I can only speak for HP and Acer, as those have been the two types of laptops I have own(ed). I first got an HP in 2007, ran into two problems: The Wireless died and had to get it replaced (luckily it was still under warranty so all free) and the second thing that killed it was the motherboard crashed. Both I guess were two major problems with the type of HP I bought, which I should had checked on before buying but it was an excellent deal at the time and couldn't pass it up. Overall it served me well (except those two instances) for two years. Great starter computer for me when I went away for University. Now I am typing on my Acer, which I know when I bought it was a cheapo computer (it was under $400). Sound quality is pitiful, ports are at the minimalistic I could have them, and low processor speed. But hey, I had the idea when I was going into it because of how cheap it was. Overall, it runs and types and clicks so I'm happy with it. Overall, just do your research and make sure you are happy with your purchase. :)