Notebook Brand Ratings

Shoppers don't always start their laptop buying process by looking for individual notebooks. Instead, they ask questions like: "Should I get an HP or a Dell?" Knowing which brands you can trust to deliver the features you're looking for can help focus the search for the perfect notebook. So we've gathered a year's worth of data to help you narrow down your choices.

In 2009 we reviewed more than 130 notebooks and netbooks, rating each according to design, performance, usability and more. We usually focus on individual systems, but over time we've been able to identify trends based on the vendor. One company might always offer great design and excellent keyboards, another can be counted on to produce notebooks that get too hot. Each vendor has its strengths and weaknesses.

Below we've provided our initial impressions of brands from Apple to Toshiba and now we're looking for insight from users. What are the strengths and weaknesses you've noticed in the laptop brands you own or owned in the past? What do you think of these brands based on your own experience? Without your input, our report card will be incomplete.

Brand Ratings

You Grade The Brands: MSI Notebooks

One of the more interesting aspects of the story of netbook dominance is how several companies previously unknown to most mainstream computers became recognizable names simply due to the popularity of...

You Grade The Brands: Samsung Notebooks

Samsung is relatively new to the notebook market, though the company is widely known for their vast array of consumer electronics ranging from televisions to cell phones. In 2008, they made a smart mo...

You Grade The Brands: Gateway Notebooks

Gateway has come a long way since the early days of cow-spotted boxes and computers made in Iowa. The brand is now owned by Acer computers and many of the company's newest notebooks are nearly identical in hardware and design to some Acer models.

You Grade The Brands: Fujitsu Notebooks

In 2009 we reviewed more than 130 notebooks and netbooks, rating each according to design, performance, usability and more. We usually focus on individual systems, but over time we've been able to identify trends based on the vendor.

You Grade The Brands: Toshiba Notebooks

Last year Toshiba put out a wide range of notebooks that appealed to consumers across the spectrum from business professionals to gamers to the budget-conscious. However, the star of the line was the newest addition to the Toshiba family.

You Grade The Brands: Sony Notebooks

Sony is the next vendor in the spotlight for our continuing You Grade the Brands series, we're taking a look back at a year's worth of Sony notebook reviews to identify which strengths and weaknesses ...

You Grade The Brands: Lenovo Notebooks

When most people hear the name Lenovo they automatically picture a ThinkPad notebook. This business-centric line of laptops has been around for years and road warriors cling to them the way they cling...

You Grade The Brands: ASUS Notebooks

Last year we reviewed more than 130 notebooks and netbooks, rating each according to design, performance, usability and more. Generally, we focus on individual systems, but over time we've been able to identify trends based on the vendor.

You Grade The Brands: Acer Notebooks

In early fall 2009 at Acer's global press conference, the company's head honchos stated their goal of overtaking Dell as the #2 global PC vendor within the next few months. It was a pretty high bar, e...

You Grade The Brands: Apple Notebooks

Apple's popular I'm A Mac commercials reveal more than just their cleverness and snarky attitude toward Windows machines. They also highlight that Apple's notebook offerings are unified, elegant, and simple.

You Grade The Brands: Dell Notebooks

From now until the end of the year we're taking a holistic look at notebook brands and how vendors fare when we aggregate data from our reviews, research, and third-party data. Generally, we focus on ...

You Grade the Brands: HP Notebooks

This year we've reviewed more than 130 notebooks and netbooks, rating each according to design, performance, usability and more. Generally, we focus on individual systems, but over time we've been able to identify trends based on the vendor.

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