Normally, they...Study: Nearly one-third of laptops fail within first 3 years
So you’re dropping big bucks on a new laptop and are expecting it to last a long while, right? Well, according to the findings of a new study on computer reliability, you might not get what you bargained for.
This week, SquareTrade, a leading independent warranty provider, has released a research report regarding laptops and netbooks and you might just be disappointed to read the results.
Ina nutshell, the findings of the study are as follows:
• More than 31 percent of consumer laptops will fail in the first three years of ownership.
• Of these “failures,” two-thirds came from hardware malfunctions (20.4 percent) and one-third (10.6 percent) was reported as accidental damage.
• The most reliable laptop manufacturers are Asus and Toshiba, with fewer than 16 percent having a hardware malfunction over three years.
• After one year of ownership, netbooks (defined in this study as laptops below $400) had a 20 percent higher failure rate from hardware malfunctions than laptop computers.
These results were based on data compiled from more than 30,000 randomly selected laptop or netbook users.
Not that I question the validity of the study, but keep in mind this info is provided by a company whose business is to sell warranties to computer owners. Just food for thought.
The full downloadable PDF report is also available.
Sync readers, have you had good experience with laptops or netbooks? Or have you had problems within the first three years of owning one? Which brands do you trust more than others?
Filed Under: Ask Sync! > Breaking News > Polls > Sync
Tags: Apple, asus, break, computer, damage, Dell, fail, Laptop, Mac, netbook, notebook, PC, squaretrade, warranty
I have had my Asus EEE 701 for over two years and still no issue. I have swapped the OS numerous times with no failures. I have dropped it like it was a bouncing ball. I’ve watched movies on it for hours on end without fail. And I have never had it freeze on Linux nor XP. But just to be fair, I have never used extreme software or high def videos. I must admit, it is a dream for those who yearn for portability and minimalism.
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Just finished reading the PDF I can certainly attest to the flawless working of my Toshiba laptops over the years never had one fail and either sold, gave, or retired the unit once it could not keep up. I tried a Compaq once did not like it for several reasons though it worked well. In addition, I have never bought a laptop warranty, ever.
Square Trade does not make a very strong case. I am suspect when a company who could have an agenda, they sell warranties, puts out a paper that is so non-specific and lacking in details of component failures and is at the same time (the undertone) strongly suggesting that one would be foolish not to buy a warranty. The profit margins of such companies are staggering and yes, they want you to buy into the warranty hype. This is not so much a study or paper, more like an “infomercial” looking to sucker you in.
Also, if the failure rate data can be trusted then the public should be screaming that manufacturers do a much better job of QA and QC. Otherwise, we will not buy their products, period. Bitching works.
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agree…my toshiba sat unit is now over 12 months and has been flawless..top modle at the time again quality pays off.
joe
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I had a toshiba laptob crash twice-once after 1 and 1/2/ yrs, and again 1 year later, after being repaired by Toshiba. I then bought a HP mini, which lasted 1 month before crashing. I now have a dell mini-I figure a cheap laptop is best if it is to crash.
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And why, after all that, wouldn’t you go to a MAC?
And thus get away from the cheap operating systems at the same time?
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Your OS has nothing to do with it. Only 12% of computer users own a Mac. Mac’s are more user friendly, but PCs are more easily manipulated because their is more resources out their for a PC. Of course you’re going to see more PCs fail when they rule %88 of the market.
They’re referring to HARDWARE in this article, not SOFTWARE. I still see HDD’s fail in Macs. And macs have plenty of issues as well. Take the Kernel Panic error for instance…almost always means a restore.
I digress, another interesting fact to point out about this issue: %8 of HDDs fail within the first 3 months.
Laptops are more compact, and receive little ventilation compared to desktops. Processors on average run at over 100 degrees F, and HDDs run at an average of 7200 RPM. So it’s not suprising to see this issue.
