<p>Ummm how are Macs the best?</p>
<p>On the Panasonic Toughbooks -- these are hardened units build specifically for field service applications. They have to meet a series of requirements that include surviving X-ft. drops to a concrete floor and of course are weather resistant. While that may make them seem like a good laptop for a student, it really is overkill. They're meant for construction sites, repair shops, even the military. and carry a cost that will shock you if you think you're just buying a laptop. </p>
<p>The best approach is to acknowledge that a laptop isn't meant to be tossed around like a frisbee. A little care, and most out there will survive quite a while. That said, back up your data because they will fail eventually.</p>
<p>^ to add some further insight to that post. laptop harddrives generally die every year. really make sure you back up ur stuff.</p>
<p>Correction to the above post.</p>
<p>Hard drives have approximately a 10% failure rate for the first year of its use. Study</a> by Google</p>
<p>However, life expectancy of the majority of hard drives are 5 years. So yes, always backup your files, but they don't "generally die every year".</p>
<p>amievil,</p>
<p>while i was just making an offhand comment, im surprised you're so into prooving whatever point you want to. regardless your study by google seems to be aimed at hard drives in desktops--which arn't generally moved around. laptop hard drives, and laptops are much more delicate than desktops. if you drop something on the front of ur laptop by accident, the hard drive can be busted.</p>
<p>i've gone through 4 hard drives in 3 years--and i don't treat my computer like crap. now, that doesn't mean its the norm--i assume im just unlucky. but most people would agree that laptop components are prone to failure much more often than their desktop equivalents.</p>
<p>anyway, i don't really care that much. i am of the personal opinion that dell computers are crappy--even the latitudes. take it or leave it. it hasn't served me well.</p>
<p>I'm not trying to change your particular opinion. I'm adding insight to it. This is a public discussion forum, and everything posted here is shown to everybody else. I mean, my post wasn't even about Dell laptops. It was about hard drives. Please stop thinking I'm on a personal crusade to convert you.</p>
<p>That said, barring physical damage to the computer (which is rather irrelevant to its "life expectancy"), a hard drive will last for about five years. Notebook laptops are made smaller, and can be a source of overheating. That said, their life expectancy isn't particularly that much shorter; certainly not five years.</p>
<p>Awesome responses... simply awesome.</p>
<p>So, now I think I am going to do my own research on these Dell Latitudes.. and Macs.. and a few HP's.</p>
<p>Post away.</p>
<p>If you are not looking at the Lenovo T61 or T60p, you are not looking at business laptops. Period. There are lots of great notebooks out there, but if your in the market for a laptop for students that you will need to use engineering programs, business programs, basically anything for a student, then you need to include the Lenovo in your research. Right now I am leaning towards a T61, maybe a T60p because of the better graphics, but going with ATI graphics scares me because of linux capabilities, but I digress. Anways, if you have good money, wait until June when Lenovo releases the T61p and you will probably love it.</p>
<p>T61 has been documented to have battery issues, it's best to wait and see how Lenovo addresses that issue especially with dedicated graphics in next month's launch; food for thought.</p>