My macbook is a few months old, and I havent had any serious problems with it, so I'm hoping that if I ever have a problem with it, itll just be the battery needing replace. So my question, whats the cheapest I could get Apple care for my MB, and whats the cheapest I could just buy a new battery if need-be?
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Apple care or battery?
- Thread starter stealthsniper96
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That's quite optimistic to assume that it would only be a battery replacement. You have until the end of the first year to get Apple Care. I would highly recommend it. In my experience the thing that goes first is the logic board. All my laptops have neded logic board replacements with the exception of my current machine (knock on wood).
you could get a generic battery for 75 bucks, and you could get applecare for 175. You don't need either (until you need Applecare, but then its too late), but it looks like you're wanting to spend some money, so I recommend going for the Applecare. Two batteries is more hassle than anything else, unless you're always traveling or not close to a power source...
Applecare isn't going to cover your battery anyway. It's under warranty for the first year only. After that, you use it up, you buy a new one.
Applecare is for all the other things that can go wrong.
Just as a point of reference, I have a two year old iBook that's going back to Apple for service on Monday. It has the following problems: dead internal speakers, difficulty waking from sleep, occasional unwillingness to recognize dvd's, and, last but not least, an inability to recharge. (I have to remove the battery, put it in a different iBook, recharge it and then put it back!) Now, granted, this iBook belonged to a young teenager who beat it up pretty bad. Still, it's a lot of problems, clearly not all caused by abuse . . . and without Applecare we'd be - uh, what's the technical term? oh yeah - screwed!
Even if you're expecting to trade up to a newer laptop long before this one wears out, having Applecare still isn't a bad idea. It will, if nothing else, increase the resale value. But whether or not to buy Applecare has been much debated, in several different threads - and everyone has their own point of view based on their own experience. To answer your original question: you'll still have to pay for your own batteries.
Applecare is for all the other things that can go wrong.
Just as a point of reference, I have a two year old iBook that's going back to Apple for service on Monday. It has the following problems: dead internal speakers, difficulty waking from sleep, occasional unwillingness to recognize dvd's, and, last but not least, an inability to recharge. (I have to remove the battery, put it in a different iBook, recharge it and then put it back!) Now, granted, this iBook belonged to a young teenager who beat it up pretty bad. Still, it's a lot of problems, clearly not all caused by abuse . . . and without Applecare we'd be - uh, what's the technical term? oh yeah - screwed!
Even if you're expecting to trade up to a newer laptop long before this one wears out, having Applecare still isn't a bad idea. It will, if nothing else, increase the resale value. But whether or not to buy Applecare has been much debated, in several different threads - and everyone has their own point of view based on their own experience. To answer your original question: you'll still have to pay for your own batteries.
Our great 12" PowerBook recently went bad (logic board). We're kicking ourselves for not getting Applecare - we would have been just in the 3 year bracket too
I guess since laptops get so hot, sometimes the parts tend to corrode more quickly It's probably best to get Applecare considering how much Apple charges for repairs and spare parts.
I guess since laptops get so hot, sometimes the parts tend to corrode more quickly
It's probably best to get Applecare considering how much Apple charges for repairs and spare parts.Just to quickly double check here, you don't have to buy Applecare right away? You can wait 9 months or whatever and buy it then? (Or three months, etc.?)
And you can buy Applecare from Apple.com for a machine you bought from Amazon, right? I assume they'd ship you a box with junk to fill out or something?
And you can buy Applecare from Apple.com for a machine you bought from Amazon, right? I assume they'd ship you a box with junk to fill out or something?
Get AppleCare... I can't stress that enough. People think it's a waste of money if nothing ever goes wrong... but it's more peace of mind than anything. If something DOES go wrong, you're fine.
The SuperDrive fails... you're covered.
The logic board fails... you're covered.
8 keys spontaneously fall off your keyboard... you're covered.
The trackpad stops responding... you're covered.
The display goes black on half the screen... you're covered.
You get the picture. Not only that, but if for some reason, you decide to sell your notebook and get something else, the resale value of your notebook goes up a bit. (I know, I know... someone will debate this fact, but the simple fact of the matter is that it's true).
If for nothing else, it's worth the money for the peace of mind you get knowing that if something goes wrong, you're covered and you won't have to pay some exorbitant amount of money to get it repaired.
Just my 2 cents
The SuperDrive fails... you're covered.
The logic board fails... you're covered.
8 keys spontaneously fall off your keyboard... you're covered.
The trackpad stops responding... you're covered.
The display goes black on half the screen... you're covered.
You get the picture. Not only that, but if for some reason, you decide to sell your notebook and get something else, the resale value of your notebook goes up a bit. (I know, I know... someone will debate this fact, but the simple fact of the matter is that it's true).
If for nothing else, it's worth the money for the peace of mind you get knowing that if something goes wrong, you're covered and you won't have to pay some exorbitant amount of money to get it repaired.
Just my 2 cents
Really? Hmm don't tell the guys at the Genius Bar this. I have had five batteries swapped out for not holding a charge over the past few years and they all were after the first year......
I have heard similar stories . . . and am hoping they're true. When my iBook with multiple problems and a very old battery goes in for service tomorrow, we'll see what happens. What they told me over the phone was that the battery was my problem. What they'll actually do when they get their hands on it remains to be seen . . . .
