<p>I don’t think Duke OIT services the machines onsite. They can do diagnostics and software troubleshooting at the OIT helpdesk, but they do send off your computer to an offsite service center. When I worked there last year, the typical turnaround time is 3 days. They first ship it off to a local Duke-run service center where I think they do minor repairs and stuff. But for major things (like your mobo going belly up), I think they send it to the manufacturer. </p>
<p>The real convenience of the Duke warranty is that it pairs the onsite services (software, problem ID, delivery) with the 3 year warranty. So you can basically drop your computer off at the helpdesk in the BC and come back in a couple of days to get it. None of that going to Fedex/UPS, shipping it off, waiting around for it to be delivered, etc etc. </p>
<p>Of course, all of that doesn’t come cheaply. I’d say, on average, a computer bought through TAP will run you about $400-500 more than a comparably spec-ed machine CTOed directly from the OEM. That’s just a little more than what you’d pay for the same warranty (minus onsite stuff) when you buy the notebook CTO. </p>
<p>Note: the onsite services like software issues and diagnostics should be free and available for all students. The TAP benefits only kicks in when you need actual repairs (say…a new harddrive). Then if you have the TAP warranty, OIT will take care of it for you for free, but if you don’t then you’d need to deal with the computer company directly (20 minute holds, followed by an enlightening convo with an Indian tech with a heavy accent).</p>