Ailing computer: repair or replace?

Remember the opening scene of Night of the Living Dead? A young woman and her brother are visiting their grandfather's plot in a graveyard. A creepy pale-faced dude approaches them, and the screaming begins.

That's how I feel when I check my investments these days. Horrified, shocked, appalled, doomed. I'm not alone, of course. Everyone else I know feels pretty much the same.

Acute anxiety over the economy makes it tough to part with whatever funds you still have. Still, laptops are impervious to your financial woes. When they feel like misbehaving, crashing, or expiring completely, they do it. You're left to figure out the least expensive solution: Repair the laptop or buy a new one?

What's the Problem?

Before you take action on an ailing laptop, find out exactly what the problem is. Sometimes a little common-sense deductive logic will uncover the issue.

If you can't figure out the problem, ask a tech-savvy friend or relative, or an IT person at work, for their opinion. Otherwise, you may need to take the computer to a repair shop for an estimate. The diagnosis may cost you US$50 to $70 or so, depending upon the shop, where you live, and so on. Some repair shops will waive the diagnostic fee if they make the repairs.

Repair or Replace?

Once you have a diagnosis and an estimate, how do you decide if the repair is worth the money? Answering these questions will help:

What would a new laptop cost? Some say that if the repair cost is more than one-third the cost of a relatively comparable, brand-new laptop, your money is better spent on the new computer repair canada. Consumer Reports says if the repair is over half the cost of a replacement machine, don't repair it.

Here's another way to look at it: Would a replacement laptop offer you at least two important features or benefits your ailing portable doesn't? Examples might include a lighter weight, longer battery life, a built-in Webcam or cellular modem, or an ExpressCard slot. If so, that should factor into your decision.

How old is your laptop? Consumer Reports says spending money to repair a laptop five years old or older isn't worth it. Laptops three or four years old are a toss-up. Anything under two years is generally worth repairing. In general, I'd agree.

How significant is the problem? If the main logic board of your laptop has failed, that's pretty serious, and it may not be worth repairing. Other problems, such as a failed hard drive, may be a hassle to deal with but will cost only a few hundred dollars to fix.

Are you sure your warranty can't be extended? Some electronics manufacturers have been known to extend a warranty for free, if it expired not too long ago. Or you may be able to extend an expired warranty for an additional cost. Also, keep in mind many credit card companies automatically double or extend a manufacturer's warranty. So you may already be covered and not know it. Don't spend money on repairs until you're absolutely sure the laptop's warranty is kaput.

source: http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;818986168;fp;4;fpid;772452