You can buy Applecare anytime within the first year from the original date of purchase of your new or refurb. machine. It does not matter if you bought it new directly from Apple or from an authorized reseller. It also doesn't matter if you bought it used, so long as you register it for Applecare within a year of the original owner's purchase date. (Eligibility for Applecare depends on the date the original owner purchased the machine.)
You can also buy Applecare anywhere you want - from Apple, from Amazon, from L.A. Computers, or from eBay. What you'll get is a little cardboard box with a registration number inside. You go online to the Apple support page, and you'll find a link for registering your Applecare. (It will be linked to your machine's serial number.)
The advantage to buying Applecare sooner rather than later is that it extends your eligibility for telephone tech support from 3 mos. to 3 years. The only thing you lose by waiting a year are those extra months of telephone support.
OP: Get the Apple care. My experience with macbook batteries are excellent.
I totally get buying Apple care for the peace of mind. That's why I do it
What I don't get is, the supposed Apple quality i always hear about from users who claim to have 1. they never needed Apple care. 2. Never had a problem with their mac over the years. 3. claim macs are really durable tough machines that keep going on
That supposed quality was among the chief reason among other things that I chose to get a mac. However, with my first macbook, I had lcd screen replaced twice, cracked hand rest, screen bezel fall off etc. <--Good thing for Apple care
But in my experience I rather pay for Apple care but never have to use it. My macbook always came back more beat up after repair. Where has the quality gone?
I totally get buying Apple care for the peace of mind. That's why I do it
What I don't get is, the supposed Apple quality i always hear about from users who claim to have 1. they never needed Apple care. 2. Never had a problem with their mac over the years. 3. claim macs are really durable tough machines that keep going on
That supposed quality was among the chief reason among other things that I chose to get a mac. However, with my first macbook, I had lcd screen replaced twice, cracked hand rest, screen bezel fall off etc. <--Good thing for Apple care
But in my experience I rather pay for Apple care but never have to use it. My macbook always came back more beat up after repair. Where has the quality gone?
The advantage to buying Applecare sooner rather than later is that it extends your eligibility for telephone tech support from 3 mos. to 3 years. The only thing you lose by waiting a year are those extra months of telephone support.[/QUOTE]
Hi, what do you mean by this? For example, say I bought it at the 9th month, does that mean I don't get telephone support for the next 2 years? Or the only time I lose telephone support is between the 3rd month to 12th month?
Please clarify, thank you
Hi, what do you mean by this? For example, say I bought it at the 9th month, does that mean I don't get telephone support for the next 2 years? Or the only time I lose telephone support is between the 3rd month to 12th month?
Please clarify, thank you
Hi, what do you mean by this? For example, say I bought it at the 9th month, does that mean I don't get telephone support for the next 2 years? Or the only time I lose telephone support is between the 3rd month to 12th month?
Please clarify, thank you
[/QUOTE]you just don't get telephone support from the 3rd to 12th month since telephone support stops at month 3 without applecare.
The reason they keep swapping out your battery is that your computer probably falls under the battery recall program, in which place they can replace it out of warrantee (the fact that you have Apple Care means nothing).
Apple Care does NOT cover batteries. If you go in with a faulty battery outside of 1 year, and not in a recall program then Apple Care or not, you get nothing.
That said, I would still recommend Apple Care, because repairs on Apple products are very expensive, a simple hard drive replacement costs more than the price of Apple Care, let alone a logic board.
Hi, what do you mean by this? For example, say I bought it at the 9th month, does that mean I don't get telephone support for the next 2 years? Or the only time I lose telephone support is between the 3rd month to 12th month?
Please clarify, thank you
If you purchase Applecare within first 3 months, you get uninterrupted phone support.
If you purchase Applecare at any time between 3 mos. and one year, you'll have a gap in phone support only from the end of Month 3 until the date you purchase and register your Applecare.
So, If you purchase and register your Applecare on the 1st day of Month 4, you'll have a one-day gap. If you wait until the first day of Month 9, you'll have a six-month gap. And so on . . . .
There's a nice little graphic on the Apple site that shows this. Look about half way down the page.
That is unbelievably optimistic. You have a year to get it, but you should definitely get it.
i managed to have Apple replace my battery free of charge last week under Apple Care due to the fact that my MBP battery was operating at 20-30 percent of its original capacity after only 130 charges. no questions asked, they just replaced it. it was at the 5th avenue Apple Store too.
I'll vouch for the battery replacement. I've had two batteries replaced, one in the first year and one in the second year. They said it's usually not covered, but they were very gracious when they realized that my battery didn't hold squat for a charge. That's the only major problem I've had, but I plan on keeping my computer until next year.
It's nice to know that if the hard drive were to fail or the lcd were to go out, I could get them both replaced. AppleCare would more than pay for itself in both instances based on local repair prices. If it's a portable, get AppleCare. Period.
It's nice to know that if the hard drive were to fail or the lcd were to go out, I could get them both replaced. AppleCare would more than pay for itself in both instances based on local repair prices. If it's a portable, get AppleCare. Period.
As others have said, AppleCare doesn't normally cover a battery as its considered a consumable. The only time they will replace it is if it degrades faster then Apple thinks it should. How's that for a "grey" area? If you feel the need to purchase AppleCare buy it from eBay, Amazon or L.A. Computing. Don't buy it from Apple.
My MBP is 10 months old, and I'm still wondering whether I should get AppleCare or not.
I'd love to, of course, but it doesn't come cheap : 439 euros for a 2400 euros laptop (VAT included), that's almost 20% of the original price!