Durable Hardware, Easy to Get Fixed??

<p>Sorry to be repeating a little bit here. I saw another post who had a problem similar to mine. I got a laptop as a gradation present from high school (a Toshiba Sattelite) and it worked great for me for about a year and then I started having issues. I've had to get three replacement power cords, one "mystery" problem where my computer would not stay on for more than five minutes and now I've been told my power supply is broken and I am just ready for a new laptop. Keep in mind that it is currently only about two and a half years old.</p>

<p>Perhaps these problems would not have been so bad had I had an easier time getting them fixed. Upon purchasing my laptop from Best Buy my parents also got some sort of program where I could bring the computer in if it ever had any problems and they would fix it for free for two years. However each time I needed a new power cord it had to be ordered from somewhere which took from one to two weeks and when my computer wouldn't stay on for more than five minutes it had to be shipped away for five weeks because they didn't have the ability to look at it at the store I was at. After the five weeks I got a phone call saying that they couldn't find a problem, however when I got my computer back it mysteriously worked again. Being a college student taking online classes and writing papers this throughout this whole experience I was extremely UNHAPPY and FRUSTRATED with not having my computer, or not being able to use it because I didn't have a functioning power cord for all this time.</p>

<p>So my question is is there something better out there and if so what is it??? Like some other posters these experiences have left me strongly considering getting a Macbook, but I have heard their hardware is really no better than many PC's. I suppose what really draws me to a Mac is that there are Apple stores just for apple products. That makes me think that maybe if I had a problem I would simply get myself to one of these stores, they could look at it, tell me what's wrong, pull out the part and fix it. Although I could be completely wrong about this.</p>

<p>What I really want is a computer that doesn't have a lot of hardware issues and when it does I can get it fixed QUICKLY. I don't care about an awesome accidental damage protection plan if it takes six weeks to get the accidental damage fixed! Are there any plans that fit this description or am I better off not getting a plan and just handing over the cash when I need something fixed?</p>

<p>I don't need anything spectacular on my computer I really only use it to listen to music, get on the internet and write papers. I'm an undergrad business student if it makes a difference.</p>

<p>If you can't think of any kinds of computers that are free from most hardware malfunctions are there any types you know are very likely to have them that I should stay away from??</p>

<p>Thanks for your thoughts!!!!!</p>

<p>Laptop manufacturers buy parts from similar suppliers and add design value to the product. Defective parts happen and they can happen to any manufacturer. You always run the risk that you’ll get a defective part and it might be something easy to fix or hard to fix.</p>

<p>College students need their computers and they need the data on their computers. What I suggest is having a backup plan. Backup the data on your main system regularly and have a backup plan if your laptop dies. It could be another laptop, a desktop, using a lab computer or using a friend’s computer. There might be a computer lab in your frat that you could use if your laptop is down. It is possible that you could drop your laptop or that it could get stolen and you’d need some kind of backup plan in this event.</p>