Like a television set or a refrigerator, laptop manufacturers don't really want you monkeying around inside their units. What you buy is pretty much what you get. Don't like your laptop's case color? Buy a new laptop! Is screen too small? Buy a new laptop! Keyboard too clunky and you can't type comfortably? Buy a new laptop! Hate that tiny, little red pointer "dot" or can't get hang of a glide point? Buy a new laptop!

Laptop replacement parts for average Joe are expensive, hard to come by and tough to work with. Trust me on this. Imagine lots of itty-bitty screws and tiny plastic parts and that's just opening case. Since you are not an authorized dealer you will spend hours online tracking down spec sheets, part numbers and used/new laptop components. The word "labor-intensive" is not applied lightly.

You get picture. All those things could be easily modified or changed on a regular old desktop with a quick trip to your local electronic superstore. And I won't go in short battery-life, slow processing speed and overheating issues some laptops have, article is just too short for that.

Anyway, TechDiva recommend's..

Unless you have to have one for work or study I would say why spend cash? For same amount of moo-la it would take to get an average laptop, you could have a superior new desktop or two older "legacy" machines (you know ones, just one or two years old). But if you just like working on a computer while sitting in bed, or sitting in living room, why buy it?

Part of DIY mindset is learning to conserve your money for those important technology functions which push your business to greater productivity (i.e. profits), not just get a cool new toy or gadget to impress your pals.

Even bad poetry doesn't help. I just love a company that doesn't pester me by answering phone.

I call this "Invisible Man customer service".

In end, we choose a third company. To what does it owe winning bid? Excellent quality? No. Great price? No. Strong guarantee? No? Answering their phone? Yes.

We hire best paperwork fillers to renovate our ductwork – and we cross our fingers that we never have to choose a heart surgeon that way.

I call this "present-at-attendance customer service".

Our pest control company showed us a different approach.

"Honey, flies are getting in house. Time to call Pest Control Guy."

"OK, I'll do it right after I answer phone. Hello?

"Hello, this is Pest Control Guy. When would you like your annual pest controlling?"

"How did you know? Well, as soon as possible. Hold on, that's door bell."

"Hello, this is Pest Control Guy."

"But, you were just on phone."

"You said ASAP, so here I am."

I call this "customer service on steroids".

If you own a business, run a family or do anything that brings you into contact with other human beings, please take note. One of these customer service styles is actually good.

"Hello, this is Pest Control Guy."

OK, that's enough. We don't have pests in this column.

"Hello, this is Pest Control Guy."

By way, if you want to provide feedback to this column, I'll be holding my hands over my ears and singing Klingon national anthem. I call that "satirical customer service."

"Hello, this is..." SWAT!

(Please email me at Info@TheHappyGuy.com if you have any customer service stories you would like to see in a future column.)