# Acer or Lenovo laptops? Both have same specifications



## Saru (Mar 29, 2016)

Hey, everyone.

So, I've found here two laptops that have the same specs and price. Its quite a hard to looking for a good and cheap laptop over here (I'm from Brazil), and I want your help to choose what brand I should buy...

Well, the specs are:

CPU: i5 5200U 2.2 Ghz
RAM: 8 GB
HD: 1 TB
GPU: Integrated Intel 5500 HD
Display: 15,6" LED - 1366x768

You guys problably wont understand the site because its in brazilian portuguese, but these are the models:

Lenovo G50: http://www.magazineluiza.com.br/not...ed-15-6-hdmi-bluetooth-4.0/p/2155292/in/inom/

Acer Aspire E5: http://www.magazineluiza.com.br/not...b-windows-10-led-15-6-hdmi/p/2153121/in/note/


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## little cat (Mar 29, 2016)

I prefer Lenove but i see a lot of customers are pleased . They have it . The reviews are about 5 stars both . i would get the Lenovo . i5 5200U is a  good CPU .

Yet i would prefer a laptop with a dedicated GPU , like Geforce 940M/920M  at least  - for gaming .


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## MustSeeMelons (Mar 29, 2016)

Id vote for the Lenovo, their build quality has been better in my experience.


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## Caring1 (Mar 29, 2016)

I used to like Lenovo, but I heard too many complaints since bought out by a Chinese company.
Acer has always been inexpensive but reliable for me.
It comes down to personal taste in appearance and feel.
If you can look at them and try them in a shop that is the best way to judge them.


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## Saru (Mar 29, 2016)

Hum, so Lenovo is more trustworthy than Acer I see...

Didn't know that, here in Brazil we only see the price, no matter what.

Lenovo was IBM, right?


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## little cat (Mar 29, 2016)

Saru said:


> Hum, so Lenovo is more trustworthy than Acer I see...
> 
> Didn't know that, here in Brazil we only see the price, no matter what.
> 
> Lenovo was IBM, right?




"Lenovo acquired IBM's personal computer business in 2005 and agreed to acquire its Intel-based server business in 2014"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenovo

I would worry more if there was  a GPU  but since there is only a processor chip it is easier  to keep it cool .


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## dorsetknob (Mar 29, 2016)

Saru said:


> Hum, so Lenovo is more trustworthy than Acer I see...


""  more TRUSTWORTHY "" you are Extracting the Pi55
might be old news but STILL RELEVENT
http://thehackernews.com/2015/09/lenovo-laptop-virus.html


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## R-T-B (Mar 29, 2016)

Caring1 said:


> I used to like Lenovo, but I heard too many complaints since bought out by a Chinese company.



Lenovo has always been a Chinese company.

You're thinking of Lenovo buying out IBM's consumer PC division.


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## SnakeDoctor (Mar 29, 2016)

I would take the Lenovo , they have a good build quality . Acer always seems a cheaper brand to me


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## Caring1 (Mar 29, 2016)

R-T-B said:


> Lenovo has always been a Chinese company.
> 
> You're thinking of Lenovo buying out IBM's consumer PC division.


I thought Lenovo had been bought out since acquiring IBM all those years ago.


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## Saru (Mar 29, 2016)

dorsetknob said:


> ""  more TRUSTWORTHY "" you are Extracting the Pi55
> might be old news but STILL RELEVENT
> http://thehackernews.com/2015/09/lenovo-laptop-virus.html



At least we can remove it with taskschedulerview


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## dorsetknob (Mar 29, 2016)

Saru said:


> At least we can remove it with taskschedulerview



In case you failed to read the page i linked to or googled it yourself

"They were GUILTY of INserting Spyware/adware into the BIOS where upon Boot Would Reinstall and Run their ADD/spyware

In August 2015, Lenovo again got caught installing unwanted and non-removable crapware into part of the BIOS reserved for custom drivers.

Get a " BAD REPUTATION " and it follows you for-EVER

ps google Superfish malware


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## AlienIsGOD (Mar 29, 2016)

i'd go for the Acer myself, used their tablets and never had a problem with them.  Also as said above, Superfish=Bad


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## R-T-B (Mar 29, 2016)

Caring1 said:


> I thought Lenovo had been bought out since acquiring IBM all those years ago.



