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Is AppleCare worth it?

H

hotcoals

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 16, 2008
2
0
Hi everyone,

I'm in the market for a new Macbook pro and I'm looking at a choice of buying the applecare protecton plan which is parts/labor 3 year warrenty plus phone help and costs 350. If I don't get it I have a parts/labor 2 year warrenty that comes free.

I'm wondering if people here have thoughts on how necessary AppleCare really is. I know you can never be too safe, but another year for 350 seems excessive and the phone service seems more engineered toward people who aren't that familiar with macs.

Thanks for the help!

Yussef
 
It is if you plan on using it while out of the house.

I bought it with my 15" Core 2 Duo and I used it almost four times before I sold it and the Apple Care to a friend. I beat that book up and put it through it's paces so Apple Care was very worth it.
 
At $350, a 2-year extended warranty for a $2500 laptop would not be worth it IMO. You already have 1 extra year free so you are only buying one more year (+phone support) for a lot of money. If you find after a year of use that you want the extra peace of mind, buy AppleCare on eBay or from LAComputing as you can get a substantial discount.
 
From Apple's site:

"Your MacBook Pro comes with 90 days of telephone support and a one-year limited warranty."

I'd do some checking to find out exactly what a credit card warranty covers. I'll bet it does not cover support, only repairs.
 
flopticalcube said:
He already has an extra year free (credit card warranty?) so, for him, AppleCare would only give him 1 extra year.
Click to expand...

But they may not use the same company Apple does for repairs, I think someone complained about using the credit card repair.

Can take the free credit card extension and jump through their hoops for credit card repairs, or go with Apple Care and just drop the thing off at the Apple Store.

Even if you get Apple Care and use them for repairs, the free theft protection and damage rider you get with the credit card may be welcome if you need those service.
 
i'm buying the comp from Techserve in NYC and the guy on the phone gave me the information i listed above. The way this thread looks I should just get the laptop w/out now and buy applecare later.

Unless there's some kind of statute of limitations on applecare?
 
hotcoals said:
i'm buying the comp from Techserve in NYC and the guy on the phone gave me the information i listed above. The way this thread looks I should just get the laptop w/out now and buy applecare later.

Unless there's some kind of statute of limitations on applecare?
Click to expand...

Can I purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan anytime?

You can purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan anytime within the one-year limited warranty period. Your eligibility for coverage under the AppleCare Protection Plan starts from your hardware purchase date. Apple strongly recommends that you purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan when you purchase your Apple product to maximize the additional benefits provided under the plan.
 
for me applecare was very worth it, with HE discount i was told by the apple employee it was actually cheaper buying with HE discount than staff discount. aswell, with a laptop being lugged around uni and to and from home, it just gives me an extra piece of ind if anything goes wrong.
 
You can purchase the Apple Care anytime, but please register it on Apple's site before the 365th day.

You cannot be late or it is no good.

Apple typically uses Flextronics for laptop repair in the US.

If your credit card uses the same company for repairs, likely you won't have many problems using them -- just getting the machine into them for repairs.
 
It's interesting to read this thread, talking about whether or not AppleCare is worth it, then immediately read this thread where people are talking about problems and taking their MBPs in for repair. I never buy extended warranties or service plans, with only two exceptions, and my MBP is one of those! Don't leave home without it! :cool:
 
Like the previous poster, I don't usually buy extended warranties either. However, I did get AppleCare for my G4 Powerbook 3 years ago. I didn't need it, and in fact, it experienced a failure of the lower memory slot about 1 month after the 3 years expired. I didn't like that the failure happened out of warranty, but it did, so what can I do?

I needed that extra RAM for video and photo editing (1 GB just wasn't enough), so I bought a MBP and will be getting AppleCare for it as well.

EDIT TO ADD:
You don't need to pay Apple $350 for the AppleCare, you can get it for less elsewhere.
 
the need for applecare depends on your luck :D

if you get a crappy machine (everything breaks during 1st year - logic board failure, crappy screen, etc.) then buy applecare

if you get a fairly decent machine, then don't get it
 
Apple Care is about the only extended warranty I buy. If it were just about repairs, it wouldn't be worth it. The big plus is that technical problems with my Mac or Airport often compromise my Internet access, leaving me cut off from my usual source of troubleshooting help. It's nice to be able to have an Apple tech to call when you are feeling desperate.
 
IJ Reilly said:
Please don't. I wouldn't want to be liable.
Click to expand...

Don't know, another death would likely boost Service Corporation International or Stewart Enterprises stock in your portfolio.

If you can't beat em, make money burying them.
 
If you're a student, you can qualify for AppleCare at a significantly discounted price. From my own experience, AppleCare is worth it if you intend to keep the machine for the full 3 years. I've had motherboards and LCDs replaced overnight, paid for itself.
 
Sun Baked said:
You can purchase the Apple Care anytime, but please register it on Apple's site before the 365th day.

You cannot be late or it is no good.
Click to expand...

Not true.

As long as you have purchased AC before the year is up, you can enrol afterwards, although not online. You will have to call Applecare on the phone and give details of your AC purchase, after which it will be activated.

I enrolled today, more than a year after I bought my Macbook Pro.
 
AppleCare

i would say yes but then we each have a story. My MBP died 24 hours after the end of the one year warranty. Apple agreed to fix it but now that i don't have any warranty, i'm afraid to push my computer.
 
Denali9 said:
i would say yes but then we each have a story. My MBP died 24 hours after the end of the one year warranty. Apple agreed to fix it but now that i don't have any warranty, i'm afraid to push my computer.
Click to expand...

What does it mean to "push" your computer, and how would that have any impact on something going wrong? Unless of course you mean, "push it off the table." I'd be afraid to do that too.
 
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