Buying a laptop? Look here first.

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I have compiled a guide to most popular laptop/netbook brands sold in Singapore.

Do take a look before you buy - it may help you.

This guide is aimed at the first-time laptop buyer who can’t make a prompt decision due to the wide range of brands available.

Let’s do this in descending alphabetical order.

Acer: One of the most popular laptop brands in the market. Products are priced affordably, and thus gained them wide recognition. Build quality, on the other hand, leaves more to be desired. If you need some ample computing power on a budget though, Acer is the brand to get. The keyboards have nice and big keys but typing feel is average only. Sound quality is decent.

Alienware: A division of Dell. Produces gaming laptops which are frankly overpriced. The only model thus far that offers great value is the company’s M11x gaming notebook. For an 11” laptop, it packs a lot of punch. If LED lights all over the laptop is your thing, then this is the brand to get. On the other hand, if what you need is a no-nonsense gaming monster, you’re better off with ASUS’ G-series. They offer much better performance at a price that rivals or equals Alienware’s. Sound quality is average – loud but lacking. Keyboard and typing comfort is average.

Apple: Their notebooks are probably the most outstanding amongst all others. Easily spotted from a mile away due to the unique all-Aluminium chassis. Apple is often considered a premium brand. What you pay for here is the design, the Apple OS X as well as the sturdiness of the chassis in particular. Performance is average for a notebook, build quality is excellent and the keyboard is reasonably comfortable to type on. The multi-gesture trackpad is also one of the best out there. As far as sound quality goes, they sound rather tinny.

ASUS: Notebooks range from affordable to otherwordly expensive. Products also span a wide range from basic Netbooks to premium gaming laptops like the G73. Build quality ranges from decent to excellent, and the keyboards are generally awesome to work on. You can set your mind at ease purchasing an ASUS laptop as they have one of the lowest failure rates amongst all brands. ASUS laptops have the best keyboards I have experienced thus far. Audio quality depends on the model you get. The worst ones sound muffled at best, and the best ones (N series) are a joy to listen to. Most of them are equipped with Altec Lansing branded audio, but since the speakers are lap-firing, audio is muffled when you use the notebook on your lap. Some models though, offer an Altec Lansing or Bang & Olufsen ICEPower soundbar that is located in the traditional position – above the keyboard. The sound quality from those setups are excellent, and contend with HP’s Beats/Altec Lansing and trade blows with similarly excellent sound setups from Toshiba and Lenovo that utilise JBL or harman/kardon speakers.

Axioo: A small Singaporean startup company, producing low-end laptops and netbooks. Definitely recommended if all you need is a spare computer to use in case your main laptop or desktop PC breaks down. Reliability and build quality are questionable though – we often see these notebooks with flexing keyboards and panels that don’t exactly fit properly. Their netbook keyboards are also rather awkward, and makes comfortable typing an almost impossible feat.

Clevo: Maker of fine custom gaming laptops. Also known as Sager. Price of those laptops scale nicely with the power they provide. A fine alternative to Alienware and ASUS. Sound quality is above average, and the keyboards are reasonably nice to type on. Nothing special. Durability is excellent, just like Asus.

Compaq: A subsidiary of HP. Laptops share the same chassis and same problems as HP’s, and also come from the same factory line. The ProBook lookalike range from Compaq perform; and have build quality that is on par with HP’s best. Sound quality from Compaq is also excellent in general – thanks to good placing of high-quality Altec Lansing speakers. The keyboards are quite a joy to type on. The drawbacks are that Compaq is plagued by the very same problems that plague HP – namely a tendency to overheat, abysmal battery life per charge, and generally unreliable hardware for their mainstream products.

Dell: Parent company of Alienware. As far as my experience with Dell goes, laptops are rather well-built and last much longer without needing repairs than compared to their desktop counterparts. Specifications are on par with other brands, as far as mainstream laptops go. Sound quality for most of them is above average. Keyboard is a joy to clatter on – comparable with HP laptops.

eMachines: A company bought over by Acer. As such their laptops are built upon the same chassis as Acer laptops. Performance is generally lacking as eMachines caters to the budget category. Keyboard is disappointing just like Acer, sound quality is average. Durability is also questionable.

Fujitsu: Generally considered a premium brand. Specifications are average, and design is outdated so to speak. The premium price comes from the durability and build quality of these laptops. The keyboards are average in terms of feel, and sound quality is tinny. Virtually indestructible under normal use.

