Repair or Replace?
Posted on 02-22-08
It’s a frequent client call: “Can you repair my workstation?”
A client recently asked us to reload Windows 98 on a 7-year-old workstation with a known power supply problem. Another client wanted to replace a cracked screen on notebook purchased four years earlier. Still another was looking for a memory upgrade on a 5-year-old workstation. The list goes on and on.
We do our best to talk clients out of these types of repairs and upgrades–even if it makes us look like the bad guy. In a recent situation where the client insisted, we spent over $500 in labor trying to repair a 4+-year-old workstation. We finally resolved the issue by refusing to continue, and referred the customer to another company.
Unless the resolution is well defined, repairing a workstation beyond warranty coverage is usually not cost-effective. Patching up old technology results in a workstation that is still . . . old technology. The $300 - $500 spent in the repair effort goes a long way toward the replacement of the item, providing the latest technology (faster and more powerful) and a new warranty.
When it comes to notebook computers, this general rule is even stronger. If the notebook is out of warranty, don’t spend money repairing.
Some may say our philosophy is too costly, but experience tells us once an older PC or notebook begins to show problems, things go downhill pretty fast. And don’t forget the costs associated with downtime and poor computer performance. This should also factor into your decision to repair or replace.
Author: Kent Hamilton