I think there was some rumblings over the government in China buying a bunch of stock, but that doesn't change the fact that it's always been based in China.



dorsetknob said:


> In case you failed to read the page i linked to or googled it yourself
> 
> "They were GUILTY of INserting Spyware/adware into the BIOS where upon Boot Would Reinstall and Run their ADD/spyware
> 
> ...



OneKey optimizer, part of Lenovo Service Engine, is the one that the bios reinstalled.  Superfish was only preinstalled, not a auto reinstalling portion via UEFI.

Either way, the company does have a somewhat fishy preinstall bloatware rep.


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## little cat (Mar 29, 2016)

They say Windows 10  is a spyware but its share is increasing . If he prefers Acer , well it would be fine . There is only a CPU chip no GPU . i5 5200U is an ultra low voltage processor with 15W TDP  .  So i wouldnt worry about overheating . They may find spyware in every brand , who knows !

I like Lenovo for their two fans laptops - one for the CPU and one for the GPU at competitive price .

Edit : Acer sell good monitors , so the display should be good  (of Acer ).


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## Bill_Bright (Mar 29, 2016)

Saru said:


> Hum, so Lenovo is more trustworthy than Acer I see...


_Trustworthy_? Far from it!

Personally, I avoid Lenovo product like the plague! They make some good products, but the Chinese company (and their Chinese government overseers) cannot be trusted! Lenovo has a long history (since buying out IBM's PC business in 2005) of shipping computers with malware and spying on customers. The "Superfish" scandal in February 2015 is a huge example. And they admitted it! But note they said they stopped, not because it presented a security risk to its customers, but due to some browser pop-up behavior!  

Lenovo products have been banned from sensitive UK, Australia, NZ, Canada and US government agencies.

May 2015, BBC News, Lenovo: researchers find 'massive security risk'

And, despite their claims to stop, they keep at it! August 2015, The Guardian, Lenovo does it again.

Since the Chinese government has no qualms conducting cyber-warfare on democratic, free societies, or their private citizens, I recommend sending Lenovo a message that we consumers will not tolerate (or reward through purchases) their malicious behavior and urge consumers to avoid Lenovo products.

Even IF Lenovo management and executives are not active participants in all these repeat malicious activities, the fact it keeps happening over and over again (and with new code too) is a clear indication they are not doing much, if anything, to prevent it from happening again and again! Whether it is because they are lining their greedy pockets, or it is through intimidation and coercion by the corrupt and hostile Chinese government, or both, Lenovo computers cannot be "trusted".

Again, I am not disputing the quality of their products. The problem is, the company behind them have demonstrated over and over again, they take an active role in malicious activity against their customers.


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## Saru (Mar 29, 2016)

Here you can see if Superfish is intercepting your connections, right?

https://filippo.io/Badfish/

And I saw about the LSE...

Yeah, thank you guys for everything.


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## R-T-B (Mar 29, 2016)

little cat said:


> They say Windows 10  is a spyware but its share is increasing .



There's a huge difference between being possibly "spyware" and shipping blatant "malware."  There is nothing good to be had from malware.  Spyware might actually be legit in some cases, if it uses it to provide a service, ala Windows 10.


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## little cat (Mar 29, 2016)

found this , Wiki 
All that should have ended . Anyway , both laptops will do the job

*Superfish[edit]*

In February 2015, Lenovo became the subject of controversy for having bundled software identified as malware on some of its laptops. The software, Superfish Visual Discovery, is a web browser add-on that injects price comparison advertising into search engine results pages. To intercept HTTPS-encrypted communications, the software also installed a self-signed digital certificate.[61][62] When the Superfish private key was compromised, it was also discovered that the same private key was used across all installations of the software, leaving users vulnerable to security exploits utilizing the key.[63][64] Lenovo made between US$200,000 to US$250,000 on its deal with Superfish.[65]
The head of Superfish responded to security concerns by saying the vulnerability was "inadvertently" introduced by Komodia, which built the application.[66][66] In response to the criticism, Lenovo detailed that it would cease further distribution and use of the Superfish software, and offered affected customers free six-month subscriptions to the McAfee LiveSafe software.[67] Lenovo issued a promise to reduce the amount of "bloatware" it bundles with its Windows 10 devices, promising to only include Lenovo software, security software, drivers, and "certain applications customarily expected by users".[68] _Salon_ tech writer David Auerbach compared the incident to the Sony DRM rootkit scandal, and argued that "installing Superfish is one of the most irresponsible mistakes an established tech company has ever made."[69]
*Lenovo Service Engine[edit]*

