Extended Warranties and Dusting

[David Kramer]

On 11/14/2010 09:41 AM, Mark Woodward wrote:
> We all know that “extended warranties” are a suckers bet. The company 
> offering the warranty has done the actuarial analysis and calculated the 
> probability of failure, cost of replacement/repair, the likelihood 
> people will claim after a period of time, and etc. In short, an 
> “extended warranty” is by definition probably not your best investment 
> unless you are particularly abusive to your belongings or fairly unlucky.
> 
> So, if I pay $19.99 for the extended warranty, I'd probably never use it 
> because if the card failed, I'd need a replacement sooner than I could 
> realistically get one. Even if I could, at most, it appears I would have 
> saved about $20 by paying $19.99 two years ago. Granted inflation is 
> pretty stable, but I'm pretty sure that 2008 $19.99 is worth more today 
> in 2010. It hardly seems worth the trouble.

(putting on Management Major hat for a minute)

It's not just the value of the dollar, it's the opportunity cost, which
means "what else could you have done with that $20 yourself in the 2
years to benefit yourself in some way".  That could mean interest in the
bank, or money saved buying a larger quantity of something, or buying
compressed air in a can or vacuum to clean out your computer so it lasts
longer ;)

> Then there's the question of dusting. Is it even worth dusting? 
> “Dustoff” or similar hydrocarbon sprays are bad for the environment. If 
> you had raw compressed air, that would be better. Maybe a vacuum? The 
> next question is how often would you need to dust and what is the total 
> combined time? How much is your time worth?

(putting on my "I play a sysadmin on TV hat for a minute)

I try to clean out my computer a few times a year.  This is not a
burden, because I also try to power down my computer a few times a year
to make sure it comes back reliably, fscks drives, etc.  I clean it out
while it's powered down.

My Antec Sonata Piano Black case, which I love dearly, has two air
filters I clean at the same time.  They help keep the insides cleaner.
I do used "compressed air" spray, but I don't feel bad about it, because
it adds up to maybe 90 seconds of use a YEAR.  Just like I don't feel
bad about using my 2-stroke edge trimmer/weed wacker because I only use
it like twice a year.

> I don't know. Maybe I'll vacuum out the dust in this card next year. If 
> I remember. If I even have the computer next year. I could be due for an 
> upgrade......

If you have a vacuum that's small enough to get where you need,  but
strong enough to clean out the dust from the blades of a box fan, then
that's much better.  I have not found such a beast though.