Notebooks & Accessories

News: Consumer Reports Rates Notebook Repair, Tech Support

Which notebook makers give users the fewest repair headaches and the best tech support? According to a recent survey of Consumer Reports subscribers, Apple is tops in both categories, with the fewest repairs and top-rated tech support.

In terms of repairs, Toshiba was ranked second after Apple with the fewest repairs, followed in ascending order by Sony (with slightly more repairs reported than Apple and Toshiba), IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Dell, and Compaq. At the bottom, with the most repairs reported: Gateway. As for highest-rated tech support, after Apple came IBM, Gateway, Dell, Toshiba, HP, Sony, and Compaq.

What do the results tell us? Three things: One, buy your next notebook from Apple. Two, IBM is a fairly safe choice, with second-best tech support and fourth-best repair history. Three, you're likely to have problems with a Gateway notebook--but you'll get above-average tech support when you do.

The survey results are available for Consumer Reports subscribers only. For a look at PC World's reliability and service articles, go to our Web site.

Review: Sony's TV Notebook Not Ready for Prime Time

File Sony's VAIO VGN-A190 ($2800) in the "cool concept, lukewarm execution" folder, says PC World reviewer Carla Thornton.

The Windows XP-based entertainment notebook aims to be the video hub for a home network, capturing programs via a TV tuner and then streaming them to other computers. You can also watch live TV on the notebook, as long as it's in its docking station (that's where the TV tuner is located). Or you can view prerecorded shows when the notebook is undocked. But the notebook is a bulky 10.5 pounds with power adapter, making on-the-go viewing impractical. And in PC World tests, streaming video to other computers was a hassle.

Carla's advice: If you're a TV addict jonesin' for an entertainment notebook, consider one of Toshiba's Windows Media Center-equipped Satellite portables, which have internal TV tuners and TV recording/playback software that's much easier to use than Sony's.

Review: A Lively LifeBook

Fujitsu's new LifeBook S7010 ($1919) weighs just 4.2 pounds but includes a 14.1-inch screen, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, convenient shortcut buttons, and a handy battery status LCD, among other cool touches. Speaking of batteries, the S7010's juice lasted a respectable 3.8 hours in PC World tests. You can turn wireless networking on or off with a switch on the front--a nice touch for travelers boarding planes. The notebook's audio quality is nothing to sing about, however, and you can't upgrade the hard drive yourself; you've got to send the entire notebook to the factory.