comprehensible" ?? LOL dont you mean coherent ?

I admit I didnt read everything all the way through -- after I read your comments I started rolling my eyes and lost focus on the post, so instead of figuring out where I was, I just posted -- after all - its not like your the 1st person to spout off things you just read and pass it of as experience...

I still dont see where any of my post was hard to understand though

ON TOPIC:

ASUS v. TOSHIBA ? I'd have to go with ASUS there everytime.

Either one is better than HP/Compaq

[SkinAddict]

My question is, why are you so gung-ho on HP/Compcrap ? Mad about everyone in the industry constantly bashing your laptop brand ? The one you thought was good ? You need to pay attention to where you get your info, the 14 year old next door isnt the best source.

Since you like to assume, its a pretty safe assumption when constant, annual reports, graphs, surveys, and comparisons always say HP is among the worst there is -- that there is probably some truth to it.

___________________________

Now in my opinion:

1.) ThinkPad

2.) ASUS

3.) Toshiba

4.) Dell

5.) HP

6.) Acer, Compaq, e-machine, avaratec, and all of the other bottom feeders

Oh, the reason Lenovo is so far down the list - is because of their Ideapad line - ThinkPads have 30% less warranty repairs than any other manufacturer.

Nice edit after the fact...

That "14 year old next door" that you refer to would be you obviously, since you seem to think that ThinkPad is a manufacturer like the rest of your list, when it's actually a particular model from Lenovo (which is NOT IBM, despite what your next comment will likely be).

If you think that Dells is even near the top 5, you're obviously high. Ask a Dell repair tech what he thinks of his own systems next time you see one. I know about a dozen and they all despise the systems and own other brands for their personal systems. Likewise with Toshiba.

Interesting that you think Acer is a bottom feeder when they are the largest laptop manufacturer in the world.

You did somehow manage to get one part right though, e-machine and avaratec are pretty much the worst of the worst. Oh and don't forget about gateway in that cesspool.

/edit/ and as for my "HP Compaq Kick", we come back to the learn how to read comment... if you were paying attention, I actually much prefer Asus... you somehow managed to pull out the fact that I also own HP and Compaq to mean that I'm somehow a fanboy of sorts, which could not be further from the truth. I've owned Laptops, LCD Monitors, etc from every major manufacturer out there, and some that you have never even heard of, and I spent the better part of 5 years repairing all makes and models for a handful of large multinational companies by the hundreds... so that's where I get my info from.

[SkinAddict]

Square Trade's #s are close to the study/survey and graph which has been bounced around alot - where it originated ? who knows ? Consumer Reports even came out with their list a couple of months ago-- same results.

I admit - the 3rd party repair bit - my mistake 100% - when I read it I immediately thought you were saying HP does their own repairs, now after re-reading your post - I see I was wrong.

"comprehensible" ?? LOL dont you mean coherent ?

I admit I didnt read everything all the way through -- after I read your comments I started rolling my eyes and lost focus on the post, so instead of figuring out where I was, I just posted -- after all - its not like your the 1st person to spout off things you just read and pass it of as experience...

I still dont see where any of my post was hard to understand though

Comprehensible and Coherent are pretty similar in their meanings, so either would work.

As for the graph, I believe it came from this document: http://www.squaretrade.com/htm/pdf/SquareTrade_laptop_reliability_1109.pdf, indicating that it was in fact a sample of laptops specifically covered by SquareTrade warranties.

Most of your post does make sense, but it was obviously typed in a bit of a rush (like most everything I write), so there were a few segments that could have been organized better.

And you're correct, lots of people (about 99 out of every 100 "techs", in my experience) just spout **** off like they've been doing it for years... that's actually one of the reasons I got away from that business about 2 years ago, and frankly I'm not nearly as up-to-date on the industry as I was when I worked in it. But I still tinker and read the tech blogs and such to try to keep up =)

[alfaaqua]

Asus without a question.

Second I would recommend a Dell. Good price for what you get :)

[TEX4S]

Im not really a fanboy either

I hate all of them (except ThinkPads)

Just hate some more than others. I feel this way because of working @ Wistron - you see the same thing over and over and over again - and think "why in the hell cant [insert company/brand] do it like [so and so] ?"

I admit Dell sucks too for the most part - but I dont think they suck as bad as Compaq,e-machine, or Acer (I know Acer is like #2 as far as size is concerned, but that just means most people only care about price, not quality)

I think that Square Trade thing was based on 30,000 laptops they received - so if they are unbiased in their research - it would be indicitive of the whole -- I guess :blink:

So, as far as my as*hole comments about not knowing anything -- I hope you'll accept me withdrawing those comments -

I think everyone's likes/dislikes are based on 20% what they read/hear, and 80% on what they have personally witnessed - or are basing their beliefs on one small aspect.

For instance, I only use a laptop for work - so durability is my only concern - hence my loyalty to ThinkPads - I know they have sucky speakers - but it doesnt effect what I need them for.

My boss hates ThinkPads because of past dealings with their security chips, and lack of flexibility in hardware replacements. (non-Lenovo approved stuff) - So he claims he would never own one -- he has an ASUS -

well - I think Im losing track of the thread -- what was it about again ?

:wacko:

On a sidenote - this thread was getting pretty damned interesting for a sec -- too bad we had to grow up and stop arguing :rofl:

[TEX4S]

EDIT:

I dont hate all of the manufacturers -- I hate EVERY memory of working @ Wistron - a damned sweatshop, nothing more.