Computer Buyer's Guide
Over the years we have been looking after computers, we can't help but form an opinion on the machines we work on - it's only natural. Some we see a lot of, some we rarely see when it comes to repairs and updates. With that in mind, we have prepared a Buyer's Guide which may help you to form an opinion of your own when it comes to buying a new computer.Word of caution: the following extracts are based on our opinions only, mainly through experience, and are intended as a guide for you, the purchaser. The computer brands listed are in no particular order. Manufacturers change, models change - some improve, some don't! (VFM = Value for Money).
| Manufacturer's Logo | Brand Name & Comments | Panda Rating |
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Acer / Gateway / eMachineGateway and eMachines were acquired by Acer in 2007, the companies do not sell their products direct to consumers, unlike most other computer makers. The Acer line, which does retail direct, is targeted toward mainstream users, while eMachines systems are positioned as a value line. Gateway desktops and laptops focus on design and style.Opinions vary greatly concerning Acer computers, with consumers either loving them or hating them after a while. We have found them to be prone to hardware failure, for example hard drives and graphics cards, usually after about 2-3 years of use. Acer support can be sketchy at times through the usual far-east and Indian sub-continent call centres. We probably repair more Acer computers than just about any other brand, so it would be fair to say we don't have the highest regard for the components involved in their manufacture. Acer computer do tend to look pleasing to the eye and generally have the very latest 'gadgets' built in, but poor reliability and below average post-sale support lets the side down. Spare parts / upgrades are relatively easy to acquire and fit. At the time of writing this, we have 3 Acer computers in the workshop, all with similar mechanical problems, and all about 3-4 years old. Tactical Panda: We don't own an Acer or an eMachine. Would we buy one? Never.
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5.4/10 |
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DellDell is the largest seller of desktops and laptops in the United States, Dell also offers netbooks. Its mainstream/value line is called Inspiron. Studio is the design and style-oriented brand, while Studio XPS models are premium performance and gaming systems. The Dell Mini is its netbook series. For hard-core gamers, Dell also offers Alienware systems.It would be true to say that Dell survived on its reputation for a long time, and this did lead to a sense of complacency generally. The market share consequently dropped off, so Dell got their act together and started to support their new range of products. Whilst still the biggest player in the league, Dell have maintained a more positive attitude to customer support whilst still producing high quality goods at reasonably competitive prices. Dell have never, and will never, aim to be the cheapest brand on the market, but if you are looking for a highly reliable system that is generally 'future proof', then you would have to go a long way to beat this global brand. Tactical Panda: We own a Dell. Would we buy another one? Probably.
| 7.8/10 |
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HP / CompaqHewlett-Packard is the second largest seller of desktops and laptops in the United States. The Pavilion is HP's mainstream and performance line for desktops and laptops. Premium laptops carry the HDX monitor. The TouchSmart is HP's all-in-one desktop line, and HP Mini is its netbook line. The value line of desktops and laptops is sold under the Compaq Presario brand. Don't be fooled by the term 'value line', these are excellent machines!From our point of view, HP / Compaq probably make some of the finest computers currently available. Easy to use, reliable and well built, make working on an HP or Compaq computer a breeze. Both brands have the excellent built-in system recovery (located in a hidden hard drive partition) which means that although making a set of recovery discs advisable, it is not critical unless you are unfortunate enough to suffer a catastrophic hard drive failure. Tactical Panda: We own an HP laptop and a Compaq Presario desktop. Would we buy another one? Definitely.
| 8/10 |
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SonySony's line includes laptops, all-in-one desktops, netbooks, and an Atom-processor-equipped system that it calls the Lifestyle PC. Sony PCs are known to include a lot of extra software, from free Sony multimedia programs to demos from other manufacturers.We have a Sony Vaio laptop which we use for network analysis and set-up, which is almost a waste of this excellent machine's natural resources. However, updating the Vaio via Sony can prove a little challenging at times, and we tend to shy away from this as a result. As with all things from Sony, the machine is extremely reliable (although it is running Windows Vista Home Premium - yuk!), and does what we ask it to, no problem. The down side to Sony is the price tag, which can prove prohibitive if you are on any kind of budget. Tactical Panda: We own a Sony Vaio. Would we buy another one? Maybe.
| 7.4/10 |
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AdventAdvent computers are sold and supported in the UK exclusively by the DSG Group (Dixons - Currys - PC World), and as a result you are almost obliged to have any upgrades/repairs done by them. You don't have to of course, but online support is via the 'Tech Guys' (who thought of that name?). Advent computers can be a little bit 'basic' but they are generally quite reliable and reasonably well built, albeit to a budget, and in the lower range this sometimes shows.As you can see from our scores below, they rate reasonably well in Performance and Reliability, but the scores drop for build quality and Technical Support mainly because the DSG Group like you to find your own solution first (online) before contacting the 'speaking' support staff, and they have been known to be less than helpful ('Just return it to the store mate...'. Tactical Panda: We don't own an Advent. Would we buy one? Very unlikely.
| 6.6/10 |
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ToshibaToshiba sells laptops and recently entered the netbook market. Its consumer laptops include the Satellite line for value and mainstream systems, and the Qosmio line geared toward gaming and multimedia. Whilst build quality is generally quite good, they do tend to suffer from reliability issues on occasions, with overheating a common problem we encounter, coupled with the occasional hard drive failure.We very rarely have had to contact Technical Support for help, but when we have, the online support website can be a bit of a minefield and we end up calling them on the telephone which can be (a) expensive, and (b) time consuming. Having said that, the support staff have been helpful and able to resolve the issue. Tactical Panda: We don't own a Toshiba. Would we buy one? Maybe.
| 6.8/10 |
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Packard BellBefore we start, Packard Bell is nothing to do with Hewlett-Packard! (We often get asked that). Anyway, Packard Bell has in the past suffered from a bit of a reputation for being the 'poor man' of computers, with basic build quality and reliability issues. Although they aimed the machines at the budget end of the market, they managed to retain some good qualities, but did have a 'simlpistic' look to them and this put some customers off.Since joining up with Acer, the new range of Packard Bell computers, especially the desktop range, have been completely re-designed and now have good overall build quality and some improved reliability measures in place. The new range are easy to work on, easy to upgrade and we are delighted to see a move away from 'cheap and cheeful' components being used whilst still maintaining a competitive price tag (just goes to show it can be done!). We are still a bit nervous about the 'Acer' tag, but time will tell if they retain their identity. Tactical Panda: We own a Packard Bell. Would we buy one? Maybe.
| 7.4/10 |
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MeshMesh Computers tend to specialise in manufacturing a computer to a specification, similar to Dell, but in a more 'bespoke' way. Yes, they do sell 'off the shelf' computers and they are always of a high standard, but their market is, as I mentioned, building a PC to how you want it, at a very reasonable price.To be honest, the budget range can be a lit less than we would expect from this large UK based company, but the high-end computers are excellent, easy to work on, built to a high standard, and generally very reliable. Having said that, the only drawback (like Dell) is that you can wait up to 2 weeks for your computer to be built. Tactical Panda: We do not own a Mesh. Would we buy one? Yes, if we are not in a hurry.
| 7.6/10 |