Is it true that laptops last only slightly longer than their warranties last?

Much like any piece of technology, or indeed anything, the cheaper you go, the less likely it is that your item is going to last a long time. For example, say you buy a cheap pair of shoes. They'll last you a few months until you need to replace them, maybe a little more. If you go and pay for a decently priced pair of shoes, you could keep them for a few years at least, depending upon use.

After a while obviously you're paying over the odds, and can go cheaper, but anyway. To get to the point, no if you buy a laptop it isn't going to suddenly break down a day after the warranty runs up. It is more likely to begin experiencing problems the longer you have it, but that is just how things work. The older something is, the greater likelihood that you will have a problem with it.

 

This is true of a lot of things actually.

For example, refrigerators tend to do the same thing. It's not uncommon for one to stop working within a few months after the warranty runs out.

Realistically, the warranties are set up that way intentionally. They are there to cover the expected life of the product and that's how the companies are able to offer them. If something happens to the product before then, they'll cover it, but after that, it's up to you.

 

The answer to this is on both sides of the coin.

Generally spekaing, if you look after your hardware and no how to look after it properly, then it can last a lot longer for this. However there are some brands that do seem to have this trait where their technology just melts away quite quickly. A lot of money is made by the vendor from after-sales support/warranties and part purchase due to issues being had soon after someone has purchased their product.

 

Well if you take good care of your laptop it will last you a lot longer than the guarantee. I have a laptop that i use when i want to go mobile, that has lasted me for more than 6 years. I agree that it is a little bit slow, but it works like no day has passed

 

It's true for the most part, I mean my laptops grills (you know those thin slots on the side for heat ventilation) fall off one by one after the two year warranty, but I guess its inevitable since their made of plastic. Some brands are like that, the cheaper it is, the more chance it will part sooner than you think. But really, it depends on how you take care of your machine, my old laptop, which I bought almost 10 years ago still runs up to this day, and its relatively cheap at the time.

 

The thing is that technology is growing at a really faster rate so for this reason, you can get a powerful computer today but in a 2 years you just have to buy another one because there will be more powerful technology by then. I remember there was a time a computer cold last ages with the same technology but not in today's world.

 

It really depends on the manufacturer and the model. I have two ThinkPads that still run. One is at least 12 years old and the other is about 5 to 6 years old. I do treat my laptops well, but these babies can take a lot of abuse. My friend has a ThinkPad that he bought in 2003. He really took great care of it and it looks great. The technology will become outdated before the computer dies.

 

It is not true. I had bought a laptop second hand and it had been previously owned for two years before me and then i have owned it for two more years. On top of that i had destroyed my laptop by flooding the house, but after leaving it to dry for a week it came back to life and everything was fine. So i would say that some laptops can actulaay stay for a really long time. It is only if you use your computer for high demand tasks that you may want to upgrade as laptops are getting better but also at the same time are becoming much cheaper.

 

It's no true at all. Warranties last only for a couple of years while a laptop can easily last 5 or more years, even 10 with the proper care. So that rumor has no base whatsoever, only as some sort of propaganda to promote notebooks or other gadgets.

 

Pretty much this. You're gambling on the fact that it'll break down in the time you have it under warranty. But of course, some people do ensure that their product runs out just before the warranty runs out, so that they can get a replacement without paying for it.

 

I don't know if that's true. I've had my laptop since 2006. The m key is broke and the e key is funny and the usb jacks don't work anymore but I'm sure that both of those things had to do with when I moved a few years ago and it still runs. Sure the internet's kinda slow so maybe someday I'll get a new one but it serves the purpose I have for it and the speed is good for how old it is. Maybe it depends partly on the brand. This one's a Dell and they say Dells are good laptops.

 

I have heard this before but I don't find it to be true at all. Those who have laptops that don't last for a very long time typically don't take good care of them, it's as simple as that.

 

I believe so. I've had a number of Dell and HP systems die on me over the past 10 years, within two years of purchasing them. This is why I will no longer buy from either company any more. Two of my Dell systems overheated and died on me, one of them only a year after I had bought it and as soon as it was out of warranty. The other only lasted a year and a half. They were both compact desktop towers, that were just poorly designed from the get go and could not stay cool when doing basic functions on the computer.

I also bought a cheap HP laptop a couple years ago just to tide me over until I could buy a nicer more full featured system. I took it back to the store after three days because the fan on it was already running at full capacity - I knew exactly what this was going to lead to, overheating again, and I was not putting up with that crap yet again. I'm surprised there aren't lawsuits against some of these companies for designing such shoddy devices.

I'm also convinced the carriers are doing these with their smart phones too. I've been using my Droid Bionic for over two and a half years now (close to three actually) and I recently noticed that it has been staying on a "3G" connection a majority of the time I go to use it. This was supposed to be their first 4G LTE phone when it launched, why is it all of a sudden clinging to 3G? It's as if they want me to come back in and sign another contract so they are slowly crippling my phone on purpose to expedite the process.

 

I guess Dells are better at laptops then. It doesn't surprise me about the HP. I think they're better at multifunction printers. It's just rare to find a good product from HP in general.
I don't think I'm surprised about the phones either. That's probably why phones of a specific carrier come with all this bloatware.

 

It depends on who you're talking about, but in my opinion that's totally a lie. I've had this laptop for almost two years, the warranty expired about 6 months ago and it's still running perfectly. We have another that's a few years old, and the warranty expired ages ago. They're both Dells, and both still run well. I know that a computer doesn't just die, and even if the hard drives are weak and die, they can always be replaced and the computer will last for years more.

 

I think there are a lot of factors that depend on how long a laptop will last. First, the quality of the item. Some hardware brands are better than others. I personally am a fan of HP and Lenovo. Also, it really depends on how you take care of it. It’s important not to leave it plugged in constantly as it will cause the battery to burn out. Likewise, taking care of the software of the computer by freeing up space and running anti-virus programs will help prolong the life of it.

 

I don't think that this is true. At least it hasn't been true in my experience. I have had my laptop for much longer than the warranty, and on top of that I had an accident with it where I spilled a cup of hot chocolate all over the keyboard, and it still works perfectly. The only thing I have to do is reformat it once a year, and everything remains great.

 

Hmm that would be truly worrying and disturbing! For the amount of money we pay towards these appliances, they should be designed to last a lot longer. I can't say I've noticed that with mine, though. BUT I do know that when I used to work for a giant multi-national appliance manufacturer, a very well-known brand that I daren't mention here, a lot of clients seemed to always start having problems with their machines around the time their warranties were coming to an end or shortly after. I always found that very odd, but left it at that.

 

I have been more than a little suspicious about various items that I have bought in the past that just so happened to break just after they were out of warranty. However, the laptop that I have at the moment only had a 1 year warranty on it, and it is still running strong after a period of 5 years, so I would suggest that it isn't always the case. It was an expensive laptop, but I think it has more than paid for itself in total now.