When we buy a laptop, there's a long list of parameters we usually consider, such as the size of the screen, the processor and RAM inside, storage size, and the price tag attached. We rate laptops with newer processors higher. We believe 4K is better than Full HD. While many of those beliefs of ours may be true, we tend to gloss over the after-sales service offered by any given laptop brand. No matter how good the laptop is, a bad after-sales service can leave a bad taste in your mouth. Conversely, a good after-sales service can leave a positive impression of the brand in general.
More often than not, we forget altogether about after-sales support that when the time have a laptop fixed or upgraded comes, we struggle to find support in the area around us. This then gives us an excuse to have the laptop serviced by an unauthorised service provider, which can cause more damage to the device in the long run. Here are some clever ways to ensure that that doesn't happen. We begin by treating good after-sales support as an important feature of the laptop.
Nearest authorised serivce centre
Identify the nearest authorised service for the laptop you're planning to buy. This means visiting the official website of the manufacturer and locating the nearest service centre. This step should happen before you buy your laptop. Big brands have service centres sprawled across the country. If you're not finding an authorised service centre anywhere close to you, it might make more sense in choosing a different make and model.
Extended warranty
Some manufacturers offer a warranty for longer than the industry-standard one-year period. It's a good idea to take it if the offer seems good. Sometimes these annual maintenance contract (AMC) plans work out to be cheaper than replacing a single component within the laptop once in three or four years. Since this can only be judged on a case-by-case basis, it's important to read and understand the terms of the warranty clause.
Bundled self-diagnosis apps
Most laptop manufacturers ship laptops with a list of bundled apps. In most cases, one of those bundled apps is a self-diagnosis tool that has access to the laptop's serial number, BIOS version, and battery status. Such apps can be used to diagnose the problem in the laptop, sparing you a visit to the nearby service centre. It's good to know if the laptop you're planning to get has such software. These self-diagnosis apps can in addition tell you if your laptop has the latest drivers and patches installed.
Modularity
Some laptop models are more modular in design than others, which aids upgradability. While Thin and Light laptops tend to be less modular, mainstream laptops tend to be more modular. What that means is that less modular designs will face difficulty in having their internal components upgraded. More specifically, RAM and storage upgrades may be harder.
Laptops designed to be more modular and upgradeable usually feature one or even two RAM slots and an easily accessible hard drive caddy. Some models even have separate doors for upgrading RAM, making it easy for the user to replace the RAM chips by themselves without voiding the warranty. This level of modularity is something to consider while buying your next laptop.
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Vignesh Giridharan
Progressively identifies more with the term ‘legacy device’ as time marches on. View Full Profile
