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ABS COMPUTER TECHNOLOGIES
| Plan |
Price* |
Term |
Accidental-Damage Protection (ADP) |
Onsite Repair/ Return-to-Depot Service |
Free Online Knowledge Base |
Toll-Free Phone Support Hours |
E-Mail Support/ Live Chat |
Editor's Take |
| Standard Warranty |
Free |
One year |
No |
No/yes |
Yes |
11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. (ET) |
Yes/no |
Marred by limited phone hours. Plan includes online help forum, but no live chat. |
| Plan |
Price* |
Term |
Accidental-Damage Protection (ADP) |
Onsite Repair/ Return-to-Depot Service |
Free Online Knowledge Base |
Toll-Free Phone Support Hours |
E-Mail Support/ Live Chat |
Editor's Take |
| Limited Warranty |
Free |
One year |
No |
No/yes |
Yes |
24 hours daily (90 days) |
Yes/yes (90 days) |
Apple's massive knowledge base is one of the best in the biz, but skimpy 90-day support is a real bummer. |
| AppleCare Protection Plan |
$149 to $349 |
Three years |
No |
Yes (desktops)/yes |
Yes |
24 hours daily |
Yes/yes |
A necessity for all but the bravest to bolster the standard, measly 90 days of support. Covers hardware and software. |
| Plan |
Price* |
Term |
Accidental-Damage Protection (ADP) |
Onsite Repair/ Return-to-Depot Service |
Free Online Knowledge Base |
Toll-Free Phone Support Hours |
E-Mail Support/ Live Chat |
Editor's Take |
| Limited Warranty |
Free |
One year (notebooks); three years (desktops) |
No |
No/yes |
No |
24 hours daily |
Yes/no |
Cyberpower doesn't sell an extended plan, but the free limited warranty provides decent long-term protection. But the company doesn稚 cover shipping costs for depot repairs. |
| Plan |
Price* |
Term |
Accidental-Damage Protection (ADP) |
Onsite Repair/ Return-to-Depot Service |
Free Online Knowledge Base |
Toll-Free Phone Support Hours |
E-Mail Support/ Live Chat |
Editor's Take |
| Limited Warranty |
Free |
90 days |
No |
Yes/yes |
Yes |
24 hours daily (one year) |
Yes/yes |
Onsite repair and one year of phone support don稚 justify this plan's paltry 90-day term. |
| Extended Services Plan |
$19 and up |
One to four years |
No |
Yes/yes |
Yes |
24 hours daily |
Yes/yes |
Three- and four-year plans include global support for laptops and additional onsite-repair hours. |
| CompleteCare Agreement |
$59 (desktops); $79 to $199 (notebooks) |
One to four years |
Yes |
Yes/yes |
Yes |
24 hours daily |
Yes/yes |
Nicely priced plan has some caveats: doesn稚 cover all components, and notebooks require at least a three-year contract. |
| Plan |
Price* |
Term |
Accidental-Damage Protection (ADP) |
Onsite Repair/ Return-to-Depot Service |
Free Online Knowledge Base |
Toll-Free Phone Support Hours |
E-Mail Support/ Live Chat |
Editor's Take |
| International Limited Warranty |
Free |
One year |
No |
No/yes |
Yes |
24 hours daily |
Yes/yes |
Solid, no-frills coverage provides peace of mind for one year, but doesn稚 include shipping costs for depot repairs. |
| Extended Warranty |
$99.95 (one year); $179.95 (two years) |
One year; two years |
No |
No/yes |
Yes |
24 hours daily |
Yes/yes |
Note: This warranty extension must be activated within 30 days of the date of notebook purchase. |
| Executive Mobile Service |
$49.95 (one year); $149.95 (three years) |
One year; three years |
No |
Yes/yes |
Yes |
24 hours daily |
Yes/yes |
Adds onsite repair but no damage protection; must buy two-year extended warranty with the three-year contract. |
| Plan |
Price* |
Term |
Accidental-Damage Protection (ADP) |
Onsite Repair/ Return-to-Depot Service |
Free Online Knowledge Base |
Toll-Free Phone Support Hours |
E-Mail Support/ Live Chat |
Editor's Take |
| Value Plan |
Free to $149.99 (desktops); free to $229 (notebooks) |
One to four years |
No |
No/yes |
Yes |
24 hours daily |
Yes/yes |
Basic warranty falls short, with just 90 days of free support. For additional coverage, the Value Plus Plan is a better buy. |
| Value Plus Plan |
