The Importance of PC Warranty

Today is day 370 of your new Dell or Compaq machine. As you are downloading your MP3’s from some file sharing site that is allowing someone to hack into your machine your PC freaks out. All you are left with is this blue screen with a bunch of junk you do not read because you think you will not understand. You instantly reach for your phone to call the PC’s OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer). By the end of the 30 minute call talking to the guy who only speaks Indiglish you begin the “Stages”.

Stage One: complete and utter anger that your PC is only out of warranty by 5 days and you have no help.

Stage Two: denial of the truth, “my PC can’t be broke maybe if I do some chants and dances it will be OK.

Stage Three: despair, “I had all my data on there and everything is gone, what will I do?”

Finally Stage Four: acceptance, “Everything will be OK, I’m just kind-a freaked out right now. I’m sure I can find a solution

At this point I have to say if you are looking for a solution to your dilemma you will have to keep reading my blog site because this post is about your warranty. With that said I want you to close your eyes and remember back to when you bought the PC. Now with your photographic memory, you see question 16 asking how long of time you want the warranty to be. You said a year didn’t you? That was BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bad! Bad! Bad!

I am not promoting paying the man anymore money, and I am not supporting the school drop out in India who is pretending to be Technical Support. I am however supporting saving you money, because the cost of a hard drive or a stick of memory is usually more expensive than paying for the extra two years of warranty. That’s right – you should normally have a three year warranty.

Here are four helpful hints in buying, and maintaining your PC that can save heartache and pain in the future.

1. Do research into who you are buying the PC from. You should find out if they are a legitimate company; if they will still be in business in a year to keep supporting your PC. Also, what parts and support their warranty covers is good information.

2. Think up and ask questions. Some companies will not send you parts; you must send your whole PC to them for repair. This is very bad because once your PC is in their hands you don’t know who will look at your data, or if you will ever get your data back.

3. Pay the extra cash for a business class PC. $499 sounds better then $1100 or more, but it is not. Trust me when I tell you the extra cash up front is worth it. The $499 will get you tech support with the guy who speaks Indiglish and will take 2 hours or of your time, every time you call. The $1100 or more PC will get you a guy in Canada or Texas who will solve your issue in less than 15 minutes.

4. Finally, do backups of your data regularly. Do not wait and find out your last three years of family photos taken with the digital camera are gone. Back up your data. Back up your data. BACK UP YOUR DATA ALREADY!