Five Questions for the Student to Ask - Before Buying That Laptop

That laptop for school will become essential equipment (more than just for gaming and music). Your class notes are there, along with possible essays, references, email and other “stuff”. In case your laptop breaks down, you want to know these five things:

• where will the machine be serviced?
• what is the expected turn-around time for servicing? - You will need to know how long you will be without your laptop.
• what exactly is covered in the warrantee? - If it has some ambiguous wording like “limited warrantee”, you want a detailed explanation. Ask for an operation definition of the terms. For example, you do not want to be paying for technical services after the problem is diagnosed.
• is shipping covered? - If the service centre is in a distant location, the shipping to have the machine repaired and the shipping back can be a shock. Find out prior to buying that machine.
• is an extended warrantee available? - Sometimes the cost for such a service is reasonable. Often it is not. Some companies will sell the extended warrantee as the owner nears the time limit of the original service plan. The policies differ from company to company. Be a curious consumer.

It may seem odd to be considering laptop problems prior to putting down your hard-earned dollars. However, these questions protect your investment and ease your frustration in case of problems. It is a good way of assessing how well a company does stand behind its products. If you are not happy with some of the responses to these questions, do look elsewhere. Your dream machine may be sold by another computer firm.

Catherine Forsythe

A Painful Reminder for Senator McCain

A year ago, a bridge collapsed in Minnesota. There are several members on the online security community who live in the Minneapolis area. I and many others online just held our collective breaths and hoped that those familiar screen names would pop up on the computer monitor. And they did. All the internet security people who I know survived that tragedy. Thirteen citizens were not as fortunate at that bridge structure.

Failed infrastructure news passes quickly in this age of constant fresh information. Even the ongoing struggle of Katrina victims merits only an occasional mention. Citizens use the roads, bridges, tunnels and other infrastructure with the hope that the Minneapolis bridge collapse does not repeat itself. Agencies like the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials chronicle how bad the situation is:

“…Within the next 15 years almost half of the nation’s bridges will exceed 50 years of age, exceeding the life span for which they were designed. Even now, one in five are over 50.”

link: New AASHTO Bridge report outlines key challenges and offers solutions

It comes as no surprise that money is needed for the repair and upkeep of these vital infrastructures. In this economy, those funds for maintenance are difficult to obtain. One basic source is the federal gas tax. That is a tax at the gas pump designed to help with the cost of fixing and maintaining the roadways. Approximately eighteen cents a gallon goes into this fund. That tax has not been raised since 1993. The cost of fuel would be even greater if this tax was revised and adjusted for inflation.

Senator McCain would like a temporary halt to this gas tax:

“…John McCain repeated his call Thursday in Kansas City for a gas-tax holiday. It’s a stupid idea that would disrupt road projects and give Big Oil another chance to sock it to consumers.”

link: McCain’s gas-tax holiday still a bad idea

This means less money would be available to maintain the roadways and infrastructure. Already there is not enough funds to do the job and Senator McCain’s proposal would mean even less money. Of course, the sound of saving some dollars at the gas station sounds terrific. However, upon closer examination, those temporary savings at the fuel pump means that the roads are even less safe.

On the surface, Senator’s McCain’s proposal looks grand. Who would not like to save a few dollars when filling up the car? It is, though, a campaign strategy to win a few votes at the risk of the personal safety of people using the American road system. - Perhaps there is a bridge in Minneapolis that Senator McCain should see on his next trip through the heartland of America.

Catherine Forsythe