From October 2014 through June 2015, the UEFI firmware on certain Lenovo models had contained software known as "Lenovo Service Engine," which Lenovo says automatically sent non-identifiable system information to Lenovo the first time Windows is connected to the internet, and on laptops, automatically installs the Lenovo OneKey Optimizer program (software considered to bebloatware) as well. This process occurs even on clean installations of Windows. It was found that this program had been automatically installed using a new feature in Windows 8, Windows Platform Binary Table, which allows executable files to be stored within UEFI firmware for execution on startup, and is meant to "allow critical software to persist even when the operating system has changed or been reinstalled in a 'clean' configuration"; specifically, anti-theft security software. The software was discontinued after it was found that aspects of the software had security vulnerabilities, and did not comply with revised guidelines for appropriate usage of WPBT. On July 31, 2015, Lenovo released instructions and UEFI firmware updates meant to remove Lenovo Service Engine.[70][71][72]


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## JohnnyBlues (Mar 29, 2016)

Either laptop are OK, but I would go for Acer.


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## little cat (Mar 29, 2016)

R-T-B said:


> There's a huge difference between being possibly "spyware" and shipping blatant "malware."  There is nothing good to be had from malware.  Spyware might actually be legit in some cases, if it uses it to provide a service, ala Windows 10.



One of the purposes of Windows 10 is pure spying no more no less ! But i dont care . I am on Windows 10 . If i had something to hide , i would cut the Internet access at all and so on . One never knows what is collected . MS security is not the best . How  will they protect the data , who knows !?


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## dorsetknob (Mar 29, 2016)

They "Lenovo" did this and were caught   
they then promised to stop (They lied they were caught Again and Again )
They then Said they would 
Suspend the installation of this malware untill it could be fixed
that is SUSPEND ( not stop ) until fixed ( that means its undetected )

Personally both sets of hardware are suitable 
it comes down to bundled Software
and DO YOU TRUST LENOVO  after they REPEATLY LIED and allow for the self installation of software that compromise's the owners Security
I do not Trust Lenevo and based on their track record would NOT RECOMMEND LENOVO


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## R-T-B (Mar 29, 2016)

little cat said:


> One of the purposes of Windows 10 is pure spying no more no less ! But i dont care . I am on Windows 10 . If i had something to hide , i would cut the Internet access at all and so on . One never knows what is collected . MS security is not the best . How  will they protect the data , who knows !?



I agree they harvest too much data to just be used for stuff like Cortana, etc.  It may not show from my previous post, but I'm ideologically opposed to the way Windows 10 is built.

Separate topic though...


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## little cat (Mar 29, 2016)

dorsetknob said:


> They "Lenovo" did this and were caught
> they then promised to stop (They lied they were caught Again and Again )
> They then Said they would
> Suspend the installation of this malware untill it could be fixed
> ...



It smells like a plot against Lenovo . We never know  what really is sent via our Internet connection . Finally , both laptops would serve well .


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## Bill_Bright (Mar 29, 2016)

> They say Windows 10 is a spyware...


 What Lenovo repeatedly did (and repeatedly is the key word there - it is not just the Superfish issue) is totally different from what Microsoft is doing. As R-T-B correctly noted, there's a huge difference between being "spyware" and actually shipping blatant "malware."

But to the point of "spyware", people (including some in the IT Press who keep poking the flames with falsehoods and exaggerations to seek sensationalized headlines  ) - people need to get it through their heads that there is a *HUGE* difference between "privacy" and "security". And the biased Microsoft bashers who keep tossing out the Microsoft name in opportunistic attempts to further, and unjustly discredit Microsoft just because they have some grudge against Microsoft need to stop! Microsoft had nothing nor has anything to do with Lenovo's long history of malicious activities!!!!

Bashing Microsoft when due is just fine - and they have done plenty deserving of bashing especially with some of their marketing schemes. And I will defend your right to do that to the end of my days. But I will also defend Microsoft or anyone else when bashed unjustly - as done above. Even at its worse, Microsoft is NOT trying to steal your passwords, full name, birthdate, street address, bank account and credit card information, Social Security Numbers, personal contacts, or read your emails. Nor is it trying to overwrite security certifications or redirect you to malicious sites, or take control of your computer to send spam or distribute malware.

