There are some products in which I feel that it is absolutely crucial to invest in these extended warranties. With Digital cameras and camcorders, digital TV's, car stereos, for example, I would call it a necessity. Computers and laptops, however, absolutely not.
I know of at least three instances in recent history where the big blue and gold would sell their extended "dork" squad warranty with a machine, but their victims would find their "protection plan" absolutely useless when it came to problems with their machines. Their warranty would cover them had it been something like "hard drive crapped out" or system board failure. Most people, however, don't have hardware related problems with their machines. Their illustrious bloatware security suite that comes with their computer offers no long term protection, and let's face it, about 75-90% of computer users just don't browse smart.
So after about three months of owning your machine, and your internet security software expires, most people start to become exposed to threats on their machine. eventually there's some kind of virus or malware program that brings your system to a screeching hault, and when you take it back to the "store" for "warranty repair," SUPRISE! You're not covered for that. I actually heard some moron on the other side of the counter tell one of my clients that they wanted to charge her $130 to completely reformat her hard drive and reinstall the factory image. (Blog about this coming soon.)
So what about protection for your computer? I fully believe in purchasing extended warranties for your new computer or laptop. I just believe in buying them from the manufacturer of my computer. For example, I can purchase, from Hewlett Packard a warranty extension, (total two years from purchase date,) that includes accident coverage (drops, spills, etc.) for 249.99, and with this coverage HP will come get it from me, and bring it to me when they're done. They also assist with virus and spyware removal. Without the accident protection, an add on year (total two years from purchase date) costs about $170. Your manufacturer will sell you an extended warranty on your product regardless of from where you purchased it.
