Equipment wear

Due to their portability, laptops are subject to more wear and physical damage than desktops. Components such as screen hinges, latches, power jacksand power cords deteriorate gradually due to ordinary use. A liquid spill onto the keyboard, a rather minor mishap with a desktop system, can damage the internals of a laptop and result in a costly repair. One study found that a laptop is three times more likely to break during the first year of use than a desktop.^[59]

Parts replacement : Original external components are expensive, and usually proprietary and non-interchangeable; other parts are inexpensive—a power jack can cost a few dollars—but their replacement may require extensive disassembly and reassembly of the laptop by a technician. Other inexpensive but fragile parts often cannot be purchased separate from larger more expensive components.^[60] The repair costs of a failed motherboard or LCD panel often exceed the value of a used laptop.