Would You Like An Extended Warranty With That?
By John San Filippo, Wed Dec 7th

Should you buy an extended warranty with your laptop? You maynot want to think about it now, but sooner or later, somethingis going to break down on your laptop. When it happens, the bigquestion will be who gets stuck with the bill, you or themanufacturer.

The standard (standard in this case meaning free) warranty on anew laptop typically runs anywhere from 90 days to a year. Thatprobably doesn’t seem like much when you consider how long youexpect to own your laptop. What happens when your laptop poopsout on the 91st day?

First of all, even if your laptop only includes a 90-daywarranty (and assuming you’ve purchased a reputable brand- namesystem), the chances of your laptop dying on the 91st day arevery, very slim.

Manufacturers don’t offer a 90-day warranty with the expectationthat their product will malfunction shortly thereafter. Ashorter warranty is likely, at least in part, to be a marketingploy to push you toward an extended warranty.

All major laptop manufacturers offer a long menu of extendedwarranty options, each menu item with its own price tag. The twobiggest components that factor into the cost of an extendedwarranty are duration and location.

Through extended warranty, you typically have the option toextend the duration of the standard warranty from one to threeyears. The first extra year is always the most expensive, witheach subsequent year costing significantly less. The longer theextended warranty, the better the deal.

As for location, the least expensive extended warranties requireyou to ship your laptop (at your expense) to a remote repairfacility. With the most deluxe extended warranty packages, aservice technician will meet you at your own front door toattempt the repairs. This type of coverage tends to be on theexpensive side.

At this point, you might decide to research manufacturerwebsites to determine their standard warranty policies. Don’tbother, because most laptop manufacturers don’t have standardwarranty polices. Warranties vary from line to line and productto product. Even with a particular model in mind, it’s stillgoing to take some digging.

So how do you decide whether an extended warranty is right foryou? Your best bet is to consider your anticipated usage:

If you’re buying a laptop as a second computer for occasionaluse when you need to travel, you can probably pass on theextended warranty and still feel relatively safe.

At the other extreme, if you use your laptop day in and day outas your primary system, with half your life spent in airportterminals, you should consider adding as much extended warrantyas you possibly can. Fortunately, unlike automobile warranties,laptop warranties don’t put any restriction on mileage.

About the author:The author, computer journalist John San Filippo, has writtenthe definitive guide for buying a laptop computer at:http://HowToBuyALaptop.com You can also pick up yourcomplimentary ebook titled "Computer Tips From The Experts" at:http://howtobuyalaptop.com/laptop-tips.htm