i don't think it would be right to malign a company on the basis of the few occasions when their products do go wrong. the reason why HP/Compaq is so popular among laptop buyers is because they provide a good balance between price:specs:looks and an overall good product and couple it with mostly good after-sales service. But at the end of the day, these are machines, and they do go wrong, horribly wrong at times. Perhaps -- and I can't say this with complete conviction -- the top three brands in the laptop segment at almost at par with each other in terms of their quality and service. The difference could be their product placements, but that is a marketing thing. But HP does make beautiful laptops, and yet some would prefer the more no-nonsense appeal of a lenovo. So just take a pick depending on whose service centre is closest to the place you live -- if ur bothered abt the thing going wrong. Or just follow ur instincts.