Poll: Do you purchase Apple Care for your computers?

[MacRumors]

Vote: Poll: Do you purchase Apple Care for your computers? (http://www.macpolls.com/?poll_id=116&ref=forums.macrumors.com)

[mac15]

I think its a necessity for any new mac now, I got it with my imac, they 3 year extended warranty is great. Even if you don't use it at all, its always there

[arn]

i've never done it.

My PowerMacs have always held up.... and never felt like it's a real issue.

I bought an iBook... and it doesn't seem to make sense to pay so much on a $1400 computer that might be needing replacement in the next few years anyhow.

arn

[Will Jones]

When I purchase a PowerMac (hopefully sometime before the beginning of the 22nd Century;)) I will also purchase Apple Care.

[AmbitiousLemon]

i think AppleCare is a very poor deal. I never buy warranties on anything i buy. most things will never break. when things do break they usually cost less to fix than the paid warranty or can be fixed by a free warranty. it is so rare that something cost more than the paid warranty that by not purchasing it all the time you save money in the long run. most people dont seem to understand this. would apple offer applecare if it cost them money? of course not. think of this as an insurance policy. insurance companies are smart enough to price the policy such that they make money.

i know many people swear by applecare but these people simply do not understand statistics and how warranties work. i feel sorry for people who claim to always buy applecare, such a large expense.

some people say that the lottery is a tax for people who are not good at math. imo applecare is just another tax for people who are not good at math.

[pimentoLoaf]

If I didn't have an extended CompUSA warranty for my high-end, desktop replacement Toshiba laptop a couple of years ago, I would've been out nearly a thousand when the main system board went kablooey.

"i know many people swear by applecare but these people simply do not understand statistics and how warranties work. i feel sorry for people who claim to always buy applecare, such a large expense."

Out of warranty now, my Toshiba can easily be replaced with a more capable system from Dell at 1/3rd the price -- $1000 vs ~ $3000. But, I won't, as Virtual PC w/Win98 + WinMe OS Pack will do better on a new desktop powerMac to replace the Toshiba and an eight year 6100/66 system.

My new desktop might break, and I can't predict it, any more than I could've predicted my Toshiba would foul. So, I assume something might happen and protect accordingly. You can take a chance because you allow yourself this; many, including me, don't, from experience.

I'll always get extended warranties on CPU's.

[AmbitiousLemon]

im not saying things dont break, im saying statistically the amount of money you pay for repairs will always be less than what you would pay if you purchased warranties on everything you buy.

it is a very basic concept that has made insurance companies very rich. companies purposely price warranties so that they will make a profit off of the. it is not some good hearted service they provide, it is a money making venture for the company.

[medea]

I have never purchased a warranty on any of my electronics, and by chance I have not had to replace any electronics yet. Yeah if I had it and my iMac broke I might think "good thing I had that..." but if I go on without it breaking then it's a waste of money to me, and right now I dont make that much money. Anyways, if in two years my iMac breaks, I'll just replace it with a new more updated version.

[Angelus]

Hey,
I got a new powerbook a few months ago and i was wondering whether or not i should get applecare.Correct me if im wrong but apple gives you 90 days telehone service and a years warranty with any new mac.if you get applecare now with a new mac you will be paying for a year thats free anyway.I'd say wait til you used up your year then consider getting applecare if you really want it.
Hope that helps,
angelus

[synthetickittie]

as for insurance in genral, they dont make it priced so they will make money off of everyone who buys it. They relize the fact that they will have to pay for some computers that break and other will not at all. So basically gueesing about half the people make out on the deal and the other half the insurance companies make out on

[Bear]

Originally posted by Angelus
Hey,
I got a new powerbook a few months ago and i was wondering whether or not i should get applecare.Correct me if im wrong but apple gives you 90 days telehone service and a years warranty with any new mac.if you get applecare now with a new mac you will be paying for a year thats free anyway.I'd say wait til you used up your year then consider getting applecare if you really want it.
Hope that helps,
angelus
Actually the AppleCare extends the warrenty to 3 years from the date of purchase of the equipment it covers, no matter when you buy the AppleCare. But you have to buy the AppleCare and register it before the Mac in question is a year old.

