Which Computer Brand is the Best?

What brand do you buy when you're shopping for a laptop? Most people have to keep their laptop for the years to come (I probably switch computers every 3 years) and don't want one that'll break on them right away. The biggest brands in the market are HP and Dell, but are they really the best?

The number one seller is currently HP, with Dell in second. Other popular brands include Acer, Toshiba, and Lenovo. Laptops are basically judged on their hardware, so brand barely matters for that part. But some brands are known to have good reputations, while others have a history or failing often.

My personal opinion is that HP is a decent brand, and you can't go wrong with it. When I was laptop shopping though (I was doing it extensively too. I looked around for weeks), I decided not to get an HP or a Dell because practically everyone has one. I wanted to stand out from everyone else with a unique laptop.

One of my first choices was an Acer, because they are so cheap. But then I read a few reviews, and a lot of them complain about the Acer heating up and the fan being too loud. Besides, the Acer was too ugly anyways. My laptop would have to have style too.

Toshibas are supposedly very good. They aren't too expensive, and the computer is pretty efficient. Toshibas are relatively fast, and aren't a bad choice. Too bad Toshiba didn't spend enough time developing the looks of it, so I decided not to get one. For me, the Toshiba laptops were too clunky and unoriginal in design for me to buy it. However, if looks don't matter to you (Toshiba looks ok, but not great), then go with a Toshiba.

The other brand I considered was a Lenovo. Before I began laptop shopping I'd never even heard of the brand before. Then I researched it a bit, and realized I had seen some of their commercials before (anybody see the one with sumo wrestlers flying?) and that I'd seen some Thinkpads before. Thinkpads used to be made by IBM and are the standard in business (this is why Lenovo is ranked #4 in the world: because their Thinkpads sell so well). Lenovo now manufactures the Thinkpads, and after a few reviews, I was hooked. Lenovo has features that many other brands don't, such as waterproof keyboards (for Thinkpads), the ability to log in with your face, the ability to log in with your fingerprint, and loads of other cool programs (I really like the application for taking pictures with a webcam. It works just like on the Macs).

If you have to choose a laptop, the first thing you look for is the hardware. Try for at least 2gb RAM (It's the norm these days) and a 2ghz processor. Try for more if you can. After that, it depends on what you'll use your laptop for. It's always good to have a good video card, a decent hard drive (at least 160gb for this), and then look at the brand. HP looks decent, but everyone has it. Dell has great customer support and their higher end laptops are amazing (their warranty is pretty good too). Acer is cheap (that's the nicest thing I can say about it)... Toshiba is efficient and decently priced. Lenovo is innovative (mine cost me about $520 because of a coupon and the rebate and has 4 speakers and a subwoofer) and styish. But if you have the money, then get a Mac. Macbook Pros look amazing and yet simple at the same time. They have pretty good specs, but the best part is the refined elegance.