HP vs Toshiba: Which Laptop Brand is Better?
Both HP and Toshiba are top laptop brands that have a lot to offer buyers. However, HP is a better brand for day-to-day life because HP laptops offer a good balance of features for casual users.
This article will compare HP and Toshiba’s latest models and get into the fine details of their specifications.
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Is HP or Toshiba Better?
HP is better because its laptops are suitable for more use cases than Toshiba’s.
HP has a wide selection of laptops and offers a variety of price options for its customers. For years, HP has created new laptops featuring cutting-edge technologies for gaming, business, and everyday use
Toshiba has not been as consistent as HP with its laptop releases. When Toshiba was sold to Sharp, the company’s laptop range was rebranded as Dynabook.
These changes mean that HP has had a clear advantage over Toshiba in the past few decades. HP is the better-known laptop brand, and its laptops come with more features. An example of a good all-around HP laptop for most people is the HP Envy 13.
The HP Envy 13 laptop is a top pick because it’s a good investment for any type of user. The features include:
- Great performance thanks to 8GB RAM and an AMD Ryzen CPU
- 1080p display that is bright and vivid
- Stylish and compact aluminum design
- Long battery life for easy travel
- Costs less than $1,000
Toshiba vs HP: Business, Gaming, & Everyday Use
Both Toshiba and HP perform well in different situations. Because Toshiba and HP have different business models, their laptops have strengths in different areas.
Business
A good laptop for business use should be secure and reliable. Both Toshiba and HP have good laptops for business.
Toshiba’s Tecra series boasts an elegant, thin, and light chassis, is highly durable, and has an advanced security system.
HP has created specific laptops for businesses. The brand provides a wide range of powerful and energy-efficient laptops for business owners. Some of these laptops include the HP Z Mobile workstation, Elitebook, Chromebook, and ProBook.
Unlike Toshiba, HP has invested a lot of resources in creating a diverse selection of models to fit the business world. This makes HP the ideal choice for a business-oriented laptop.
Gaming
Gaming laptops need the best graphics and processing speeds for a fun gaming experience.
Toshiba typically offers generalist laptops that aren’t specifically dedicated to gaming. However, this doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to play games with some of its models. The Tecra A50-E-BTO laptop is one of the newest models from Toshiba that can handle gaming.
HP offers a dedicated laptop line for gaming. HP’s gaming laptops have great displays, customized keyboards, and an optimized cooling system. Examples of dedicated gaming laptops from HP include the Omen 15 and 16, the HP Pavilion Gaming Notebook, and the Victus. What’s even better is that HP laptops are affordable for most people.
The fact that HP has a dedicated line of gaming laptops complete with all the specs makes it a better gaming laptop brand than Toshiba.
Everyday Use
Everyday use laptops are important because most people do not use specialized laptops. Many people just want something that will help them browse the internet, work, and watch Netflix. Both HP and Toshiba have great options for an everyday use laptop.
Toshiba offers many general laptops. For example, models in the Toshiba Satellite Pro series are portable and have extended battery life ratings. The Toshiba Satellite Pro series is a great line of entry-level laptops that are functional and affordable.
HP creates general use laptops and makes them for consumers of all budgets. HP laptops have a wide array of great specs and are cheap. Some of the laptops HP offers for everyday use include the HP Spectre x360 and the EliteBook range, making them an ideal pick for an everyday use laptop.
HP Laptops in Detail
Hewlett Packard (HP) produced its first laptop, the HP-110, in 1948 at $2,995. Over the years, HP has continued to invest in its products and has created numerous laptop models.
This success has propelled HP to being one of the biggest laptop and computing manufacturers in the world. Several factors influence the dominance HP has over the laptop market. These include:
Performance
Compared to other brands, HP has invested heavily in the performance of its laptops.
Some companies produce laptops that try to fit all use cases, which is sometimes great for affordability but bad for performance. HP solves this problem by creating different models to cater to different areas and industries. For example, the Omen line of laptops is purely for gaming. Omen laptops have specs and features that favor speed, great visualization, and battery life.
Design
HP is known for its cutting-edge product designs. Most modern HP laptops now come with premium aluminum designs for a lightweight laptop. HP laptops look flashier and more aesthetically pleasing than their counterparts from other companies.
Some of HP’s 2-in-1 models also come with 360-degree flip-and-fold designs that allow users to use the laptop as a tablet. These devices also have fingerprint readers and backlit keyboards.
