G70 Dead after 18 months, and this is my fault?

[SchroderJJ]

This  is unreal. I have a g70-467-CL. I keep it on a cooling pad all the time, and regularly update the software. Last week, it starts SMOKING out the back and shuts down completely. This computer is not that old!!!! Now, they tell me that it is a motherboard failure, and it is my fault because it is did not get updated properly. What the heck? $330 to fix something that is less than two years old?  Not to mention all the software that I spent money on. Thank goodness we could get stuff off the hard drive or I would be even more angry about this. So, now, do I pay for the new motherboard or screw the whole thing and buy a new laptop? I can tell you this, it won't be an HP and I will tell anyone I can not to buy another one. Unbelievable!

[Huffer]

Who is this "they" who said the motherboard fried because you did not do updates? I don't think that is possible. However, I am sure "they" told you a one-year warranty lasts exactly 365 days and no more. Sounds harsh, but its true. Since you can't buy an equivalent laptop for $330, I would go with the new motherboard. You might shop around a bit; you might get it for a bit less if you buy the part and have a local shop do the work, but HP would give you a 90 day warranty on the replacement, I believe. 

[SchroderJJ]

"They" is the customer service tech. Interesting since they have not even seen the computer. I refuse to believe that this is something that should be considered my fault and I now have to pay for it. $330 for a new one and abig fat 90 day warranty? Ridiculous. Are HP laptops now to be considered disposable? That's what it seems like. They make junk, then just give you the "motherboard" answer when it breaks, which of course it will after the  warranty is up, and here I sit with a laptop full of software that I purchased which I will now lose unless I pay their outrageous fee. What a load of garbage

[Huffer]

Well the average life of a laptop is something like 3 years. HP laptops are no better or worse than any others. You are past the one year warranty so they are not going to fix it for free no matter if it is your fault or not. Fault has nothing to do with it. And yes, with new laptops costing as little as $350, they seem to have become disposable items like printers. The cost of repair exceeds the value a lot of times.