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Not really surprised by the study, as the local computer repair nerd I see a lot of laptops crap out at or around the 3 year mark. Biggest problem always seems to be power related, any idea how many times in 3 years you charge and recharge that thing. Also you loose a lot of durability in exchange for that nice compact size, over heating too we’ve all put a laptop on a blanket or other soft surface at some point blocking off the vents and fans. Not to mention that by being “portable” its just simply not gonna have the lifespan a desktop does only logical really.
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I own a Dell D600 that has had no hdw failures thus far. I also own a HP Pavailion 9000 which is almost 3 years old and I’ve replaced the keyboard, replaced the memory, and am currently having mobo problems with it. I’ve been in the IT business for many years (+25) and I can concur with with this study. Some brands are just made better; a decline in quality exists for certain brands – a reflection of company emphasis on profitability over customer satisfaction.
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Study is food for thought, for sure – would someone help me with:-
1. why is a writer suggesting”get a Mac” – are Macs not in the study or never fail??
2. Is there a sort of “Consumer Report” on laptops with longevity info per brand??
Thanks
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I can agree with the findings, my HP had the HD replaced, power issues and the monitor redone with the first year. I am now around the 2 year mark and the monitor is going again, the keyboard has seen better days and the whole build quality is poor. I am also on my thrid power cord.
On the other hand my toshiba worked great, I smashed it, it had bits falling off but it lasted heading for 3 years which considering the abuse it got I think it would still be going if I had been more careful with it.
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my very first computer was a Toshiba Satellite laptop, bought in 1997. Never had one problem with this machine which my 97 year old mother uses to play card games. Now have a desktop and new (2 year old) Toshiba Satellite laptop. So far no problems.
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I havent read the full PDF report… but I can already see its a “infomercial” media hype kinda thing that the company is trying to create here.
I bought a Toshiba Satellite Intel Centrino 1.73GHz Laptop (M70-DL3)back in Sep 2005 (just google up the specs if neone wants)…
Bought it right before I started college. The amount of torture its been through… I am surprised it last as long as it did (4.1 years).
Now the battery is completely dead. I think the HDD & power adapter both might be dead too because whenever I start it up… soon as Win XP load screen comes… it just shuts down, no auto restart either
My point being that some comps are just built better… they can last really long if given proper care. Basically all i need is a new a battery & a new HDD to test whether its the HDD thats dead or the power adapter. (gonna cost me around $250 to 350…) Might as well go get another dual core with a little more money
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I have a Toshiba Satellite M30 which as near as I can figure was made in early ‘03, I got it as a work laptop which had already been through two prvious workers (both fired!) and have used it steadily since late ‘05.
I have updated the BIOS and a few other things through Toshiba’s site and the power cord wore out and split apart so I broke open the brick and managed to pull out enough of the cord to twist the two wires together to each other tape them up, and duct tape the brick back together and “Voila” it has been working fine ever since for the last 10 months!
An ugly fix but it is now only used for personal stuff, and it just shows you can’t beat Toshiba!!
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As I said before, Sony VIAO going on 8 years and still kicking! Just love it and I’m considering the newest model to purchase after Christmas. But, the cheap DELL is tempting.
My hubby’s Toshiba is 4 years and still going strong … we must have good laptop karma.
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I think the report is biased in that they don’t take proper care of the laptops. Of course laptops will fail if you don’t clean out the dust from the fan. The CPU/Chipsets will overheat and burn themselves out. I’ve had an Acer laptop that’s been running beautifully for 3 years. It’s still in great condition (only problem is the battery life since I really don’t pop the battery out on AC). It’s very obvious that a laptop is failing if you hear the fan all the time. Best thing to do is clean it out. I remember there was an article on this a few weeks ago on Sympatico-Sync, you should check it out.
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My Dell 600M is over five years old, never had a problem. The drivers for the wireless card are crappy, but that’t Intel’s fault, not Dell’s.
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