Gateway: Yet another company bought over by Acer. Durability is also questionable, with a high failure rate reflected in polls. Specifications range from average to above average. Shares a chassis with Acer and eMachines products. Keyboard is different, however. Typing comfort is average – on par with Fujitsu.

HP: One of the biggest laptop companies out there. Products span a wide range just like ASUS. Particularly outstanding is the company’s business-targeted ProBook and EliteBook range. Build quality and typing comfort is excellent, and sound quality is on par with the best of the best, thanks to well-positioned Altec Lansing speakers. HP’s mainstream Pavilion range though, are disappointing performers. They share the same chassis as a large majority of Compaq’s laptops, and suffer from a slew of hardware problems and plagued by overheating. HP is also let down by below-average battery life for most of its models, hence falling far behind the competing brands in this aspect. On the other hand, the Altec Lansing speakers never seem to disappoint. HP’s newly launched Envy series however, is worth consideration. Battery life has been improved significantly, though still weak compared to laptops from other manufacturers. The Beats audio offers excellent sound quality on par with the Altec Lansing models, and the Envy series comes with specifications your friends will, uh, envy. Those who dislike the design of Apple’s laptops though, may want to stay away from the HP Envy. They are styled very similarly to Apple’s MacBook lineup, with the exception that HP does not have a monocoque chassis.

IBM/Lenovo: Makers of the legendary ThinkPad series. Very sturdy laptops and virtually indestructible just like Fujitsu. The ThinkPad series ranges in specification from entry level to workstation-class. Keyboards are very comfortable to type on, and I must really emphasise the stability of the keyboards here. Little to no flex at all upon heavy hammering. Sound quality is average for these.

Lenovo: Bought over some part of IBM, and along with the purchase was IBM’s ThinkPad line. Lenovo ThinkPads work just like the description above. Lenovo also introduced a new line called the IdeaPad – these are laptops with more powerful hardware and are aimed towards the casual user who is looking for more entertainment features and/or gaming capability over the durability of the ThinkPad series. Build quality of IdeaPad series notebooks are above average, battery life is good and most models offer switchable graphics to help conserve battery power. Employed in these laptops are speakers from JBL, thus enhancing your audio experience. The sound quality is excellent and contends with solutions from HP and ASUS (Altec Lansing), HP (Beats), Toshiba (harman/kardon) and ASUS B&O ICEPower.

LG: The company isn’t a newcomer to the notebook scene, but they usually stay out of the limelight. Reliability is decent, except for the fact that most LG users complain of high operating temperatures.

MSI: A newcomer to the notebook scene, just like Asus. Notebooks are usually geared toward the gamer or power user, with powerful graphics and large screens. Reliability and performance is on par on Asus. Just like with Asus, if you can’t justify forking out that much cash for an Alienware gaming notebook, go for Asus or MSI as well.

Panasonic: Makers of the Toughbook rugged laptop line. Those things can survive just about any condition. Great choice if you’re forced to work in extreme conditions. Besides the Toughbook line though, Panasonic doesn’t really make anything else, and power users or gamers won’t be expressing interest in the Toughbook as they lack gaming performance.

Samsung: A newcomer in the notebook scene. So far, they haven’t really offered anything geared toward the enthusiast or gamer, but as far as business, entertainment or domestic use notebooks are concerned, Samsung offer pretty well-rounded models that will cater nicely to such users. Screen quality is one of the best, seeing how Samsung’s excellent panel technology makes its way into its notebooks as well.

Sony: Sony’s notebooks always go by the ‘VAIO’ moniker. Often competing with Apple on the pricing scale, Sony puts out laptops that, while aren’t very technologically advanced, offer a very nice ergonomic computing experience. Keyboard feel is among one of the most comfortable, and build quality is nothing short of excellent. If classy isn’t your thing, Sony also offers models that come in shiny lacquered colours that stand out in any situation. If you’re looking for cost-effectiveness though, Sony isn’t the vendor to approach. Despite the excellent build quality, problems arise every now and then – the most prominent being the mass-recall of overheating Sony laptops.

Toshiba: Known for making really reliable laptops. Their products tend to run on the warm side though. Excellent choice if you want an entertainment or gaming notebook that will last for years. Just like Fujitsu, Toshiba does charge a small premium, and this is what you pay for quality.

Do not modify, redistribute or quote this content as yours without my express permission. This guide was entirely written of my own accord, and the opinions of other review sites had no part to play in my opinion of the products from the different brands.

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bump, since now it show season

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ascending lah