Laptop replacement

[Mermaid02]

We got our dd an HP laptop for high school graduation in 2008. We paid the $300 for the warranty at the time. She has had it worked on numerous times- they even replaced the screen once. Best Buy just called her to come pick out a new computer. Seems this time it's too damaged to make it worth fixing. She said she will not settle for a machine with anything less than hers had- and it was a nice computer. I hope they don't talk her down. I also wonder if she can still get the warranty. Will they honor the year left on hers or will she have to buy another one?

 

[asta]

I don't know about laptops but we bought a warranty from Best Buy on a digital camera. It stopped working after a year, we took it back to the store and they told us to just go back and pick up the comparable model of the same camera. It was a slightly different model number but they gave it to us at no cost.

I don't usually buy these warranties but my children are so hard on their cameras, phones and laptops that I think it makes sense in these cases.

 

[erincon23]

My brother used to work for a Best Buy competitor, and is very knowledgeable about computers. We're looking for one for my college-bound son, and he said that he would never buy one from Best Buy -- he claims that they purchase lots (groups) from manufacturers that are known or suspected to have potential defects that would cause failures and that's how they get good prices. Now, we've bought two (i think) computers from Best Buy, and have had some problems, but nothing that I thought was out of the ordinary, and my BIL (DH's brother) is a computer PhD, and said he has bought two that had almost immediate hard-drive failures from Best Buy. Just sayin'...

 

[Imzadi]

Tell her NOT to get another HP computer. I got two, and this one is definitely my LAST. I had problems with BOTH of them.

There's an old Star Trek Russian quote, "Fool me one shame on you. Fool me twice, [which I DID let happen with these HP computers,] shame on ME."

I keep seeing stupendous deals for HP laptops at Staples. NOT happening!

 

[golfgal]

We got DS17 a Dell Studio for college. We got the 4 year on-site warranty to go with it as well as the damage protection. We don't normally get those but since he will be over 4 hours away at school he will need something if his computer breaks down. I have heard similar stories about buying things from Best Buy but we haven't had any issue with other things we purchased from them.

 

[PlainJane]

Honestly, I'm surprised they are even offering a replacement. I had a computer from them a few years ago with a 3 year warranty. There was ALWAYS something wrong with that computer. I took it in to be fixed countless times. The disc reader broke, it overheated terribly, and I got the blue screen of death on multiple occasions. It didn't matter that I often had to take it back for the same problems over and over, it didn't qualify for a replacement. I gave up after about a year because I was honestly too scared to use the computer anymore because of how HOT it got, I was scared it would burst into flames or something.

I would expect them to offer as little as they can get away with.

 

[LilyWDW]

I will NEVER buy a computer from a big box store. I always get my systems either personally built or through a company like Newegg. Part of that is due to the fact that I refuse to buy anything from HP, Dell, Gateway, or Compaq. Plus, the selection of other brands are pretty week at the big box stores due to having to carry so many brands in limited display space.

 

[cassiez76]

my hubby bought a gateway at best buy in 8/07 with the warranty. his laptop was in the shop 4 times, 3 were within the last 6 months. the motherboard kept failing.

best buy got tired of fixing it, so he got a new laptop last week. top of the line HP. they told him it had to be in specs of his old one...geek guy said we don't have any like that, so just match the price.

it was really easy to do the replacement paper work...it's really kinda scary how easy it was.

i think he's got mac envy though

 

[Mermaid02]

She got another HP- the guy wanted to sell her a Gateway but she didn't want it. It's a better computer than the one that broke. When they replace the whole computer they consider the warranty fulfilled so we had to pay for another warranty- but it's totally worth it.

I have no complaints with Best Buy.

 

[jsmith]

The thing with computers is-they are inherantly fragile-a bunch of little tiny pieces im bedding in silcone. Then we put the in back packs and stuff them in over head bins on aircraft where people shove them around, eat over them,over heat them and generally abuse them and are surprised when they break. All computers-even the vaunted MACS have hardware issues-my sons both have top of the line MacBook Pros-purchased because they are math and physics grad students and Macs are superior for number crunching-but hardware wise they are pieces of JUNK-i have a seven year old Toshiba Satellite that has been to Iraq three times that has never needed repair-one of those MACS on the other hand has had memory issues, a video card replaced and a sound card replaced in the first two years we had it-the other has gone thru several batteries and has some other issues. Its basically luck of the draw since for PC laptops many of the components have the same manufacturer regardless of the brand. Higher end boxes tend to have more issues. People say they would never buy a Dell-i do basic maintenance for a guy who has a Dell B120 laptop he purchased in 2004-hes a soldier-and they dont treat their machines nicely at all-other than having to remove alot of Iraqi yuck from it-its never had an issue. It doesnt matter where you buy it-Best Buy or custom build-some are going to have issues-some arent. My personal experience is that Toshiba PC laptops seem to last very well and need limited maintenance-and MACs are Junk-lots of people would not agree with me-the Never Purchase from a big box store is silly-I work alot with computers purchased by the goverment in large quanities on contracts-they are exactly the same as those from Best Buy-some are awesome and last forever-some are pieces of Junk. I would observe that Dell probably has better quality control than HP-but that experience is based again on large lots of desktops with exactly the same specs.
Bottom line-buy what you think you need-hardware wise-get a good warrenty and hope for the best-thats all you can really do.

 

[Chuck S]

I've had HPs fo years, an have not hadany problemswith my laptop or desktop. My previous HP desktop was several years old, and the motherboard failed after a lightning strike (Mom and I both lost our compters that day). The hard drive is still OK, so I didn't lose any files, tough some progams won; run under Windows7. My (also several years old) HP printer is js now staring to have problems after several severe power surges and lightning strikes over the years.

Another computer I had that lasted for several years was the old Packard Bell brand.

That said, I always buy the mid to higher end models. That way they don't become obsolete so quickly, and seem sturdier than the lower end models.