Why Are Laptops So Poorly Built? Mine's Falling Apart At My Fingertips!

I have the same laptop since 2004. However it falls on the ground with charger in it, so now the charger is not charging and I have to fix it. I can use my friend's laptop now, but my laptop is much better. I think I was very lucky with my laptop considering the fact that I used to travel a lot to Europe with my laptop. If I fix the charger, I may use it again. I was thinking about universal charger, it looks like flat mat that charge all appliances...

this is my first opportunity to have a laptop....so far it's holding up great and I sure hope it stays that way since it took me over a year online to earn enough amazon to buy it!! and, well, if it goes down, how on earth would I afford another? pretty scary for me to even think about! Marsha

I have not had any Problem with mine as such it is nearly 2 years old now and the only thing that is happening is that a couple of the Letters are are loosing the colour so I am going to find out what I can do about that but it is not to bad but apart from that I am pleased with my Laptop

the plastics are a known problem, but not generally covered by the warranty - its like - oh, you can travel with them, but then they fall apart!

my last laptop was a dell and within the 1st year i had the mouse and keyboard go out.. the cord stop working.. it crashed all the time.. it was just a total pos! this one has held up great but the stickers they put on them like the intel sticker is trying to come off and thats driving me nuts

My current model of laptop is holding up great (touch wood it stays that way). It still boasts swift performance and the plastic hinges are holding up surprisingly well. Sure, the screen has a tiny dent here or there, but nothing really noticeable. The only problem I find with laptops is that the chargers stop working so quickly. I swear manufacturers make them weak on purpose so you have to shell out for new ones every so often

I have had 3 laptops and a netbook since 1998... My first laptop was from Toshiba and it kinda "self destructed" in just under a year. I then bought a cheap build (cannot remember brand currently) and that lasted 2 years and I then gave it away. 3 years ago I bought a Dell laptop and that is still going strong, and I'm currently using a Sony Vaio netbook which is pretty good too. I have vowed never EVER to buy a Toshiba laptop ever again.

I bought a used laptop a few months back, and the only problem I have had from it so far is that where the power cord plugs in, has a loose connection and I have to keep readjusting it or it shuts down. Can't really use it on my lap though for this reason.

I would say that they are built to be disposable albeit not something they tell us! They know people will buy. They know people will think "I need to upgrade" all the time as that is what we have to do. They know people are addicted to PC' and laptops and will do whatever they have to do have one and not complain. HOWEVER... even tho I think that... the manufactures have to be careful...if we buy one of theirs and if falls apart...do they really think they have good odds that we will go buy another one of their products? "that IBM fell apart on me.. I will not buy another one, I'll look at HP or TOshiba". They risk loosing customers. HOWEVER...since new people are always coming along.. whether they are of the batch looking for a different brand than the one that just fell apart, or they are younger ones, just coming into the cyber world... the odds of the manufacture loosing to much is slim. HOWEVER...a good thing to do is what you are doing...put your questions out there and see what gets hooked that you can use to make a decision for your new laptop. Good luck and let us know which you decide to buy.. I would like a lapatop, although I have no real use for it. THey are just cute and nice and have the nice mobil feature a PC doesn't have, but still... I have no real use for one to spend $500 or more on one... BUT...I never turn down information!

Well,I have a laptop but use it like a desktop.That means,i don't travel with it but keep it on a table.So,I haven't faced any complications like you.I switched recently from my desktop to this laptop for the safety of my eyes and for the power back up.The crt monitor in the laptop hurt my eyes a lot and I live in an area where there will be power cut for 2 hours daily.

I had a Dell laptop with Windows XP that lasted me four years, ran great. Then it was time to upgrade, bought another Dell with Windows Vista, and its been holding great for the 6 months I've had it. If I may suggest, when traveling, do you have a nice sturdy case? You want to make sure its not rocked, bumped, etc. while traveling with it. Also, if your using a better brand (HP, Dell, Sony) it's going to be better hardware than lesser brands (eMachines, Gateway, Toshiba). Of course, the cost is also steeper.

Hello danish! Laptops always fall apart at least may be in 3 years in time. It is expected to be its limit most likely 3-4 years. Try searching for forums about it. You can customize your laptop again if you like but its costly. You should know today's laptop are more advance than in 2004 so if you we are going to compare them in today's and yesterday's then I would say today's laptops can suffice 5-6 years. But hey also it depends on the company and the manufacturers. Best laptops are ASUS, Compaq, Mac air and last HP.

This is my second laptop and I have had no problems as of now. The laptops stay in one piece, yes there is problems with the battery back up and the fans a lot. Maybe your just unlucky or you might be choosing the wrong companies.

i am guessing you are just unlucky to be handed those laptops..try changing brands maybe..

I had a problem with the power socket on a HP laptop. It was so poorly constructed that the internal connector was able to move and it eventually shorted out and had to be repaired. I've had no problems with my present laptop though which is an ACER.

Have all three been the same brand?

These days goods are not meant to last therefore the customer has to go out and buy another of the same. I got a free laptop over two years ago. I had to get a new cable to go from my laptop to the electricity. Then one of the keys fell off and I phoned the laptop company. They sent me a new key board which a friend helped me put on my laptop. My laptop is still working but I had a problem with it last month. I was so very grateful to my brother-in-law when he fixed it. I am sorry to hear that your laptop so is poorly built. You are very gentle with it. I now have a net book as well and that is well made. I have had a number of printers and mobile phones. Those don't seem to last long for me.

thats something i've researched on consumerreports.com my friend. laptops are less durable overall when compared to desktops. if you want a computer that last they say to get a desktop.

I guess I've never had one long enough to have it fall apart. I can't believe you've had yours that long. You should be very happy, it has given you such a long life LOL

In my laptop the charger problem is the main. Otherwise it is fine. The battery time is going down very often. I have to frequently charge in order to use it. I am consulting for change of charger.