Even if you look at the "privacy" issues in Windows 10 Microsoft haters harp about, they pale in comparison to the privacy violations imposed on us by our cell phone carriers - companies that not only know our names, street address, phone numbers and bank account information, they know within a few feet of where were are standing (including the store and aisle  we are standing in), where we've been, the direction we are headed and how fast we are traveling. Those are the folks to worry about, not Microsoft.

The closest Microsoft knows of your physical location is your PoP (point of presence) - the "central office" where your ISP connects you to the Internet backbone. In my case, that is 10 miles away in the next town over!

Now, back on point - Lenovo does make good notebooks. The company just cannot be trusted. And to that, it is not that they are negligent at protecting their customers, it is that they intentionally and repeatedly perpetrate assaults on their customers.


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## Bill_Bright (Mar 29, 2016)

little cat said:


> It smells like a plot against Lenovo .


Wow! Is your head stuck in the sand? Did you bother to read any of those reports and links from multiple sources about Lenovo's intentional activities? Are you now claiming there is massive conspiracy to discredit Lenovo by many world governments who are in league with many news organizations???


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## little cat (Mar 29, 2016)

Bill Bright , You know what Microsoft collect  , must be kidding !

Before update , Kaspersky detected several executables that compromised the security . After a patch , nothing is reported . Ha , ha !

Edit : Yes , i read a lot on the topic .


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## JohnnyBlues (Mar 29, 2016)

WoW this thread has gotten an interesting twist from choosing a laptop to conspiracy! LoL


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## GhostRyder (Mar 29, 2016)

Saru said:


> Hey, everyone.
> 
> So, I've found here two laptops that have the same specs and price. Its quite a hard to looking for a good and cheap laptop over here (I'm from Brazil), and I want your help to choose what brand I should buy...
> 
> ...


 I don't mind them both, but Lenovo has better build quality in my experience and this situation is the same by the looks of it.


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## xkm1948 (Mar 29, 2016)

Just buy a macbook, problem solved. If you need gaming or some serious work done build another PC.


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## dorsetknob (Mar 29, 2016)

JohnnyBlues said:


> WoW this thread has gotten an interesting twist from choosing a laptop to conspiracy! LoL


Its only a conspiracy ( Theroy ) when there is little or no Proof

Lenevo were caught like a chinese whore selling her Knickers on Alibaba
Proof's were Published and Lenevo  CONFIRMED and ADMITTED to their Action
Therefore its FACT not Conspiracy


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## Bill_Bright (Mar 29, 2016)

little cat said:


> Bill Bright , You know what Microsoft collect , must be kidding !


Yes I do. It is well documented. It seems clear you don't know, however if you feel Microsoft is the evil empire you make it out to be. But regardless, your opportunist bashing of Microsoft is irrelevant to this discussion - as is your Kaspersky comment. You just want to bash Microsoft even though it has nothing to do with choosing between an Acer or Lenovo notebook.


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## little cat (Mar 29, 2016)

Bill_Bright said:


> Yes I do. It is well documented. It seems clear you don't know, however if you feel Microsoft is the evil empire you make it out to be. But regardless, your opportunist bashing of Microsoft is irrelevant to this discussion - as is your Kaspersky comment. You just want to bash Microsoft even though it has nothing to do with choosing between an Acer or Lenovo notebook.



I bash no one ! I am 99.9999999% sure You dont know what is collected ! What is read is not what it is .


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## Saru (Mar 29, 2016)

http://www.shoptime.com.br/produto/...epar=bp_pl_00_go_pla-inf-notebook-todas-geral

Well, there is the Samsung Expert X22 which have same specs and price...

At least, I didn't see some scandal about Samsung notebooks out there...


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## JohnnyBlues (Mar 29, 2016)

OK its a FACT!
Lets get back to thread, Acer or Lenovo!
I say Acer!
But since I am not from Brazil I cant give alternatives to the OP.
Maybe there is someone on TPU that can give some good alternatives or just give advice on choosing from the two laptops!

Live long and prosper!


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## Saru (Mar 29, 2016)

I appreciate any kind of help, even if it is about scandals or hardware. This helps everyone to know about the problems we have in the notebook industry


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## little cat (Mar 29, 2016)

Saru said:


> http://www.shoptime.com.br/produto/...epar=bp_pl_00_go_pla-inf-notebook-todas-geral
> 
> Well, there is the Samsung Expert X22 which have same specs and price...
> 
> At least, I didn't see some scandal about Samsung notebooks out there...