[Bear]

I tend to not buy extended warrenty on electronics, except for computers.

At the very least, I seem to go through an optical drive every year or two. And with LCD screens, getting the ability to replace it when the dead pixels start to annoy you is a good thing.

And also, hard dirves have a nasty habit of going splat when you least expect it.

So, in my experience, it is worth the price of the AppleCare.

Although, if I did ding my PowerBook in a way that wasn't covered by the warrenty, I might consider just buying a new one at that point. Especially if it's been a couple of years since I bought the machine. It depends on the price of the repair of course. Well, it also depends on how much faster and better it is than the one I have.

[macktheknife]

I had the option of adding two years for AppleCare for my TiBook a week ago, and I declined. The price was +$300, and I reasoned that the only way AppleCare would have paid for itself was if my TiBook went kaput within the next year. I will definitely get a new replacement for my TiBook a year from now, so I don't really care what happens to my old one after then.

I think AppleCare is a good deal if you are someone who lugs your laptop around and are usually not the careful type. I don't think AppleCare is worth it for desktops, but it is cheaper. The TiBook I am currently looking at costs about $2,600, and AppleCare for my old TiBook is a little more than 10% of that.

I think I'll just take my chances. :D

[cgmpowers]

Every single iMac I have owned has either been serviced or had to contact Apple extensively for odd problems. I find it very valuable...and wouldn't buy an Apple without it.

iBook KeyLime 20GB.. Apple replaced the display after it became dim, replaced the modem and DVD rom tray at the same time!! Also they keyboard was replaced once too.

iMac G4 800.. I've had extensive OS issues (bluetooth, quicktime, etc) and have spent probably easily several hours on the phone with tech support to ferret out these problems...try doing that and not having Applecare! Also, one of my 3 USB ports is failing and will be taken in sometime next month to get fixed..

iMac G3 600.. I've had problems with airport...a few hours on the phone with them.

iMac G3 500.. Had several problems with the OS and AppleCare people walked me through a lot of it...again, wouldn't have worked w/out AppleCare...I would have been dead in the water.

iMac G3 400.. Had a major problem getting a scanner and printer to work under OS 9 and somehow I trashed my entire OS. This was my 1st Apple Computer. If it wouldn't have been for Apple Care...I probably would have given up and gone back to the PC...

I love my Apple's. I think for the most part they're very great computers but not perfect. Some problems are Apple related but many were my problems dealing with overworking the machines... However, with Apple Care I do not have to worry about finding the problem (or ignoring the problem)...Apple Care is my free Tech Support for 3 years...for what, $150 for 3 years?? I easily have gained from that.

Christopher

p.s. I'd say use your judgement but if its a portable (iBook or Powerbook) then you're really asking for it by NOT getting it...for the display alone, its worth it.

[ArchiMark]

Hi,

Nobody's mentioned it so far but another I've found to get AppleCare has to do with selling your Mac later on.

Since AppleCare is transferrable this adds value to your used Mac when you sell. It also makes the buyer feel a lot better buying a used Mac knowing there's some warranty.

I've sold several Macs and it has definitely made a difference in ease of sale and the price I got.

Also, I have used AppleCare to get some problems taken care of.

Just my 2¢...

Mark

[wdlove]

I purchase the Apple Care. My last Power Mac needed a new hard drive. The current one I've had a lot of software problems, tech support is very helpful. Don't know what I would do if couldn't call Apple!

[springscansing]

I've never had a problem with Apple tech. I called them about a 7600 that never had applecare and they helped me with it anyway.

So no, I'd not purchase applecare, unless I was buying a laptop.

[uhlawboi80]

i never got it for my powerbook. Mainly because it is covered under my renters insurance, which itself is only 65$ a year. I checked and it covers my laptop for theft, damage, spills, drops, just about anything. that and they wouldnt just replace my screen or whatever like apple would and keep my computer for a month. USAA will just cut me a check for 3500 flat out regardless of the replacement cost.

too me this seemed like a much better option.

