re: thinkpad vs toshiba

[phr@netcom.com (Paul Rubin)]

I had five Toshibas (T1000, T1000SE, T2000SX, T4600, and another
T1000) and now have a 755cx.  I think Toshiba has been consistently
ahead of IBM in mechanical construction and maybe technical features,
though worse in upgradeability (upgradeable hard disks are a new and
surprising idea for them, apparently).  However, their support has
been absolutely awful in terms of dealing with software bugs, etc.
(Notorious problems with PCMCIA drivers in the T1950 line etc).  I
broke the backlight in my T2000sx and they wanted to replace the whole
screen at a charge of around $1000!  I found that a replacement bulb
was a standard Toshiba repair part (overpriced at $100 but affordable)
and the DIY repair took a few minutes.  Later I found the bulb
manufacturer sells the bulbs for $10.

By contrast I've been quite impressed with Thinkpad support.  The reps
are a lot more knowledgeable than Toshiba reps, and the hold times are
(usually) not too bad.  And it seems to me to be an advantage that the
machines are engineered in the US, because it means if you have a
problem the tech support staff can't handle, they can get help as
needed from the engineering staff.  TAIS on the other hand is mostly a
sales operation with limited communications with Toshiba Japan.  If
you get a problem they can't handle, you are SOL and they give you a
runaround rather than admitting that they don't know the answer.

So if I had the $$$ for a new high end laptop, I'd tend to wait
for an XD rather than getting a Tecra.  The positive comments on
the Tecra have mellowed me out a bit about it, but I still have
bad feelings from my previous experiences with Toshiba.