Graphics
HP laptops have two graphics modes: dynamic switchable mode, and fixed switchable mode. Each has an integrated and discrete GPU as well as the ability to switch between the two.
Newer HP laptops utilize dynamic switchable graphics, which allow for the automatic switching of models depending on the applications running. Dynamic switchable graphics help improve display as well as preserving power, making HP graphics among the best in the world.
Durability
HP makes durable laptops for business use. This allows users to use their laptops in different settings, both indoors and outdoors, without having to worry about damaging them.
HP laptops go through HP’s Total Test. The Total Test checks each model against physical stress such as drops, dust, functional shock, extreme temperature, and other factors.
Business laptops such as HP’s EliteBook 850 G6 notebook, Probook x360 II G4 EE, ZBook x2 detachable workstation, and many more pass the total test with ease.
Battery Life
Battery life is an important consideration for many laptop users. Most brands are trying to push the average battery life higher for longer use periods
HP offers great battery life for some of its latest models such as the Chromebook x360 convertible laptop and HP ENVY x2 detachable laptop. HP Laptops with a good battery life usually come with Fast Charge technology as well.
Summary
HP laptops have great features and are good value for money, but it’s important to choose the right laptop for how you plan to use it.
Toshiba Laptops in Detail
Japanese company Toshiba made the first laptop, the T1100, in 1985. The T1100 was the first mass-marketed laptop in the world and weighed 4.1 kg.
Toshiba no longer makes laptops under this brand. Toshiba sold its laptop manufacturing business to Sharp who are now making Toshiba laptops under the name “Dynabook.” By the time Sharp acquired the business, Toshiba had already fallen off the radar in the laptop manufacturing world.
Regardless of the name, Toshiba Dynabook laptops still offer some impressive features.
Performance
Toshiba Dynabook laptops have powerful processors and enough RAM to handle most activities. For example, the Toshiba Dynabook Tecra series comes with a powerful i7-8550u processor and 64GB RAM.
Such specs and plenty of SSD storage keep Toshiba competitive as a suitable laptop for everyday use.
Design
Toshiba was, for a long time, not known for its innovative design. This is not the case with the new Toshiba laptops.
Toshiba Dynabook laptops now have a cutting-edge design suited for the modern user, and come with an ultra-thin and ultra-light design for their 2-in-1 models such as the Portégé X Series. These laptops are convertible and allow switching between different modes. Other models come with innovative design features such as mechanically anchored keyboards for added toughness.
Graphics
Current Toshiba graphics are a huge step up from the brand’s previous models. Most modern Toshiba laptops come with Intel UHD Graphics or Intel Iris Xe Graphics. These graphics are great for gaming, watching up to 8K videos, and carrying out design work. UHD Graphics are suitable for entry-level casual gaming and UHD videos.
These graphics capabilities are not the best for user-specific activities such as high-level gaming, but they can work well on an everyday use laptop.
Durability
Ever since Toshiba entered the market, the brand has created durable laptops that can withstand a lot of physical pressure. The new Dynabook models continue this trend and are highly durable devices.
Models such as the Dynabook X50 Series come with an ultra-lightweight ToughBody magnesium alloy chassis that is lighter than plastic. The X50 series also comes with a Honeycomb Rib structure for extra durability in different situations such as traveling.
Battery Life
Battery life depends on how heavily you use the laptop. Toshiba Dynabook laptops come with durable batteries that last for a long time.
Summary
Even though it is a pioneer in the laptop-making business, Toshiba has not spent nearly as many resources as HP to improve the design, performance, and quality of its laptops. However, the brand’s newer models nearly bring Toshiba back to its former glory.
Should I Buy an HP or a Toshiba Laptop?
If you are looking for the best performance from your laptop, you should buy an HP laptop. HP has created a laptop that fits almost every situation. The brand offers impressive specs and features that make it easy to pick a laptop and use it for years.
Toshiba is trying hard to come back as a top manufacturer of laptops, but it has a lot to catch up on. This market disadvantage gives HP the edge and makes it the best laptop brand to choose for most people.
Comparisons of all the best laptop brands:
About the Author Marcus
Marcus has a graduate degree in computer engineering and has many years of experience in cutting-edge technology research and development in both startups and Fortune 500 corporations. In his free time, he enjoys RTS gaming.
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