I am not going to reject Samsung but mine is Samsung . Its very beautiful , colors are vivid but mine overheats : the GPU tended to hit 99C untill i uderclocked it .

my laptop 
Samsung NP300E5A:
i3 2350M
GT 520MX


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## Saru (Mar 29, 2016)

little cat said:


> I am not going to reject Samsung but mine is Samsung . Its very beautiful , colors are vivid but mine overheats : the GPU tended to hit 99C untill i uderclocked it .
> 
> my laptop :
> i3 2350M
> GT 520MX



Hum, good. What about the build quality? Better than Acer I guess?

Some issues about the Expert X22 are related to slow start up. I think that can be fixed with an SSD?


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## JohnnyBlues (Mar 29, 2016)

As I can see in the link from OP the Samsung Expert 22 doesn't have a dedicated GPU so overheating shouldn't be a problem, just is the CPU cooling done in a efficient way!
But since I don't have experience with Samsung laptops I cant say is it good or not! 
little cat maybe you could say your impressions!


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## JohnnyBlues (Mar 29, 2016)

SSD would definitely speed up your laptop!


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## little cat (Mar 29, 2016)

About my laptop : 
Pro : very beautiful , after i keep an eye on the temps , everything works perfectly . display colors are very good . it is 3.5 years old .
Cons : Overheats , web cam is junk , display vision angle is not too huge but it s fine


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## Saru (Mar 29, 2016)

Hum, I think i'm gonna buy this one...

Thank you so much guys for the help!


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## Bill_Bright (Mar 29, 2016)

little cat said:


> I am 99.9999999% sure You dont know what is collected !


Oh! I get it.  

I don't know what is collected, but you are 99.9999999% sure you do. Wow! 

I think you need to adjust your tin foil hat! So not only is Microsoft stealing our personal information (according to you) and putting us in security risk scenarios, but major news organizations around the world have conspired with major governments to "plot" against Lenovo!  Yeah, right.

As I noted, it is well documented what is collected - documented by Microsoft supporters and, very well documented by Microsoft bashers/conspiracy theorist like yourself. Did they find that Microsoft collects data? Sure! Did they find this collection includes threats to our security or even our personal privacy (that is, tracking our physical location, where we've physically been and where we are going)? No!!!

Is there malicious code secretly hiding in Windows 10? No.

No, Microsoft is not spying on you with Windows 10 (and please note that Ed pulls no punches when it comes to pointing out the fallacies of his own colleagues in the IT press.

Again, I defend your right to bash where due. But not to make stuff up, rumor mongering, or simply passing along tin-foil hat, unfounded, conspiracy misinformation.



Saru said:


> This helps everyone to know about the problems we have in the notebook industry


Note that these problems, including those with Lenovo, are not limited to the "notebook" industry. Lenovo PCs, for example, were also intentionally infected with malware. And for sure, Lenovo is not the only one. There is the Sony rootkit scandal from several years ago. And there have been other reports about computers infected right out of the factory over the years. But Sony did change their ways, as did the others.

I've had good experience with Samsung notebooks - though Samsungs can be a bit pricy compared to other brands. My 6 year old Toshiba is still going strong too - with the original battery no less.


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## little cat (Mar 29, 2016)

With 15W TDP processor , there should be no issue . 

Mine is 35W CPU and 20W GPU on only 1 fan .


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## cdawall (Mar 29, 2016)

Less Acer's come into the shop over any other brand. There are dozens of these cheap lenovos with dead motherboards sitting on the shelf waiting for parts however.


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## little cat (Mar 29, 2016)

cdawall said:


> Less Acer's come into the shop over any other brand. There are dozens of these cheap lenovos with dead motherboards sitting on the shelf waiting for parts however.



More important is not the amount of failed units but the % of failure . Yet , there s warranty


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## R-T-B (Mar 29, 2016)

little cat said:


> Bill Bright , You know what Microsoft collect  , must be kidding !



Everyone does.  Amazing thing, that software called wireshark.


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## Bill_Bright (Mar 29, 2016)

Yeah, handy tool. There are several similar ones. And with them, you can see what is sent to MS does not threaten your security.


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## little cat (Mar 29, 2016)

R-T-B said:


> Everyone does.  Amazing thing, that software called wireshark.


