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Netbooks Have Higher Failure Rate Than Laptops

Posted by kdawson on from the get-what-you-pay-for-sometimes dept.

Barence writes "Netbooks are more likely to fail within the first year than their more expensive laptop brethren, according to new research. SquareTrade, an independent US warranty provider, analyzed the failure rates of more than 30,000 laptops covered by its own warranties. It found that 5.8% of netbooks malfunctioned within the first year, compared to 4.7% for regular laptops and 4.2% for premium laptops costing more than $1,000. The research also raises question marks over the legendary reliability of Macs. Three PC manufacturers — Asus, Toshiba, and Sony — boasted better reliability rates than Apple. Macs have a 17.4% malfunction rate over three years, compared to market-leader Asus, which has a 15.6% failure rate. HP was the worst of the nine PC vendors listed, with a malfunction rate of 25.6% over three years."

9 of 264 comments (clear)

  1. Cheaper = Worse? by ddrueding80 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So you're telling me that something cheap isn't as well made as something expensive? Allow me to go re-evaluate my life...

    1. Re:Cheaper = Worse? by Jared555 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It depends though. Something with a smaller screen, no dvd drive, etc. should be possible to make cheaper for the same or less money.

    2. Re:Cheaper = Worse? by MonsterTrimble · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I second that. Where the real money is spent on netbooks is the smaller form factor - not the mature hardware. Smaller keyboards, smaller screens, smaller cases. And with all the netbooks competing on price point I will guarantee that the cases are as cheap as they can get away with.

      Value priced + Early in Life Cycle = Poor Quality

      --
      I call it 'The Aristocrats'
    3. Re:Cheaper = Worse? by Daniel_Staal · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Also, given their size and portability, I'd expect netbooks to have harsher treatment than a laptop. Laptops are big enough you think 'expensive computer' when you are handling one, where netbooks are (intentionally) designed to feel like they are more of a 'mid-sized electronic device'.

      It's not much, but it could well account for a 1% difference, IMHO.

      --
      'Sensible' is a curse word.
  2. Netbooks get handled a lot rougher . . . by fuzzylollipop · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They are cheaper and lighter and more portable and get handled a lot rougher than a $1000+ laptop. Nothing about this is news.

  3. Surprised but it makes sense by erroneus · · Score: 4, Insightful

    After all, one of the things driving interest in NetBooks is their price. For makers to make money on them, they have to make them using lesser standards than their more expensive units. After all, a great deal of the same stuff goes into each and to keep the prices down, something had to give.

    Besides, when the price is that low, people tend to start thinking of these netbooks as "disposable" and worry less about problems.

  4. While I have no doubt this is true... by slaker · · Score: 3, Insightful

    While I have absolutely no doubt that $300 netbooks die more often, there's no way I'm going to trust the numbers from a company that primarily offers warranty service to computers sold on Ebay.

    I strongly suspect that a lot of the Apple, Dell and (especially) Lenovo notebooks they're servicing are several years old and are probably used or lease return models to begin with.

    --
    -- I wanna decide who lives and who dies - Crow T. Robot, MST3K
  5. Correlation != Causality by Life2Short · · Score: 4, Insightful

    But correlation isn't causality. It may be that cheaper = worse, or it may be that cheaper = smaller form factor = more portability = more transportation and use = more wear and tear = more breakdowns. The article also says that Apple laptops are less reliable, but it could also be that Apple laptops are used more by their owners and again are subject or greater wear and tear. Or it could be that Apple makes crap laptops. With a correlation design, you cannot infer causality.

  6. Re:Things that make you go, hmmm. by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I think, with the netbooks and PCs that I've handled, what makes the netbooks feel solid is their weight.

    They are just heavy enough that they don't feel "light" in a flimsy way; but they are typically light enough that they don't flex when you pick them up(which is probably also good for the motherboard). To make a 15 inch laptop that doesn't flex requires actual engineering and decent materials, of the sort that you need to buy a business box or an apple to get. 15 inchers made of boring basic ABS feel like flimsy crap. Netbooks with the same basic ABS construction don't feel nearly as flimsy, because they don't flex when you pick them up.