$200 Extended Service on $800 Notebook???

[lundog22]

I just got an VPR Matrix 180B5 for $798 + tax.

It is:
1.8GHz Intel Mobile Pentium 4 Processor-M
15" XGA LCD display
30GB hard drive capacity
512MB DDR memory
DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive
32MB ATI Radeon 7500 Graphics
Weighs only 5.8 lbs.
Integrated 10/100 network capability
Built-in 802.11b wireless networking
V.92 modem
1 IEEE 1394 (FireWire?) port
2 USB ports

Just want some advice to see if I should keep the $200 3 year service.... I know this is a stupid question...

 

[Krye]

yes/no

Yes, if you plan on actually lugging it around, eating around it, generally using it heavily and even abusing it a little (LAN parties seem to cause lots of wear to laptops).

No, if you plan on being really nice to it, keeping it moderately clean, don't care about the risk of expensive repairs, saving lots of money.

My choice is yes because I've had laptops go bad on me in 6 months, warrenties have saved my booty more than once.

 

[minendo]

Yes because in three years I know I will go through at least two batteries.

 

[codehack2]

Originally posted by: lundog22
I just got an VPR Matrix 180B5 for $798 + tax.

It is:
1.8GHz Intel Mobile Pentium 4 Processor-M
15" XGA LCD display
30GB hard drive capacity
512MB DDR memory
DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive
32MB ATI Radeon 7500 Graphics
Weighs only 5.8 lbs.
Integrated 10/100 network capability
Built-in 802.11b wireless networking
V.92 modem
1 IEEE 1394 (FireWire?) port
2 USB ports

Just want some advice to see if I should keep the $200 3 year service.... I know this is a stupid question...

Just me $.0 2, but I'd have major reservations about paying a 25% premium for a piece of mind. That being said, you can make these plans work for you and pay for themselves in time. Just make sure you read the terms in great detail, understand what you can and can't do, and put together a plan on how to use the policy.

BTW... nice laptop for the price... is that out the door or after rebates?

CH2

 

[zephyrprime]

But would a servive contract cover batteries? And I can't believe how low the price is! Is that the normal price?

 

[codehack2]

Originally posted by: zephyrprime
But would a servive contract cover batteries? And I can't believe how low the price is! Is that the normal price?

Bestbuy.com has it listed for $1328 -$200 in rebates...lundog got a helluva deal.

CH2

 

[lundog22]

Yeah it is out the door at that price

I guess that is what I needed to hear

 

[minendo]

Originally posted by: zephyrprime
But would a servive contract cover batteries? And I can't believe how low the price is! Is that the normal price?

Best Buy's service plan does.

 

[BentValve]

I am in the same boat, there is no way I am buying a $250 warranty..my case is even worse because mine was purchased as is.
However it works beautifully , I am just wondering where I could get parts for it if something does happen?
I am sure the mobo is custom but I would think that most everything else could be replaced.

I paid $770 for mine out the door
1.7ghz p4 M
Intel chipset and mobo I think
20gb hd Hitchachi
Radeon 7500 16mg
256 Samsung DDR PC2100
Samsung DVD/CDRW combo

Some lucky bastards got it for even less..I think one guy got it for $599 cause his was open box, mine was an open boxed unit too but the mgr would not come down another cent.

ANyways IMO $770 is a good deal but $250 for a 3 year warranty would bring it up to $1020 , for $1020 I
can get a decent Dell with a 1 year mail in and 1 year at home warranty.
I know for sure I can get things done with them because they will let me replace anything myself
or if something if it has a few dead pixels when I first get it I know that there is no hassel to get another one.
Best Buy is another story , I hate dealing their retarded staff...no way I am getting a warranty.

I am either going to gamble and keep this one or take it back and get a Dell.
$770 is a chunk of change but even if it broke and I did not want to fix it its still worth about $200
for the LCD and other parts. So I would be out $570
So far I ran Sandra burn-in wizard 145 or so times and have run numorous other programs and it has not hickuped even once...but whose to say it won't just up and die in 6 months? ..Hmm I had better think hard about this one.

 

[human2k]

labtops are exensive to repair, get the warranty, just make sure the policy is good.