$99.99 to $139.99 (desktops); $99.99 to $299.99 (notebooks) |
One to four years |
No |
Yes/yes |
Yes |
24 hours daily |
Yes/yes |
Value Plan upgrade adds onsite repair—and includes advanced live chat with tech-support reps who can view, control, and troubleshoot your PC over the Web. |
| Total Protection Plan |
$149.99 to $259.99 (desktops); $99.99 to $199.99 (notebooks) |
One to four years |
Yes (notebooks only) |
Yes/yes |
Yes |
24 hours daily |
Yes/yes |
Speedy tech-support options and next-day onsite repair are standout features, but at this price, notebook-only damage-protection limits the appeal for desktop users. |
| Plan |
Price* |
Term |
Accidental-Damage Protection (ADP) |
Onsite Repair/ Return-to-Depot Service |
Free Online Knowledge Base |
Toll-Free Phone Support Hours |
E-Mail Support/ Live Chat |
Editor's Take |
| Basic Warranty |
Free |
One year |
No |
No/yes |
Yes |
24 hours daily |
Yes/no |
Knowledge base is impressive, but lack of support via online chat weakens this basic support plan. |
| Extended Service Plan |
$99.99 to $219.99 (desktops); $99.99 to $179.99 (notebooks) |
Two years; three years |
No |
No/yes |
Yes |
24 hours daily |
Yes/no |
Covers displays purchased on same invoice as PC, and notebooks get express three-day repair, but we壇 like either damage protection or onsite service at this price. |
| HP House Call for Desktops |
$199.99 to $269.99 |
Two years |
No |
Yes/yes |
Yes |
24 hours daily |
Yes/yes |
Plan only applies to eligible desktops and Media Center PCs; includes live chat. |
| Accidental Damage Protection Extended Service Plan |
$149.99 to $199.99 (desktops); $99.99 to $349.99 (notebooks) |
One to three years |
Yes |
No/yes |
Yes |
24 hours daily |
Yes/no |
Adds damage protection to Extended Service Plan package, but plan doesn稚 cover damage from user wear and tear. Must be bought within one year of PC purchase date. |
| Plan |
Price* |
Term |
Accidental-Damage Protection (ADP) |
Onsite Repair/ Return-to-Depot Service |
Free Online Knowledge Base |
Toll-Free Phone Support Hours |
E-Mail Support/ Live Chat |
Editor's Take |
| Limited Warranty (Desktops) |
Free |
One year |
No |
Yes/yes |
No |
Mon to Fri, 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. (ET) |
Yes/no |
Limited phone-support hours, and no online knowledge base, but iBuypower includes onsite service. |
| Limited Warranty (Notebooks) |
Free |
One year |
No |
No/yes |
No |
Mon to Fri, 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. (ET) |
Yes/no |
Average notebook coverage weakened by limited tech-support options. |
| Depot Service Warranty (Notebooks) |
$29 |
One year |
No |
No/yes |
No |
Mon to Fri, 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. (ET) |
Yes/no |
To cover shipping costs for repairs, notebook buyers should shell out the $29 for this plan. |
| Extended Warranty (Desktops) |
$49 (two years); $79 (three years) |
Two years; three years |
No |
Yes/yes |
No |
Mon to Fri, 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. (ET) |
Yes/no |
Great price, but use onsite support carefully—there's a $165 service charge for software problems. |
| Plan |
Price* |
Term |
Accidental-Damage Protection (ADP) |
Onsite Repair/ Return-to-Depot Service |
Free Online Knowledge Base |
Toll-Free Phone Support Hours |
E-Mail Support/ Live Chat |
Editor's Take |
| Limited Warranty (Desktops) |
Free |
One to four years |
No |
Yes/yes |
Yes |
24 hours daily |
Yes/no |
Terms vary greatly from model to model; some plans offer mail-in instead of onsite service. |
| Limited Warranty (Notebooks) |
Free |
90 days to four years |
No |
Yes/yes |
Yes |
24 hours daily |
Yes/no |
Aside from a few models with 90-day terms, notebooks get better-than-average coverage here. |
| Warranty Service Upgrade (Desktops) |
$35 to $293 |
One to four years |
No |
Yes/yes |
Yes |
24 hours daily |
Yes/no |
The most-expensive upgrades provide long coverage plus 24/7, same-day onsite service. |
