Poll: Best Computer Brand?

[havass]

So I've had..3 Acers (Laptop and desktop) and all of them have given me problems. Like constant BSOD-kind of problems. And apparently I'm not the only one. My friend's Acer desktop has a tendency to shut down on him on a whim. Thus I have deep hatred of Acers and need advice on what to buy next time. And also because I'm too lazy to build my own.
So Escapists, which computer brand are you using, and would you recommend it to others?

And no, Apple's not counted because the only good mainstream game you can play on a Mac
is..what, Sims 3?

EDIT: Yes, I am aware you can play more than Sims 3 on a Mac. No, I just don't want an Apple because it means I need something extra to play games on it. And also this would have to be taken into consideration next time I buy a title. Which I would prefer not to because I'm a lazy ass bastard and don't like limiting my options.
EDIT 2: For desktops it's pretty much straightfoward. Build your own. So let's leave the above poll to be about laptops.

 

[Bloody Sun Boy]

Zoostorm has always been a great brand for me.

 

[DazZ.]

And no, Apple's not counted because the only good mainstream game you can play on a Mac is..what, Sims 3?

Team Fortress 2.

Edit: And Torchlight.

Macs do have Steam now, so there are a fair few games being ported over.

 

[sephiroth1991]

I like Dell the most, i don't ask why i just do.

 

[Diddy_Mao]

I prefer to do it myself with my Desktops, but my HP laptop has been pretty decent. Best of all there wasn't any stupid proprietary software telling what I could and couldn't do with it.

 

[Continuity]

they're all mass produced rubbish IMO, they always cheap out in some way with the components and they always overcharge you. Own build for the win!

 

[AlphaOmega]

Home made.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

I've been using Sony VAIO for a little under ten years now, never had any problems with any of them. They're a bit more expensive on average though.

 

[Danzaivar]

Own build is best. Probably say Sony VAIO or Lenovo for best "brand" tho. Unless you have too much spare cash, then I'd say Alienware.

 

[slipknot4]

Build your own. It's cheaper and more personal and... they look cooler.

 

[rabidmidget]

By the end of the year I'm replacing this macbook with an Alienware M11x.

I still don't know what possessed me to get a laptop I can't play games on.

Although when it comes to Desktops, always custom build.

 

[Jfswift]

I think Sony is good but overpriced. I've bought lots and lots of products from them over the years and never had a single one fail me yet. (could just be luck too, I'm kind of wary of most brands new tbh).

 

[Shroomhell]

I'm inclined to go with HP if only because I know so many people who work and have worked for them, and I like the abbreviation. And all brands are *expletive* bad in the end.

custom is the way to go! it gives you a cheaper price, your preference on brand of parts, and has more adaptability to your preferences, especially on tower.

 

[gl1koz3]

If you plan on wasting a good few thousand dollar, go Dell. They make kind of the survivor type of laptops. My father's laptop been fallen on. Still kicking after 4 years. As for mine, 3 year warranty made nearly all problems go away.

Don't have much experience with others. But I assume it's all the same problems all over the place. Just make sure you buy a computer lineup that's for your needs. Not some generic one that fails with first outside-the-box experience.

 

[MolotoK]

And no, Apple's not counted because the only good mainstream game you can play on a Mac is..what, Sims 3?

Apple is primarily a hardware maker. Just because very few companies release games for Mac OS doesn't mean that Apple doesn't make good computers. I use my 13" MacBook Pro for LAN parties because I can't be bothered to lug my gaming PC around as long as my 13", 2kg, 8hour battery life notebook can run pretty much any game.

I'd usually say Lenovo and Apple are the best brands but Lenovo has recently diluted their brand quite a bit. Thinkpads used to be indestructible super machines, but these days u can find a lot of cheap stuff sold as Thinkpads and even the really expensive Thinkpads aren't trouble free. I'd still recommend Lenovo but it's not what it used to be.

Macintoshs however never seize to amaze me. The attention to detail is just breathtaking.
What's so great about Apple is that they don't cut corners to bring the price down. They make a good computer first and worry about price later.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu0qeb_rJYU

 

[Skorpyo]

For laptops in general, Toshiba.

For desktops, build your own or be dissapointed.

 

[Aeshi]

And no, Apple's not counted because the only good mainstream game you can play on a Mac is..what, Sims 3?

But only if you're too stupid to know how to install a second OS.

 

[legion431]

ASUS...what?

 

[viranimus]

These are my personal opinions.
If your buying pre built. I would say Dell.I have never seen a prefab computer more well designed internally than Dells consistently are. Good internal build = good external performance in my exp.

HP is all trash in my book, unless you buy their top tier model.
Compaq is trash across the board.

Acers are fairly low on my list.
Lenovo and toshiba I have no exp with.

Honestly though, I personally would say read up and make the attempt to build your own. You learn something valuable in the process, you get to customize exactly what you want, you dont pay for fluff you dont, and its like the difference between building a house and buying one, you get more value by building.

If you go with building, I say Asus/ASrock Mobos, Intel processors, EVGA video cards, Gskill Ram, Antec or rosewill PSUs but thats just my personal opinion too. Asus has one of the easiest mobo layouts as they typically print very clearly on the mobo what hooks to where, so if your just learning its almost like paint by numbers.