We each have Dell laptops in our family. LOVE them.
Mine is about 4 yrs old Dell XPS M1210, never an issue, I have full coverage. Anytime I have an issue or question, I just call service and they walk me through it. It is loaded, even with a webcam preinstalled.
Daughter's is a Dell Latitude, it about 3 yrs old, she is 16. It works great for her personal use as well as her homework. She routinely watches movies on it, does homework research, presentations, etc. Due to how teens care for things sometimes, her hinges became loose. She too is covered 100%. I called Dell, they sent a rep to my house and he repaired her laptop on the spot. No issues since.
Hubby's is a newer model, don't remember the model, it is red, lightweight, his disc drive is separate which is not an issue for him. Again, he is also covered 100%. He had a key on the keyboard keep sticking, called Dell, the same rep came out and replaced his keyboard.
We love our Dells, the service has been superior.
We purchased mine and daughter's online through Dell. Hubby got his at Best Buy. We love Best Buy too.
Priving has dropped drastically since we bought ours. Mine was in the $3000 range, daughter's around $2500 and hubby's was less than $1000 all with loaded warranties, software, etc.