One of the major competitions in the computer industry is Dell vs HP vs Lenovo. Even though others might also participate, they hold more than 50% market share.
All of them make major computer series such as XPS, Inspiron, Thinkpad, Alienware, Omen and so on and if you notice each of the series caters to different audiences, and the thing is you can't say one brand is the best, but you can almost say which is the best in a particular segment.
In 2019 Dell, HP and Lenovo together hold around 63 per cent of the market share of personal computer vendors. This includes desktops, laptops and netbooks. This shows how big these giants are since they hold a monopoly on an industry of huge size.
The list is topped by Lenovo with a 24.1% market share, followed by HP with 22.2% and Dell with 16.8%. This shows that these are the elite laptop makers in the industry.
Brands under which they sell
As mentioned before, since it is better to classify which is the best brand across each segment, we have listed all the brands under which they sell their laptops. You might have heard of Inspiron, XPS, ThinkPad, and Pavilion and wondered what they all mean, so we have put a list to demystify that for you.
DELL
Dell is a company that was founded in 1984, around 36 years ago.
Dell sells PCs, servers, data storage devices, software and other electronics built by third-party manufacturers. Dell majorly sells devices under three brands:
- Vostro - budget laptops
- Inspiron - reasonably priced home laptops
- XPS - their high-end wing
- Alienware - high-performance gaming systems
HP
HP makes laptops under the following brand names
- Essential Personal - the budget systems
- Pavilion - a bit more power
- Spectre - high-end machines for casual use
- Envy - extremely powerful laptops premium machines
- Omen - gaming rigs
Lenovo
Lenovo makes the following brand laptops:
- ThinkPad and ThinkBook for a business line
- Ideapad - everyday use
- Yoga - 2 in 1s
- Legion - gaming laptops
Now you can see the segments under which they sell the laptops. From the above, it is clear that there are majorly four segments:
- Home Laptops
- Office Laptops
- Gaming Laptops
So we are going to look into which of the four is the best in these categories.
Home Laptops
The three budget brands we have to consider are Vostro and Inspiron from Dell, Essential Personal and Pavilion from HP and Ideapad from Lenovo.
Design
All three of the laptops have great design philosophies which have evolved over time and look great. We felt that the Pavilion became a lot better with increasing prices. All the laptops are aces in our book and we think love here is more of a personal choice and everyone is a winner.
Price
After going through a multitude of laptops, we have discovered that Dell laptops, pack the latest of technology for a cheaper price. We've found Dell to pack the latest technology (10th generation processors) for cheaper prices than the competitors. While the price difference is not huge (around one or two thousand) we still feel that it's great coming from Dell.
Dell has been in this business for a long time and they have found some excellent ways to do mass production cheaper and this should be the reason why they can afford to sell at a lower price.
Build
In this category nothing beats the IdeaPads, they are rugged machines and can take a fall or two. The build quality of neither the Dell nor HP laptops are not too shabby either. But in comparison, Lenovo wins this round.
Overall we feel that the winners of this round are Vostro and Inspiron laptops from Dell. They've been here for a long time, and they've perfected the art of building excellent budget laptops.
This doesn't mean that the others are bad, some models from Lenovo and HP surpass the Dell ones. Always keep an eye open for the model in question.
Office Laptops
The office laptops include ThinkPad from Lenovo, XPS from Dell and Pavilion or Spectre from HP. These are expensive laptops and the higher you go the better they become.
Design
Here, there is nobody to compete with the Spectre and the Envy laptops. They look fabulous from every corner and are perfectly made. The laptops look great from every angle and are easy to type on too. They come in all sizes and are easy to use and are extremely lightweight, which is a delight.
Price
All or most of the office laptops are expensive and here also we feel that it is Dell who is the winner. They give great laptops for a great price. The Dell XPS laptops are relatively cheaper in this category also. The specs of the Envy is too low for the price they are giving the laptops at, but that has more to do with the design of the laptop.
To get the most value for money laptops get an XPS for office use.
