What I can say is bullshit.

Inverter air-cond does save electricity if you use it rightly.

If you installed undersized inverter air-cond in a large room, surely you save zero money.

Servicing is more costly, because of more environmental gas being used R410A), and large copper piping as compared mostly still using old R22 gas.
Details about the gas.
http://singapore-aircon-r410a.blogspot.com/

When air-con breakdown, generally people bought a new set (both indoor&compressor), I seldom come across got people bought only either 1 unit of compressor or indoor blower to replace.

If within warrant period 5 years for compressor, the manufacturers is the one replace the faulty unit, not you to find one.

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Added on December 25, 2010, 12:14 pmConsideration to take into account whether to choose inverter or not
1. The size of your room vs air-cond capacity.
If you are using undersized air-cond, basic one is better.
But undersized air-cond could mean wasting electricity, disregard inverter or non-inverter.

2. How you are going to use it? 1 hour per day, 10 hours per day? If 1 hour per day, the saving is negligible as compared higher cost you paid for inverter vs basic one.
For eg. you paid extra Rm200, and you are saving Rm2 per month as you use only 1 hour per day, then you need 100 month to recoup back the higher cost paid.

3. Whether you have existing piping or not. Most pre-installed air-cond piping are not cater for inverter usage.

4. Environmental consideration, R22 vs R410A. You are actually helping to make the earth more green by using a more expensive R410A, as well as inverter saved (if operated at right condition), by using less electricity.

5. reliability, until we have enough statistic to show, to proof, it is hard to conclude anything on it.
We cannot said, if we seen there are some inverter air-cond breakdown after month of installation then conclude inverter has poor reliability.

As it is new to most, (even after years of it coming out), so it is quite norm, more eye and scrutiny on it.
Just like when there is airplane crash down once a while, everyone said airplane is a very dangerous transportation, obvious it will be the headline news.
But there are many many road accident that kill every hour, but people don't highlight it is as dangerous as airplane.

Until we have full statistic, and more and more people using it and feedback on it, we cannot conclude anything from it.

Sometimes, poor installation, poor installation/servicing can be the culprit as well. Compressor installation position can be crucial sometimes.

I had met once an installer, putting a wrong location, let the compressor sitting in the place that rain can easily reached while, there is another adjourn place that is sheltered away from rain position.
For sure, this compressor is more prompt to breakdown, spoilt, corroded as compared the one away from rain everyday.

Most installers are well-equiped and well trained in basic installation, as everyone already familiar with it.

While for inverter, there may some installer are not well-tranined or not get use to it.
So there may increase change of wrongly installation as well.

We have internet now. Do some research and understand it.

Inverter aircon is not new tech. Million of million people in first world counttry have been using it for many many yrs. Do they tell us that this inverter not recommend?

Old people have technology resistance. Cause still unknown to them. Even when you old, you too will have this phobia. Or is it our third world mind?

How you know your room size is enough for 1hp? Do you have some fomula to sizing? Or wild guess?

I only know there is a standard rule of word (among the installer)
1 HP is for 12 x 12 feet room.

But actual fact is all about BTU of the air-cond as different brand of air-cond deliver different BTU despite all are rated at 1HP.

BTU required = 12 x 12 x (60~80) (factor which can be varied due to room condition, like insulation, people etc, poor insulation mean higher number, just a rough guess/estimate)

If we take 60.
Then the room require 12 x 12 x 60 = 8640 BTU.

Most 1 HP has no problem to have this BTU.