 

[lundog22]

The warranty is $199 not $250 since the laptop is under$1000.

If you look at the price for laptop HDD 30G around $100 , battery $140 and other parts, especially the screen 15" around $600, might not be a bad idea with the 3 years warranty.

 

[drof]

i'm in the same boat. does the warranty cover breakage of the lcd?
btw, anybody know if the built in orinoco 11b minipci is removable? I'd like to replace it in the near future when 11g gets finalized.

 

[lundog22]

drof, most likely the 802.11b is on a small daughter board that may be upgradeable.

As for the LCD, according to the salesman..... they will fix the screen if there are more then 5 dead pixels on the screen. And breakage caused by accident is covered.

 

[LittleReeferBoy]

Check the details. I believe Best Buy may have changed their policy as far as replacing batteries. It may depend on the brand.

Even without covering batteries, though, service plans are pretty good ideas for laptops. You really can't fix anything yourself.

 

[BentValve]

Well I am keeping my laptop,and I called VPR Matrix and got a one year parts warranty.

I would not trust Best Buy to screw on a gas cap much less dig inside my laptop, check out the pic of one of the screws that was on my laptop, someone had been into my open boxed unit and while trying to screw on the lcd they did not realize that you have to align the hole before driving the screw in with brute force, I saved it by tapping out the hole and buying a few new screws. They crossthreaded it and the LCD was loose because they ran the screw down only half way. I pulled my laptop apart to inspect it and after doing some research I found that most of the parts can be purchased online, a new Hitchachi HD is around $70 (20gb 4200rpm) ..everything looked good inside , I cannot imagine what exactly they did to it so that is a good sign. I have never had a laptop so now that I have taken it apart and inspected it and have a general understanding of what its all about I feel much better about my purchase, the damn thing screams for such a small thing!!

I have some pics of the guts , if anyone is interested I will post them. I will post a pic of that screw that BB worked on in a second.

 

[BentValve]

Best Buy does precision work.

 

[BentValve]

pic
pic
pic
pic
pic
pic
pic
pic
pic
pic
pic
pic
pic

 

[lundog22]

So you can get warranty directly through VPR? But VPR is Bestbuy...

Anyway what are the prices they gave you?


Nice Pics BTW~!

 

[BentValve]

Originally posted by: lundog22
So you can get warranty directly through VPR? But VPR is Bestbuy...

Anyway what are the prices they gave you?


Nice Pics BTW~!

Yes they are BB but they are still separate.

The most likely thing to go out would be the HD, which BTW is very easy to remove if you need to , the CDWR/DVD is also very easy to remove.

Here is the HD that is in your laptop,
Hitachi 30gb HD

I can't believe how small laptop parts are, I laughed when I saw the HD.

 

[BentValve]

I got the 170b4 for $770 with tax, it was an open boxed beater, you got a better deal than me , was yours an open boxed one?

 

[lundog22]

Yeah its opened but the system look brand new with the cover for the LCD still attached.

How much VPR charge you for the warranty?

Have their number?

Thanks

 

[BentValve]

Originally posted by: lundog22
Yeah its opened but the system look brand new with the cover for the LCD still attached.

How much VPR charge you for the warranty?

Have their number?

Thanks

VPR gives a one year warranty , the guy I talked to at VPR yesterday told me that if it was an open boxed unit then I bought it as is, I was like "what the ?" Anyways I called the manager at BB up and he a dick and basically said too bad.
I don't even think it is legal for BB to sell something and not at least give the full maufacturer's warranty, I mean its not a garage sale they are running their.
I called VPR back and got it straightened out, he said they would cover any faulty parts and labor for one year but since it was an OB they would not cover missing parts.

VPR can be reached by calling BBs corprate/online number.

Don't give BB $250 for a warranty , go get your money back.

 

[0roo0roo]

pay for extended warrantee on a few items and you'll end up paying enough for another full item. its not worth it.

 

[BentValve]

Does anyone here know if the chip on the left is the mobo chipset? It looks alot like an AMD chipset, I wonder if it would benefit from a tiny heatsink?

pic

 

[lundog22]

Yeah it is the North Bridge I think.