| Warranty Service Upgrade (Notebooks) |
$49 to $549 |
One to five years |
Yes |
Yes/yes |
Yes |
24 hours daily |
Yes/no |
Lenovo's willingness to cover notebooks for five years is reassuring. Upgrade options include damage protection plans. |
| Plan |
Price* |
Term |
Accidental-Damage Protection (ADP) |
Onsite Repair/ Return-to-Depot Service |
Free Online Knowledge Base |
Toll-Free Phone Support Hours |
E-Mail Support/ Live Chat |
Editor's Take |
| Basic Warranty |
Free |
Varies by model |
No |
No/yes |
Yes |
24 hours daily (one year) |
Yes/no |
Parts coverage is based on individual manufacturers� warranties; five years of labor coverage for PCs $1,000 and up. |
| Enhanced Basic Warranty |
3 percent of price (one year); 8 percent of price (three years) |
One year; three years |
No |
Yes/yes |
Yes |
24 hours daily |
Yes/no |
Depending on the price of your PC, this plan option can cost a bundle—plus, it requires the purchase of an onsite-service contract. No knowledge base. |
| Plan |
Price* |
Term |
Accidental-Damage Protection (ADP) |
Onsite Repair/ Return-to-Depot Service |
Free Online Knowledge Base |
Toll-Free Phone Support Hours |
E-Mail Support/ Live Chat |
Editor's Take |
| Limited Warranty |
Free |
One year |
No |
No/yes |
Yes |
24 hours daily |
Yes/yes |
Solid limited warranty enhanced by superior knowledge base and live-chat support. |
| Express Ship (Notebooks) |
$124.99 to $429.99 |
One to four years |
No |
No/yes |
Yes |
24 hours daily |
Yes/yes |
Sony痴 most basic warranty extension for notebooks, this plan shoulders express shipping costs for depot repairs. |
| Onsite Service (Desktops) |
$149.99 to $379.99 |
Two to five years |
No |
Yes/yes |
Yes |
24 hours daily |
Yes/yes |
Covers lightning damage if your surge protector fails, but no complete damage-protection plan is offered. |
| Onsite Service with ADP (Notebooks) |
$199.99 to $439.99 |
Two to four years |
Yes |
Yes/yes |
Yes |
24 hours daily |
Yes/yes |
Pricey but well-rounded package covers all the bases for long-term laptop protection. |
| Plan |
Price* |
Term |
Accidental-Damage Protection (ADP) |
Onsite Repair/ Return-to-Depot Service |
Free Online Knowledge Base |
Toll-Free Phone Support Hours |
E-Mail Support/ Live Chat |
Editor's Take |
| Limited Warranty |
Free |
90 days to three years |
No |
No/yes |
Yes |
24 hours daily |
No/no |
Best to upgrade if you池e stuck with a skimpy 90-day term. No live-chat or e-mail support. |
| At-Home Repair |
$79 to $169 |
One year; three years |
No |
Yes/yes |
Yes |
24 hours daily |
No/no |
Same coverage as limited warranty, but with onsite support; a better deal when purchased with an extension. |
| SystemGuard Accidental Damage Coverage |
$99 to $178 |
One year; three years |
Yes |
No/yes |
Yes |
24 hours daily |
No/no |
Well-priced damage-protection plan is offered in more term lengths when bundled with a warranty extension and/or at-home repair. |
| Extended Warranty |
$99 to $399 |
One to four years |
No |
No/yes |
Yes |
24 hours daily |
No/no |
Most expensive for Qosmio laptops; for extra protection, consider adding the accidental-damage- protection plan. |
| Plan |
Price* |
Term |
Accidental-Damage Protection (ADP) |
Onsite Repair/ Return-to-Depot Service |
Free Online Knowledge Base |
Toll-Free Phone Support Hours |
E-Mail Support/ Live Chat |
Editor's Take |
| Limited Warranty |
Free |
One to three years |
No |
Yes/yes |
Yes |
Mon to Fri, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sat, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
Yes/yes |
Phone-support hours aren稚 the best, but user-friendly live chat and up to three years of free onsite service can稚 be beat. |
| VelocityCare |
Free; $49 to $79 (varies by model) |
One to three years |
No |
Yes/yes |
Yes |
24 hours daily |
Yes/yes |
This plan rounds out limited-warranty features with 24/7 phone hours; comes free with most models. |
* = Prices subject to change.
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