If Microsoft tell you  the sun will rise at 1 a.m. , ganna believe it ? He , he !


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## dorsetknob (Mar 29, 2016)

little cat said:


> If Microsoft tell you the sun will rise at 1 a.m. , ganna believe it ? He , he !


there are a few places in the world where the sun does indeed rise at 1AM at certain times of the Year

just goes to show tiny brain cat how ill informed you are


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## little cat (Mar 29, 2016)

dorsetknob said:


> there are a few places in the world where the sun does indeed rise at 1AM at certain times of the Year
> 
> just goes to show tiny brain cat how ill informed you are



It wont happen where you live for suuuuuuuuure  ! Huh , huh . Informed enough . Please ,  keep the forum rules not to insult people .


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## ShiBDiB (Mar 29, 2016)

I like my lenovo, thing is built like a tank and survived a trip to afghanistan and many a roughly handled trips around the country to shitty barracks.


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## Ahhzz (Mar 29, 2016)

Lenovo, Lenovo, Lenovo. The return warranty on the Acer is miserable. We've stopped selling them.


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## cdawall (Mar 30, 2016)

little cat said:


> More important is not the amount of failed units but the % of failure . Yet , there s warranty



More acers are sold. By a lot, it is the 3rd largest laptop company if memory serves correct.


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## R-T-B (Mar 30, 2016)

little cat said:


> If Microsoft tell you  the sun will rise at 1 a.m. , ganna believe it ? He , he !



Wireshark is not a microsoft product.  It tells you EXACTLY what is being transmitted over your network, to the bare bits.


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## Caring1 (Mar 30, 2016)

cdawall said:


> More acers are sold. By a lot, it is the 3rd largest laptop company if memory serves correct.


Based on that alone it is a good reason to buy Acer, IF they break down it is much easier to get parts for and at a cheaper price.
Having owned both brands I found the Acer easier to work on.


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## cdawall (Mar 30, 2016)

Caring1 said:


> Based on that alone it is a good reason to buy Acer, IF they break down it is much easier to get parts for and at a cheaper price.
> Having owned both brands I found the Acer easier to work on.



They are but I am still a ThinkPad fan and I currently own a ThinkPad yoga 12 myself


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## Bill_Bright (Mar 30, 2016)

R-T-B said:


> Wireshark is not a microsoft product. It tells you EXACTLY what is being transmitted over your network, to the bare bits.



Right. It is a great sniffer. I used to use tcpdump long ago, (also not a Microsoft product) but Wireshark has a much easier to use and understand GUI front-end. As noted before, little cat is just a biased, opportunistic Microsoft basher - still bashing after claiming he doesn't bash anyone. There are some who just think it cute and clever to toss out opportunistic bashes.

Capsa is another good network analyzer - also not part of Microsoft (though Network Monitor by Microsoft is good too).

I would recommend anyone who chooses to ignore the experts, especially those who lack the understanding of privacy vs security to use one these tools for themselves instead of persisting in their tinfoil hat wearing,  lemming behavior, rumormongering, and the spreading of falsehoods.

I note there are even some decent Wireshark books to help those lacking experience but without closed minds who really do want to learn the facts and see what is being sent across their networks.

****

Back on point (sorry, Saru, for my part in the diversion). 

@Saru - It is important to note that notebook makers just assemble parts from different sources and assemble them in proprietary cases. For example, ASUS and Foxconn provide the motherboards to many different notebook makers. Micron or Samsung may make the RAM. They buy display panels from other sources. And of course AMD or Intel, the CPU, then put them all together. Sometimes, the notebook makers (assemblers) modify chipset firmware, other devices, and even the OS itself to "brand" and make the notebook even more proprietary , but basically, the hardware is the same. So there are likely many more notebook offerings out there from different makers with basically the same hardware and specs as the Acer and Lenovo models you have selected.

I don't see where you ever said what you are looking for in a notebook, other than "good and cheap" and available in Brazil.

It would be good if you told us the following:

Your budget,
Primary purpose for this notebook (work or school projects, gaming, traveling, etc.),
Desired display size (this is pretty important!),
Will you need (or want) a high-resolution display (also pretty important as 1366x768 can be grainy, and movies don't look that great either),
Any other "must have" features (SSD, USB Type-C charging, 802.11ac).
Note that 802.11ac is the latest wifi protocol and if me, I would look for a notebook that supports 11ac. It is faster (in theory up to 3X faster) and provides much better performance at extended distances than 802.11n. Even if your current wireless network only supports 11n, having 11ac will support it now, and you will be ready should your network be upgraded over the next couple years. I always try to buy the latest protocols for the best future proofing.


