ultraportable full powered laptop
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Back when I was still with HP (wow, has it really been 9 years since I left?), there were internal discussions on expected lifetime of computers. Basically, how good to make them so that they were still seen as good quality, but where they would fall apart about the time when it made more sense to replace than repair.
As I recall, the target was 18-20 months for a business laptop that gets knocked around. It can be made better (look at the toughbooks) but then they cost too much and nobody buys them.
I got 4 years out of my Dell Latitude D820. And it's still in great shape and is very capable (running Windows 7 64-bit now without problems). But I did several repairs to it along the way: replaced the optical drive, the cooling fan, two power supplies, etc. Everything was fixed under the warranty, except for the batteries. The batteries are the real pain! They are expensive and I have to replace them every 1.5 years like a clockwork. It's as if they have an expiration timer built in! I wish I purchased a battery replacement plan!
There are also quality differences in the parts. I was comparing the power jack on the Dell with the Toshiba, and it does not surprise me that the Toshiba's broke. Much cheaper adapter, easy to see how it would get loose.
My problem with warranties is that in the past I have usually had the part go bad a week or two AFTER the warranty expired. That happened with my Fujistu Lifebook tablet. The trackpad died literally ONE WEEK after the warranty. I still use it sporadically, but it is no fun using a tablet pen as a mouse. And that was a $2000 laptop.
The Dell D430 I just inherited seems quite sturdy, but it really is just a step above a netbook in terms of processing power. I am just hopeful I can get my Toshiba back working and can get another year out of it. Performance wise it has been great.
The next time I buy a laptop I will definitely look at an extended warranty though.
My problem with warranties is that in the past I have usually had the part go bad a week or two AFTER the warranty expired. That happened with my Fujistu Lifebook tablet. The trackpad died literally ONE WEEK after the warranty. I still use it sporadically, but it is no fun using a tablet pen as a mouse. And that was a $2000 laptop.
The Dell D430 I just inherited seems quite sturdy, but it really is just a step above a netbook in terms of processing power. I am just hopeful I can get my Toshiba back working and can get another year out of it. Performance wise it has been great.
The next time I buy a laptop I will definitely look at an extended warranty though.
Your laptop requires a $20 part that wasn't covered by the warranty. You are considering buying a $200 or more extended warranty because of this problem.
If you have too much money you can just send it to me.
If you have too much money you can just send it to me.
With Dell (at least with the business line of laptops) you can usually extend the warranty as you go. (Just don't take the first offer: you can negotiate the price of the extended warranty! 
) My Latitude came with a 3-year warranty, but when it was about to expire I've purchased an extra year for around $100. Now I am trying to decide whether to purchase one more year or whether to save the money toward the next laptop. Dell allows you to extend the warranty up to five years, and you can do it one year at a time if you prefer (which I do).
) My Latitude came with a 3-year warranty, but when it was about to expire I've purchased an extra year for around $100. Now I am trying to decide whether to purchase one more year or whether to save the money toward the next laptop. Dell allows you to extend the warranty up to five years, and you can do it one year at a time if you prefer (which I do).
I have to agree on the laptop warranty. I never buy desktop warranties, but I do on laptops. Desktops are easy to fix, all the parts are modular and standard. Yes you have to know how to take apart/put together a computer, but not really hard to learn.
Laptops though are all custom parts. Very few parts are available to replace on the open market. A couple years later you are lucky to even find the part made any more. I have used the warranties on laptops I have had. On cheap (sub 500) I do not get the warranty since I view them as disposable. The higher end ones I always get with warranty.
Laptops though are all custom parts. Very few parts are available to replace on the open market. A couple years later you are lucky to even find the part made any more. I have used the warranties on laptops I have had. On cheap (sub 500) I do not get the warranty since I view them as disposable. The higher end ones I always get with warranty.
Mostly agree, except for the all custom part.
Taking apart a laptop is a learned skill, but not as tough as you think. Most components are accessible by removing the keyboard on most machines. Lots of guides online on disassembly.
