‘Exactly out of warranty’: Man’s Acer laptop crashes 3 years—to the day—after purchase. What’s going on?

A man’s Acer Inc. laptop randomly crashed without any explanation, causing confusion as to why the computer died—the reason he thinks his laptop failed? His warranty ended three years prior. Like, to the day.

In a video with more than 90,000 views, TikTok user @black_pegasus_empire told his audience about his computer problems. Showing a receipt from three years prior, the man went on to explain how he was using the computer to work before it went “bang” and crashed. 

Why did the Acer Inc. laptop crash?

There are a number of reasons why an Acer Inc. computer may randomly break. 

Some websites have described Acer Inc. laptops as having “mediocre offerings.” The company has significant issues with performance and build quality despite being consumer friendly. The Taiwanese company makes both budget and mid-range laptops that generally have inconsistent review scores, possibly explaining why the computers may be prone to crash. 

Some TikTok commenters, like @Yvette Tarot, claimed that these computers are made to crash. 

“Things you buy have a tiny chip in it that knows when to malfunction.. So you buy another.. Many people thought I was crazy when I said this many years ago,” one said. 

Others agreed with @Yvette Tarot, claiming that Acer Inc. computers, like other products, will only last until the warranty expires. 

But not so fast.

Do tech companies program their laptops or other devices to crash?

Many people posit that tech companies program tech devices to fail after a certain period. There is evidence to conclude that companies sometimes design their products to fail after the warranty expires. Forbes reported that companies like Dell have short lifespans due to adapter or motherboard issues after a certain period, and many consumers agree that Apple products slow down after a certain period as a sales strategy. 

The term is commonly referred to as "planned obsolescence" which Investopedia defines as “a strategy of deliberately ensuring that the current version of a given product will become out of date or useless within a known time period.”

Planned obsolescence may not always be a deliberate con on consumers, however. Most budget and midrange computers will need replacement after two years because the RAM (Random Access Memory) and processors degrade with time. Computers that come with a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) are also slower than those that come with a Solid Disk Drive (SDD) and eventually wear out. 

Still, Apple reached a settlement for “software throttling,” which refers to the continuous stream of software upgrades the company put out that courts discovered deliberately slowed iPhone devices. 

Is Acer Inc. guilty of planned obsolescence for its laptops? 

The Acer Inc. blog has previously posted about planned obsolescence, discussing its environmental and social impact. However, online forums have openly discussed Acer Inc’s computer quality. Many Acer computer users have stated that the company is guilty of planned obsolescence.

Acer forums report broken hinges and parts for their laptops after using the company’s products for at least more than a year. Acer Swift 3 users report that parts of the laptop, like the microphone, stop working after some time. 

On one forum post to Acer’s community page, user @dissapointed12 stated, “this is now the third time that I need a repair because all other times my problem has not been resolved. Now I can't even reach the consumer service. Is that planned on your site? So that my warranty runs out and I have to pay for it myself?”

@black_pegasus_empire if only I did it yesterday probably still the same result #electrical #laptop #computer #warranty ♬ original sound - Black_Pegasus_Empire

One review leaving a comment on Acer Inc’s Better Business Bureau page said, “Acer has been a family favorite. (It’s been a) go-to for some products, but it feels like they love their planned obsolescence.”

The Daily Dot has reached out to @black_pegasus_empire via TikTok direct message and Acer Inc. for comment.

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The post ‘Exactly out of warranty’: Man’s Acer laptop crashes 3 years—to the day—after purchase. What’s going on? appeared first on The Daily Dot.