Jeff | 
02 5th, 2010| 
I was recently interviewed by NBC4 about my thoughts on extended warranties and “optimization” services at the big stores. Here are a few thoughts that didn’t make it into the story:
When thinking about extended warranties, you really have to consider two things, how you’ll use the system and how long you want to keep it. If you’re buying a laptop that you’ll carry around with you and use as your primary computer, I think that a warranty with accidental damage is a good idea. We see a lot of systems that have had a liquid spill, been dropped or have a few types of damage that aren’t covered by a normal manufacturer’s warranty. If you’re buying a system that won’t ever leave your desk, accidental damage is unlikely to ever be used.
I was asked about my thoughts on the price of a warranty, compared to the price of a computer. It was briefly touched on, but when you buy a more expensive computer, the repair parts are usually more expensive as well. A 17″ LCD screen usually costs a bit more than a 13″ LCD. A $1500 laptop has a more expensive motherboard than does a $500 laptop. I think this is a good thing to consider when you look at the cost of the warranties.
In the interview I said “There’s nothing you can really do to make a new computer faster.” Taken a face value, that’s not entirely true. A real optimization on a new computer would be four main things: 1. Load all windows updates. 2. Load the latest hardware drivers from the vendor. 3. Remove any and all trial software. and 4. Set up and properly configure an internet security program. All of those things will give a very small improvement in the way the system performs, but rarely enough to be noticeable.