Question on how to protect a new T43.

[Toe]

Hello,

My boss is looking into getting a new T43, and he wants to know his baby is protected.


So my question is:

Which is better for the price, the "Protection plan" or "The ThinkPlus ServicePac"?

Assume there is no discount, and everything is as it appears on the IBM site.......

Thanks once again for your help!
Toe

[c333]

It all depends on the situation. If your boss regularly travels with it, or otherwise handles it in a way that might have the laptop prone to damage, I would recommend the Protection Plan, which protects against:

"accidental damage during normal use, such as drops or falls, electrical surges, liquid spills and damage to the LCD display."

BUT NOT:

"theft, loss, fire, misuse, intentional acts, and certain other events"

If your boss just uses it at his desk, or travels with it lightly keeping it encased (I recommend double: a laptop sleeve and a laptop bag/backback) then the Protection Plan is probably not the best.

The warranty is different. All laptops actually have a DECREASING failure rate. That is, on average 10% of laptops will fail within the first year, 5% within the second year, and 3% within the third year. So, if it makes it past a year, you're probably safe! If your boss can deal with down time, the regular warranty is fine, just ship it to them. If not, I would get the onsite service. My recommendation would be 1 year onsite protection (remeber, after a year it's probably not goin to break unless you mishandle it, and you still have the base warranty) and if you need it, a 2 year Protection Plan. But, that gets expensive. You could use the money for a 2 year Protection Plan for a new laptop or just save it to buy any parts you need (if the keyboard breaks, it about $30, but if the screen breaks, it about $350, so take your chances)