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What brands should I consider? Or can I buy off the shelf from my local store?
Branding is as much an emotional decision as it is a logical or practical one. We believe that branding can be a useful tool to ensure you get reliable quality and service from a company that will be around for the long run. Don't forget that brands develop reputations for a reason, and that should be considered as part of your purchase proposition.
Some of the benefits of buying branded include: On site warranties, international warranty service, extended hours telephone support service, extensive repair networks, long availability of spare parts or optional extras, such as AC adaptors and long term support for software upgrades, for instance supporting the next generation of Windows. Some highly recommended brands include:
| Toshiba: |
Recommended: Toshiba have built a reputation on building reliable and competitive notebooks. They have an excellent Australian support network with an Australian Technical Support phone centre. This is all backed by 3 year warranties and/or international coverage on select models.
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Hewlett Packard (HP):
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Recommended: HP sell a very competitively priced product with all the latest technology. Unfortunately HP Technical Support is not provided locally, however their service is regularly quite good. HP provide a very cost effective way to extended warranty with a huge selection of CarePack services, many of which provide prompt support on site and many models are covered internationally. |
| Lenovo: |
Recommended: Lenovo (the largest Chinese computer manufacturer) has seamlessly taken over the famous IBM ThinkPad product line. ThinkPads are world renown for some of the most reliably built notebooks in the world. In fact there have been many stunts of wetting, dropping or standing on working ThinkPads. Lenovo Technical Support is provided locally and they have an extensive local and international support network. |
| Dell: |
Dell established themselves by being very competitively priced in the 1990's, with their direct to market strategy. Unfortunately this seemed to come at a price, with very poor Technical Support and a number of models that proved not to be able to run the distance when it came to long term reliability. Dell has since worked hard to turn the tables around and they offer some very competitive deals. Dell's Technical Support is not provided locally and it can still be a hit and miss affair. However they often provide on site warranty service on many models that is fast and commendable. |
| Acer: |
Acer is the third largest computer manufacturer in the world (by sales), and they achieved the position by offering the best bang for buck. You can always get an Acer cheaper than other brands, but the price is often longevity and reliability. They offer Technical Support locally however their repairs network is a hit and miss affair. Make sure any repairs or warranty work you have carried out is performed by Highpoint, the main authorised Acer repairer. An Acer is not a machine that will take the daily travel of some other brands, (at PC Dom, we've seen this time and again), but if you're on a tight budget and long life is not something you need, Acer is definitely something you should consider. |
| Sony: |
Sony is all about premium style and package. The Vaio range by far looks the best, with sexy finishes, well built chassis and the most comprehensive and sophisticated software package. Unfortunately Sony rarely match the pricing and specifications of other competitors, so Sony is often only a choice for those who need something more than a Geek Box.
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What about other brands?
Our list of brands only covers the largest manufacturers, and there are plenty of other names or locally built machines to choose from. Questions you should find the answers to before comitting to a purchase should include:
- Will this brand or store be around for the duration of the warranty?
- Where can I get service or technical support for this brand's computer?
- Do they have easily available accessories and spare parts? (Will I be able to buy a replacement AC adaptor in 2 years time?)
- Do they use common or standard components that will work with my choice of operating systems? (Will my new computer work with the next version of Windows?)
- Do they build reliable computers, ie shock mounted hard drives with motion sensors, splash proof keyboards, rigid chassis to protect the display?
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Computer Recomendations 