The higher failure components are usually industry standard and can be purchased from Frys or some other mass retailer. This includes CD/DVD, media readers, memory, HDD. Even keyboards in many cases. I've replaced all of these. About the only really tough part is the motherboard.
When I was running a business, I did what big companies do. I bought 4 of the same model and then found a cheap busted one on eBay when the first one broke. That gave me a nice source of parts to keep the others going. Upgraded HDDs and to DVD/RW to get an extra year or two.
It also depends on how you use the laptop and how much you depend on it. If you are using it for 15+ hours each day and cannot afford to be without it for any prolonged time, then a good warranty is a must! I've been very satisfied with Dell's next day on-site service: a tech hired by Dell would just come to my office and do the repair/replacement on the spot quickly and professionally. $100-150 for en extra year of such service (for a $2500 laptop), I think is a good deal. In my personal experience the investment in the extended warranty usually pays off. But even when it doesn't, it gives me peace of mind!
And as mentioned above, I too wouldn't buy the extended warranty for a netbook or an entry-level laptop. It's better to save the money and just buy a new one once it breaks.
And as mentioned above, I too wouldn't buy the extended warranty for a netbook or an entry-level laptop. It's better to save the money and just buy a new one once it breaks.
It also depends on how you use the laptop and how much you depend on it. If you are using it for 15+ hours each day and cannot afford to be without it for any prolonged time, then a good warranty is a must! I've been very satisfied with Dell's next day on-site service: a tech hired by Dell would just come to my office and do the repair/replacement on the spot quickly and professionally. $100-150 for en extra year of such service (for a $2500 laptop), I think is a good deal. In my personal experience the investment in the extended warranty usually pays off. But even when it doesn't, it gives me peace of mind!
And as mentioned above, I too wouldn't buy the extended warranty for a netbook or an entry-level laptop. It's better to save the money and just buy a new one once it breaks.
I agree. I bought a XPS laptop that I bought the warranty on but I did not extend it after the intial time ran out because they wanted $350 for 2 years and when I refused they didn't make any other offers.
As I understand, XPS laptops are consumer laptops (not available from Dell business sales). Correct?
I must note, that my experience with Dell, its products and service (very positive overall) is limited to the business side of their operation.
I do not know how their Home and Home Office Sales side operates and what kind of support they offer there. Just thought I should mention.
My XPS M1210 is extremely easy to repair. I've owned many HP's, Gateway's and a MacBook Pro and the easiest to repair and customize was the Dell. Even the hard drive is designed to be swapped out in seconds in a drawer. When my wife's XPS M1320 began to sing, I discovered it was the CPU cooling fan. In a couple minutes I had it apart and ordered a complete cooling assembly online for under $20. What an easy fix! By contrast, when I wanted to put in a new hard drive for my MacBook Pro, I discovered it was extremely hard to access and once the Macbook was all apart with hundreds of screws, the hard drive was glued in place and all the cables cemented down with rubber cement. What a mess. Not something you want to fix often. Macs aren't designed to be repaired easily.
I have taken apart laptops. I agree it is not hard, but it is not on the same level of experience as a desktop. Working with computers for years, I have no trouble tearing things apart. HD/Memory/DVD are standard parts, and I replace/upgrade these without issue. But, I would say most people would have trouble without a very detailed guide on how to take it apart without breaking the plastic.
I upgraded the RAM in a friends netbook. It took me an hour since the ram was on the bottom of the motherboard, and there was not a hatch on the bottom. So, you had to start from the keyboard and work down to the bottom and essentially take everything out to snap out the memory and snap in a new one. Not a job I would recommend for the inexperienced.
Half the time I call Dell about a problem they have me take apart the laptop anyways to diagnose problems. I rather do it since it is faster and I probably know more about it than the local guy they would send out. But, then again I think the average person would appreciate just having the tech come out and do it.
I have had 3 times where they have essentially just sent me a new notebook, I just transferred the HD, the Windows License sticker (well the hatch) and ram, and sent the old one back in when there was a motherboard failure.