Build
All the laptops in this category are sturdy build laptops, and owing to their price that's supposed to be so. No clear winner has emerged for build quality and we feel all of them have great builds.
Overall the winner of this category is definitely HP with their Spectre and Envy laptops.
Gaming Laptops
This is one of our favourite sections. Gaming laptops. Dell making their gaming rigs under the name Alienware, a name which all gamers must have heard of, Lenovo with their Legion series and HP with their new addition Omen.
All three companies have added laptops with RTX graphics cards to their portfolio and RTX laptops as we know are in great demand today. Ray tracing is the technology by which the path of the light is traced as it goes and gives stunning visuals.
Design
We are not particularly great fans of the Legion design. But HP Omen? Great design. But nothing lives up to Alienware. A name which is synonymous with gaming. They build one of the greatest gaming laptops of all time with Alienware. They look absolutely stunning. Excellent cooling capabilities and great craftsmanship.
Price
Gaming laptops are generally expensive devices. But HP has proven here that it is not necessary to shell out a great amount of money to get excellent gaming machines. The Omen series of laptops are great machines that give excellent value for money. Legion also has laptops which are excellent value for money.
Alienware has gone the other way here. None of their laptops can be called value for money exactly. But the extra money can be seen in the build quality of the device.
Build
Alienware is the clear winner here. The laptops are perfect and ooze perfection. The laptop's hinges are extremely strong and it feels expensive.
Overall, to get good value for money, get a Lenovo or an HP laptop. But if the price is not an issue go for Alienware with your eyes closed. Here I would strongly suggest the HP Omen series for their sheer value for money. They have made so many gaming laptops so cheap that others have to follow.
Asus is a great alternative here providing a large number of laptops with RTX 30 series graphics cards at great prices.
Support
Another thing you have to keep in mind is the support after buying. Dell has excellent support especially if we choose premium plus service plans. We think Dell is the winner here, but HP and Lenovo support is also not bad either.
All three of them have carry-in support which means you have to carry the laptop to the store to get it serviced. Dell on the other hand has support where the technician comes to your house to repair the laptop. This of course comes at a premium cost, but then since they repair the laptop in front of you, they are extra careful and is something that is necessary in today's world.
Overall ensure that you check the laptop you're buying rather than the brand.
Warranty
Warranty is something most people worry about once something goes wrong. Till then, everything is good and fine. Kind of like insurance where you think you'll get it tomorrow, but that tomorrow never comes. And when you need it, that's the thing which you wish for the most.
I'd always recommend getting an extended warranty because you never know when things are going to go wrong for you. With a laptop, there are a lot of things that can go wrong. This expense can be too much especially if you have some issues with the motherboard.
In a desktop, if your motherboard gets damaged, you just have to replace the motherboard. Same with the processor, where you can upgrade just the processor. But in the case of a laptop, if something goes wrong with the motherboard, you'll have to change the processor and the graphics card as well since it is integrated into the motherboard.
Most of the companies offer a 1-year warranty and an option to extend it for up to 5 years. Some manufacturers have accidental damage protection also, which means you can get the laptop repaired for a small amount if you accidentally damage the laptop. I would always recommend someone to take the extended warranty because it offers great peace of mind when something goes wrong.
Verdict
Overall I prefer Dell. They have been doing sales in India for a long time and have tied up with other major brands to provide service for their laptops even in rural areas. This is especially true for high-end laptops from Dell.
Dell also has great build quality. They are more robust and can take a hit or two. My Alienware laptop has seen its fair share of hits, bumps and falls and I can guarantee you that it is durable. My first Lenovo laptop after getting a couple of hits decided that it is not worth working for me, and therefore is gathering dust in a corner.
Dell laptops are easily customisable too. This is true for Lenovo and HP as well so I would say equal points for everyone. Changing a RAM or HDD these days is just a matter of removing a few screws.
HP is getting better nowadays, especially with the Omen series. The gaming laptops are cheaper and have great build quality too.
Overall if you had to go between those three, I would recommend either a Dell or an HP laptop. Lenovo laptop's after-service is also somewhat below what Dell or HP offers.
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