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## JunkBear (Mar 30, 2016)

My gf bought a Lenovo G460 laptop when she worked in HongKong in 2009 and now in Canada its still working well. Only a battery change.


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## medi01 (Mar 30, 2016)

My experience with damn expensive Lenovo (work notebook): battery suddenly dies in one year. And that, two times in a row. Like if someone just triggered that somehow in software.
My experience with mid range Acer: keyboard sucks badly.

Both seem to have TN, low resolution screens. Unless you really need CPU power, I'd suggest trading CPU for better screen (higher resolution and IPS)

And last but not least, I personally would not buy ANY notebook unless I actually see / touch them.



xkm1948 said:


> Just buy a macbook, problem solved. If you need gaming or some serious work done build another PC.



I'm sorry, exactly what problem does "buy macbook" solve? Getting rid of more money? That's hardly a problem.
And if one wants to spend quite a sum there are premium products superior to macs, e.g. Dell's XPSs.




JohnnyBlues said:


> from choosing a laptop to conspiracy


Lenovo being caught with spyware is a fact, not conspiracy.


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## Bill_Bright (Mar 30, 2016)

medi01 said:


> Lenovo being caught with spyware is a fact, not conspiracy.


Not just spyware which is bad enough - but malicious software (malware), code that makes malicious changes to our computers.

They were caught again just this last August installing rootkits that then install unremovable software. The Hacker News.

Now It’s THREE Pre-Installed Malwares on Lenovo Laptops - September 2015, Security Matters.

So this is not just a once or even twice thing. But years or repeated offenses. And they keep getting caught - then do it again! So clearly, they just don't care and feel they are above it all. And as long as there are those wearing tin-foil hats spewing trumped up falsehoods about Microsoft every opportunity they get, the focus stays off the true perpetrators of genuine malicious activities that threaten our security - or at the very least violate our trust by purposely hiding such code in rootkits and other unremovable code.


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## cdawall (Mar 30, 2016)

medi01 said:


> I'm sorry, exactly what problem does "buy macbook" solve? Getting rid of more money? That's hardly a problem.
> And if one wants to spend quite a sum there are premium products superior to macs, e.g. Dell's XPSs.



Dell XPS's tend to be in the shop quite often.


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## sneekypeet (Mar 30, 2016)

Public warning to everyone in this thread. Stay on topic! Baiting, off topic comments, all of that BS has no place here. Rather than edit this thread to about half of its size, I am just going to award spring vacations to those who cannot keep civilized.


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## dorsetknob (Mar 30, 2016)

sorry  @sneekypeet 
all this has come from one post i made disputing the trust worthy ness of one notebook vendor the op was interested in Buying
That Being Lenevo
I felt it of interest to make the OP aware of things that Lenevo had engaged in in the past


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## sneekypeet (Mar 30, 2016)

dorsetknob said:


> sorry  @sneekypeet
> all this has come from one post i made disputing the trust worthy ness of one notebook vendor the op was interested in Buying
> That Being Lenevo
> I felt it of interest to make the OP aware of things that Lenevo had engaged in in the past



Don't take it personally, you are not the only one that comment is addressed to!


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## Bill_Bright (Mar 30, 2016)

Heard! And for the record, the OT part (of which I am guilty of perpetuating  ) was not caused by you, dorsetknob or your, IMO, proper alert about Lenovo. Lenovo's shady activities are something readers need to be fully aware of - even if the quality of their products suggest otherwise.



cdawall said:


> Dell XPS's tend to be in the shop quite often.


We see a lot of Dell's too, but not sure if that is because they break more often, or if because they sell so many. The problems seen here are as varied as with other brands, so I can't say we've noticed any trend. But I am speaking only for here, in one tiny shop - not national or global trends.

I note that Dell has a factory in Brazil so I think they might be worth giving a good look. In general, I don't like extended service contracts because they typically are just a cash cows for the companies and a waste of money for consumers. But for portable devices like notebooks - especially if they cover damage from drops and spilled coffee - they might be worth it.