[yzedf]

laptop/notebook yes.

desktop no.

with the option of waiting until the 1yr orig warranty expires (almost)... you can do the wait and see game for 11+ months.

of course some machines (new iBooks/eMacs) have some bad issues and should have the AppleCare straight away.

[rjrufo]

I only bought an extended warranty on my first computer, a Gateway 2000. I'm glad I did, because they replaced the HD four times, the modem twice, the mother board, and a CD-ROM. And that was all in less than two years. Just before the second year was ending, they said that there was nothing else they could do, even though I still had just over a year left on the extended warranty. I will never buy a Gateway again... Ok, enough of my complaints, and back to the topic.

I bought a TiBook 400MHz just about two years ago, and I've never had a single problem with it. I didn't buy AppleCare with it, and I didn't buy it when I bought the two iMacs recently. I figured that the TiBook prooved to me that Apple produces quality products, and why buy something I'll never use.

I put a good tough year on the TiBook, since I gave up on my HP after almost a year after I bought the TiBook. I used it, on average, 8-10 hours a day, sometimes as much as 16 hours a day. Not even a hic-up.

I'm looking forward to at least four to five years with my iMacs with the same usage, and same track record. (One of them is the one I use, the other is my wife's, and she uses it a little less than I do, maybe 4-6 hours a day.)

[BurgundyI/O]

Bottom Line:

Here is why AppleCare is a good value for consumers...
For 3 years:
- if you EVER have to call in for the smallest issue, you don't pay $49.
- if ANYTHING goes wrong with your machine, aside from accidental damage, you don't pay $329 and up.
- when you DO call in for Tech Support, you get the best Tech Support in the industry.

Here is why Applecare is good for Apple Computer...
- it gives Apple employees jobs.
- it allows people to call in for problems large and small.
- Issues with Apple hardware and software can be fixed for use in future releases.

AmbitiousLemon,
You are correct ONLY if you start buying warranties on your toaster and anything that has a possible warranty, but computers are not inexpensive to fix if they fail.

I just know that YOU will be on the horn to Apple yelling about the cost of your out of warranty repair. NO EXCEPTIONS, foooool...

Apple computers have the lowest failure rate in the industry, but if you assume that nothing ever fails, well... you know what happens when you assume...

AppleCare good.... Stupidity bad.

[AmbitiousLemon]

you sound like a salesmen. and not a very good one.

i didn't say computers don't fail. i said it is cheaper to repair them out of your pocket when they do fail then to pay hundreds of dollars (up front) for every computer you buy.

I do not understand why you are insulted by this (and your list of why this is good for apple is a joke). you think apple had apple care simply to supply people with jobs? you are the only fool here. companies do not offer services simply so they can hire people. companies offer services that make them money.

Apple offers warranties because it makes them money. They take your money now making the bet that it will cost them less to support you than you paid. On average they win this bet, and this is the only reason they continue to offer the warranty. If they find they lose the bet on average they will increase the price of the warranty or stop offering it. Apple has proved many times they will increase the price on products if it is not profitable enough and will even cut products that are not profitable.

I have been using Apple computers since the Apple II and have never regretted not buying a warranty. Why? Because I save money. If there ever is a problem then chances are it is cheaper to fix it than to have paid hundreds of dollars for the apple care service years before anything goes wrong. And the off chance something fails that is more expensive than the warranty is so rare that the money I saved by not buying in the past more tahn makes up for the difference. It is simple probability, and because the average consumer is too stupid to understand this.

Also consider that you pay now for a service you may not use for many years (or ever). In other words you give Apple money now for providing nothing. That money could be earning you interest. But now it is earning interest for Apple. It is the same reason companies offer gift cards or prepaid credit cards. They make money now for something you have not yet bought. They gain the interest and you lose.

