laptop warranty - 1 year or 3?

[RockyMaivia]

Last question I need to figure out before I buy my Inspiron.

 

[John]

IMHO if you plan on keeping it for 3+ years, get the extended warranty.

 

[RockyMaivia]

Do laptop parts tend to 'break' more often than standard PCs?

 

[John]

Originally posted by: RockyMaivia
Do laptop parts tend to 'break' more often than standard PCs?

Not necessarily, but when they do they are twice as expensive.

 

[WobbleWobble]

Originally posted by: RockyMaivia
Do laptop parts tend to 'break' more often than standard PCs?

I would say that they are actually more durable. But you move your laptop around while you don't move your standard PCs on a regular basis.

I would say go for the 3 year warranty. I've had 3 laptops and 2 of them had hardware problems but have been free to fix because of the warranty.

 

[RockyMaivia]

Originally posted by: WobbleWobble

Originally posted by: RockyMaivia
Do laptop parts tend to 'break' more often than standard PCs?

I would say that they are actually more durable. But you move your laptop around while you don't move your standard PCs on a regular basis.

I would say go for the 3 year warranty. I've had 3 laptops and 2 of them had hardware problems but have been free to fix because of the warranty.

Your hardware failures occurred after the first year? I think to be safe, I'll go with the 3 year. I was thinking of gambling on the one year. In my experience with regular PCs, parts that survive the first year usually last more than 3. Still, probably better to go for three and have a some piece of mind.

 

[apoppin]

Go for 2 years . . . same "price" as the 1-year (free).

Just purchase your Notebook with a "premium" credit card (like Visa "Gold") . . . they automatically double the manufacturer's warranty to an extra free year for 2 years total coverage (or if you get the 3-year warranty, it also adds an extra year for 4 years).

Personally, I think 3 years is a waste of money . . . by then you will be selling your dinosaur . . .

 

[WobbleWobble]

One of my failures occured in 6 months. The other just over a year.

 

[Troubadour]

I bought my laptop in August 1999. I was pretty kind to it, but some stuff was beyond my control (e.g., it was in a car accident and got some cosmetic damage). That happened within the first year. No hardware failures whatsoever. In late 2001 the AC slot in the back became extremely intermittent and would not allow the computer to work essentially. I sent it in, they replaced the motherboard for free, took about 4 days for it to happen. List price was over a thousand dollars for the motherboard alone. Shortly afterward, the DVD drive stopped working. I had to take it to germany for my studies though, so I put in a different drive and skipped town. A few months after that the keyboard stopped working. I didn't get any failures in the first two years of operation, but I got a lot in the third year.

To sum it up: I would always always always go for a three year warranty. I wouldn't bother with a fourth since you'll probably replace it by then, as I'm looking to do with my laptop now.

 

[RockyMaivia]

Thanks for the replies, all.

I'm going with the 3 years warranty.