"Barry Watzman" <WatzmanNOSPAM@neo.rr.com> wrote in message
news:456ba34c$0$13644$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
> Yes, one year is the standard warranty.
>
> Note that SOME extended warranties may cover the battery (over $200, and
> quite possibly will go bad in the warranty period). Others cover
> "accidental" damage (you drop the laptop, or you spill liquid on the
> keyboard, or you somehow crack the LCD screen). Neither the battery nor
> accidental damage is ever covered by the factory warranty.
>
> Repairs to a laptop can be very expensive. If you have to replace a
> motherboard or an LCD screen out of warranty, it may cost more than the
> cost of a new laptop. Either a new motherboard or a new screen can cost
> more than $600.
>

I can't speak for the US, but here in the UK, many extended warranties
contain a clause that they will only cover the cost of repairs up to the
current market value of the item. Once the cost exceeds that market value,
you not only don't get a repair, but you don't get the market value either.
The rapid depreciation in value of laptops after sale makes such warranties
fairly worthless.

Personally, I never buy any extended warranty, but prefer to pay £30-40 into
a savings account. I pay for *all* my repairs from that account, and it
still has a balance of nearly £2000 at present. This alone demonstrates
that extended warranties are the great rip off that they are.