Since you seem to mentally feeble (or deluded) to argue against me I will do it for you. Sure Apple Care is profitable for Apple. But it can also be of benefit to the consumer. Although most of the people on these boards will be more knowledgable than the Apple Care phone staff (believe me I called, they are morons) the average consumer still needs someone how to do the basic things on their computer that Apple Phone Care can provide. Not everyone is skilled with a computer, and not everyone has a friend who can help them. Furthermore have you ever calculated the cost and probability you keep quoting? (talking to myself here). I didn't think so. How do yo really know it is cheaper not to buy? Consider this: when you pay for repairs (even if you conduct the repairs yourself and don't pay for labor, which most consumers woudl have to pay for) you still have to buy the parts, pay for their shipping, etc. Apple gets much better prices on these parts than you ever could. This is why Apple can provide a warranty for less money than it would cost you to repair (even factoring the probability of component failure). Apple has less costs than the average consumer. They make mobey by offering a warranty but the consumer also saves.

The above argument is the only argument you can make. The one you made is a joke. you don't know what you are talking about. You are a fool. If you want to argue you might as well apply some logic. Before you call someone a fool make sure you aren't one yourself.

[Das]

I've been wrestling over whether or not to get the protection, but I have a big question: If one of the pixels goes out in my pb, will Apple actually fix it or is it not in the warranty?

[AmbitiousLemon]

Originally posted by Das
I've been wrestling over whether or not to get the protection, but I have a big question: If one of the pixels goes out in my pb, will Apple actually fix it or is it not in the warranty?

no they will not fix it.

they will also not fix "physical damange" of any type. so many common problem such as power surges that fry computers, parts that become loose from use (like the power connection on laptops), or damage from bumping/dropping/hitting are not covered. The warranty only covers items that fail spontaneously (such as hard drives failing, logic board gong bad, etc). although i do not buy applecare i have dealt with apple many times on issues such as these because of problems in the first year of use (remember you are covered under a free warranty for the first year). Apple fights you every step of the way, the same way an insurance company does when you make a claim. So when you have a problem be ready to prove it IS covered under warranty.

[BurgundyI/O]

I am not offened and I did not mean to offend, however even if you are as an advanced of a user as you seem to be, the apple people always have better information then you..
I would be careful, you never know if someone that knows more then yourself on a topic is reading what you claim to be an authority on. But its all in good conversation. :p

[scem0]

I have never bought a new mac, but when the 970 comes out I'm
going to buy apple care with it.

[kiwi_the_iwik]

My mouse recently died - and because I had an AppleCare warranty, they replaced it, no questions asked. It was delivered to my door by a courier, at their expense - all that was asked of me was to return the broken one in the box provided. A courier would return to pick it up from me at a convenient time.

I'll never buy a computer again without the extra warranty. It's a godsend.

:)

[AmbitiousLemon]

Originally posted by kiwi_the_iwik
My mouse recently died - and because I had an AppleCare warranty, they replaced it, no questions asked. It was delivered to my door by a courier, at their expense - all that was asked of me was to return the broken one in the box provided. A courier would return to pick it up from me at a convenient time.

I'll never buy a computer again without the extra warranty. It's a godsend.

:)

wow thats great. you paid ~$300 for a warranty and they gave you ~$60 worth of service. Well im convinced.

[charboneau]

I didn't get AppleCare for my iBook, which I regret a little, because... you just never know with a laptop. But I'm careful how I transport it and generally baby it.

[hacurio1]

AmbitiousLemon, I’m gona have to agree with you. An extended guaranty is a waste of money for desktop computers. Desktops will rarely break, if they are well taken care of. Even if they break, you can always get replacements from the web. HD breaks, no problem, buy a new one for less than $100. If mobo breaks, you can always find a used mobo at ebay. RAM…it’s guaranteed for life. Power supply…no big deal ether. Optical drive is not a big deal ether…pick up a used one at ebay or buy a new one. You can easily replace any part of a desktop with some basic computer knowledge. But for laptops…it’s another story. An extended guarantee for a laptop is always a good idea because even if you take good care of it you are taking it form place to place and something might happen. Finding replacement parts for laptops is harder and sometimes impossible. Basic things for a laptop are easy to find: HD, RAM, Optical drives, batteries. But screens, mobos, and power supplies are impossible to find