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  1. Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Posts
    9,720
    #1
    primary concern ko kasi is support and repairability, after my cousin's horror story last year; the Twinhead laptop conked out at around 1-2 months after the warranty lapsed. Nung dinala namin sa repair shop, baka raw ung mainboard na ang tinamaan, which would cost around 25k.

    in addition, ang sabi is mahirap daw maghanap ng piyesa for the cheaper brands(Neo, ECS, etc.) since they tend to phase out models faster, and use new components for their newer units. ang advise sa akin is to get a brand with a local service center para hindi ganun kahirap maghanap ng piyesa kung sakaling masira.

    on the other hand, the cheaper brands are BYO(build your own); di ko lang sure if this is what i read about Intel's CBB(Common Building Blocks) initiative or not. pero ung impression ko is that it would be easy to replace/upgrade components on your own. kinda contradicting to what the technician said.


    comments?

  2. Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Posts
    10,620
    #2
    i went the branded route...just 1 notch up sa entry level...

  3. Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Posts
    3,829
    #3
    Go the branded route it's a lot safer. However, if budget is your primary concern then you can always take the risk.

  4. Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Posts
    1,310
    #4
    Quote Originally Posted by badkuk View Post
    on the other hand, the cheaper brands are BYO(build your own); di ko lang sure if this is what i read about Intel's CBB(Common Building Blocks) initiative or not. pero ung impression ko is that it would be easy to replace/upgrade components on your own. kinda contradicting to what the technician said.
    The problem with laptop parts is that most of them are NOT standard. With the exception of hard drives and memory, NONE of the parts in a laptop are inter-brand compatible. Strictly speaking, processors are also upgradeable, but not always.

    Intel's Common Building Blocks does NOT contradict your technician's observations/experience, because the compatibility problem is not there in spite of the CBB. The CBB exists because of the problem.

    Anyway, if you're not the tech-savvy DIY type person, I would highly recommend the BRANDED route. I personally go the CHEAP way because I'm the type who does all of my own tech support. I appreciate that not everyone has the time/knowledge/patience.

  5. Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Posts
    827
    #5
    I've had my laptop since 2003. HP Pavilion. So for no major problems..except that my batter won't charge anymore..which is ok since I only use it for home use. And I dropped the laptop..which landed on the socket..which pushed in dislodging the socket piece inside. Repair cost 1.5k.

    It's better to go branded, if you go cheap, you take the risk of it breaking within a year. Then risking repairs or risking having to buy another laptop. Branded ones are built to last.

  6. Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Posts
    21,244
    #6
    Go branded, mas walang sakit sa ulo.

  7. Join Date
    May 2005
    Posts
    8,078
    #7
    mag branded ka na nga lang baka iyon natipid mo na pera ay kulang pa sa pag paparepair mo kasi baka madali masira ang mga el cheapo na notebook

  8. Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Posts
    3,790
    #8
    I am for the go for the cheap brands...firstly because my budget was small, secondly, due to my work I know that my laptop will only last me 3 years (at most 4 years), then I have to upgrade.

    Considering such, i reviewed the available low-budget laptops in the market...in my assessment, NEO was the news player and should theoretically be still in the market within (after) 3 years. So nag-match...

    another out of the blue quest ko was that i tried to review the neo line-up...they ended up with generic laptops outside philipines (the model I look was available in taiwan at different brands)....apparently NEO was buying their laptops from OEM/Generic laptop manufacturers....hence even if they change model fast, I could still get parts (batteries or lcd screen) from outside the philippines (via internet) within the next 3 years.

    so far my unit was one of those with the wifi ready units of neo and have been serving me well for nearly a year na....I did have a problem on my second unit which had motherboard problem within six months period and slight use...but NEO immediately replaced the board with no hassle (except the people manning their SM Megamall branch was a bit low IQ - duon lang ako nairritate).

    its been more than 3 mos without the hassle naman ung second unit ko after the repair....I am keeping my fingers' cross that no further problem of similar nature happens to my laptops after 1 year warranty coverage.

    bottomline, I am happy with my decission as of this time....

    the specs of my unit (at the time purchased) could amount to almost 100k and I got my unit at an SRP of 60k (but i further got a 10K discount for surrendering/trading-in an non-working computer).

  9. Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Posts
    4,459
    #9
    BRANDED! Sure na sure ka pa.

  10. Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Posts
    611
    #10
    Get the branded one! Reliable and sure good after sales support. You'll get direct replacement for defective parts faster, less headache. Normal warranty period for branded is 3 years on parts and labor.

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laptops: go cheap or go branded?