I have never heard of Positivo but as I noted earlier, computer makers just assemble components from OEM suppliers like ASUS, Foxconn, Micron, WD, etc. So if they sell a computer with the specs you want at a good price and warranty, they too might be worth checking out.


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## cdawall (Mar 30, 2016)

Depends on model but certain 15" models were almost a 90% return rate


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## JohnnyBlues (Mar 30, 2016)

Dell XPS are quality laptops but the question to the OP should be does it fit the budget, it is little bit more expensive then laptops linked by OP in this thread.


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## Bill_Bright (Mar 30, 2016)

cdawall said:


> but certain 15" models were almost a 90% return rate


 90%?


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## medi01 (Mar 30, 2016)

cdawall said:


> Depends on model but certain 15" models were almost a 90% return rate


??????


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## cdawall (Mar 31, 2016)

Bill_Bright said:


> 90%?


Yes and that's not a made up number we dropped the model


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## medi01 (Mar 31, 2016)

cdawall said:


> Yes and that's not a made up number we dropped the model


Which models were those?


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## Frick (Mar 31, 2016)

They'll both be plastmonsters anyway. If you're worried about unwanted software, begin with a reformat. The more expensive Lenovos are nice, but the cheap ones are cheap. Reading cdawalls comment about there being less broken Acers that makes sense, because they've always made cheap stuff so they should be good at it at this point.


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## P4-630 (Mar 31, 2016)

Well... I would go with Asus


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## cdawall (Mar 31, 2016)

medi01 said:


> Which models were those?



Plastimodels with 4th gen i3s 15" 3000 series.


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## Bill_Bright (Mar 31, 2016)

Frick said:


> If you're worried about unwanted software, begin with a reformat.


That's part of the problem. If you check the links provided above, you will note Lenovo was caught installing non-removable unwanted code in the BIOS. Reformatting does not get rid of it.


cdawall said:


> Plastimodels with 4th gen i3s 15" 3000 series.


I don't know what that means. Plastimodels does not tell me anything. If you mean the Dell Inspiron 15" 3000 with an Intel i3, I've not seen a failure rate anywhere near that - not for any notebook from any maker. That would be BIG news and I don't see it. No doubt Dell notebook quality fell after Michael Dell left, but no company could survive with that sort of rate.

I note Square Trade (who provides extended warranties) puts Dell in the middle and rates HP worse at 25.6%. Based on a survey of 58,000 owners, Consumer Reports (as reported by ZDNet) found Dell near the bottom, but still at just (just? ) 18-19% failure rate.

I wonder if maybe you got a batch of fake Dells?


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## cdawall (Apr 1, 2016)

Our dell's come straight from Dell up the street so unless dell got a batch of fake dell's not so much. Remember not all of these returns are failures a portion are this is a giant flaming piece of shit.


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## Bill_Bright (Apr 1, 2016)

cdawall said:


> Remember not all of these returns are failures


??? I don't know what that means. While it is true some users return (and rate poorly) products because they failed to read the manual, FedEx drop-kicked the box onto the porch, or it was white instead of black, no doubt the vast majority of failures reported to Square Trade and Consumer Reports are real failures.

As far as the product otherwise not meeting expectations, that is typically a failure on the user failing to do their homework before buying and/or their inability or unwillingness to pad the budget enough.

In any case, I agree - if your Dells came straight from Dell, it is not likely they were counterfeit.


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## cdawall (Apr 1, 2016)

I3 4gb of ram and a 500gb hard drive. They were slow and like all dell's the wifi cards are constantly going bad. When that works the hard drives are bad.  When we carried the model it was literally a joke amongst salesmen as to if it would make it a week before being returned. This is all in person sales plus a small number of Web orders.  Didn't matter who purchased them if it wasn't getting taken out of country it was probably getting returned. 

Most people who brought them back walked over and grabbed an acer with a skylake i5 which was priced the same.


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## sneekypeet (Apr 1, 2016)

Ok before I put you two on a vacation (@Bill_Bright and @cdawall ), can we please advise the OP instead of derailing the whole thread into a he says, she says about failure numbers? Playing fair and all as I don't feel like getting the martyr PMs about it, consider this a final warning! Please just take the back and forth to PMs.


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## Bill_Bright (Apr 1, 2016)

Sorry - again. I have been giving Saru my best advice, but have wandered off a time or two as well. I will stick to the topic.


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## cdawall (Apr 1, 2016)

Right so back on topic Acer.


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