Yes, if you need them. I found their stuff just really easy to repair without a manual, but then I've not gotten into anything too major. Plus the XPS tech support is like speaking to a really good tech engineer. I understand the non-XPS tech support is outsourced to India and most of them are terrible, even if you can understand what they are saying. Dell also has excellent repair parts inventory and the parts are plentiful on many ebay stores that handle repair OEM parts.
As usual I anchor the group. My Dell Inspiron 5000 recently had its 10th birthday, and it's still running fine! Two of the original 3 batteries still work, tho' neither will hold a charge quite as long as they did new. This laptop was my workhorse for a number of years, at home and for work until they finally got me a portable. Now it's relegated to simple "home chores" and used infrequently. Still running Win98!
Dell had a 3-year full in-home, next-day warranty in the original deal and I used it about 6 times. 3 were for the stupid bezel that surrounds the display and the lid itself, both were underdesigned and would develop cracks. For the lid, that was near the hinges. They also replaced a "dim" display for me and on the day before the warranty expired, the DVD drive. That last repair started with a lengthy tech service call to India. That guy handled it quite well and fully diagnosed the problem over the phone and the result was they sent me the replacement drive by next-day air. I also received a nice incentive with a battery recall, resulted in an extra battery!
Since the warranty expired I have handled the few subsequent problems myself. The next time the lid cracked I simply epoxied it and it has been fine ever since. I did tear the thing down to the mother board one time (can't remember why!) and I recall the disassembly / reassembly took almost an hour and the removal of about 3 dozen screws. (My trick is to draw a semblence of the unit and internals on light cardboard then just poke the screws into the cardboard at about the same place on the drawing from which they were removed.)
Good unit, not especially rugged, but well backed by the consumer-level service while the warranty was in effect. I am never one to buy an extended warranty on anything, but if I buy another Dell I might be tempted to negotiate one as the base warranty expires since I had such a positive experience with the previous one...
Dell had a 3-year full in-home, next-day warranty in the original deal and I used it about 6 times. 3 were for the stupid bezel that surrounds the display and the lid itself, both were underdesigned and would develop cracks. For the lid, that was near the hinges. They also replaced a "dim" display for me and on the day before the warranty expired, the DVD drive. That last repair started with a lengthy tech service call to India. That guy handled it quite well and fully diagnosed the problem over the phone and the result was they sent me the replacement drive by next-day air. I also received a nice incentive with a battery recall, resulted in an extra battery!
Since the warranty expired I have handled the few subsequent problems myself. The next time the lid cracked I simply epoxied it and it has been fine ever since. I did tear the thing down to the mother board one time (can't remember why!) and I recall the disassembly / reassembly took almost an hour and the removal of about 3 dozen screws. (My trick is to draw a semblence of the unit and internals on light cardboard then just poke the screws into the cardboard at about the same place on the drawing from which they were removed.)
Good unit, not especially rugged, but well backed by the consumer-level service while the warranty was in effect. I am never one to buy an extended warranty on anything, but if I buy another Dell I might be tempted to negotiate one as the base warranty expires since I had such a positive experience with the previous one...
Ironically, I just received an email from Best Buy telling me the warranty on my Toshiba is up in a few weeks, and they are trying to sell a 1 or 2 year extended warranty for $139 (for 1 yr), which would cover "wear and tear" (and thus, the power jack that started this thread). IF I am unable to fix the laptop with the part that is being shipped to me, i will consider that. $139 is a lot cheaper than buying a new machine. But I suspect I will be able to fix it with the $20 part.
JFYI Here is just one of many You Tube videos on how to repair a power jack on a laptop. I had to replace the one on Carols laptop. Taking the darn thing apart was a PIA. I epoxied the new jack to the motherboard before soldering it in place. One thing I can say about HP they have helpful how to service manuals. Like this one. dv1410 I couldn't find one for your model. YouTube - TOSHIBA Satellite A75 DC Power jack loose problems repair
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