Laptop insurance: should I buy it for my new high performance laptop?

[Soul Reputation]

I just bought a laptop that cost a lot of money. It has an 18 inch monitor and other assorted bells and whistles. The manufacturer, HP, offers accidental insurance coverage. Do not confuse accidental insurance coverage with hardware or software technical support coverage for things like viruses or troubleshooting a blank monitor or a Blue Screen of Death. I use my computer primarily (75%) for work and school. If you were me (and no, I don't have a lot of disposable income to spend) would you buy an accidental coverage policy?

HP charges $250 for two years of coverage. Here's what HP's accidental coverage policy covers:

1) Protection from damage caused by drops, spills, and electrical surges
2) Convenient door-to-door PC pickup and return with roundtrip shipping included

 

[nickbits]

Personally I would not.

 

[krnmastersgt]

Misread description, definitely something I wish I could have gotten on my HP Pavillion.

I'm honestly surprised companies still offer it considering how many people would have "accidents" near the end of their warranty periods for fresh products.

 

[Winterpool]

Often, damage to computers is covered under homeowner / renter insurance -- that's something worth investigating. Of course such a policy would presumably not apply to damage incurred outside the home.

My MacBook Pro originally retailed at $2500; I bought it for closer to $1500 in November, but I personally value it much higher (at this point I don't know if there's a $1500 MacBook I would esteem as highly). Apple doesn't offer accident coverage, just an extended Apple Care warranty. I'd almost certainly pay for accident coverage if it were available through Apple.

A lot of it will depend on your usage patterns. If you take it to university but only in classroom settings, it may not seem as necessary. Libraries, cafes, dining halls on the other hand...

 

[corkyg]

A lot of that depends on you - your habits, your exposure to risks, etc. Personally, I never put money into such a warranty or insurance. I would take that same $250 and put it away and every year, add to it. If you take care of your stuff, at the end of its useful l;ife (say, 5 years) you could have a nice nest egg towards your next laptop.

My logic also includes this - companies would not offer it were it not profitable for them. If it is profitable for them, it is not profitable for me. I am now on my 6th laptop since 1993, and have never damaged one so as to need costly repair. Following my own discipline, the cash for my next system is ready and waiting.

 

[bruceb]

I myself have a Toshiba Satellite 1415-S105 from late 2002 / early 2003 .. It still works. Only things I did to it were add more RAM and a larger hard drive due to out of space.