Apple care & battery! Overhead expenses of a rmbp? Did I buy the right computer?

[macfreak101]

Hey guys I just ordered my rmbp, I'm very excited and nervous at the same time! Firstly shall I buy the apple care plan is it worth the extra 250 bucks? Secondly I have been reading a lot and have come across battery issues saying that the battery last only for 2 Years that's 1000 cycles and then you need to replace it which cost 200$ and the apple care plan doesn't cover battery replacement is that true? What happens after 1000 cycles? How to increase the life of the battery and is it okay to always keep the computer on ac power? I plan to use this computer for 5 years and after saving money for a lot of time I was able to afford one at a good deal but the overhead/future expenses are freaking me out like 400$ for the logic board 200$ for the battery! I'm starting to wonder if I should have purchased a Dell instead!

If you could provide a few tips and suggestions, it would really mean a lot! Thanks

 

[froggyjo]

Buy the Apple Care for your peace of mind - and forget about the battery "issue". 1000 cycles are a lot and even if you have to buy a new battery in 3-5 years, you have to factor in that depreciation of a Mac is substantially lower than depreciation of a Dell. That being said - if you prefer a Dell, go for it, but I don't think that from an economical point of view you will be better off with a Dell.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

Apple care good

Yeah the apple care is useful if there is an issue so that is down to you. A 1000 cycles on any battery to retain 80% of capacity is fantastic and unmatched by any other manufacturer if your battery doesn't meet this criteria Apple will replace it under applecare. My 2010 MBP is now 4 years old and has around 500 cycles it still lasts 4-5 hours light use, this is so much beteer than any other laptop I have seen as to be a big reason to buy apple laptops.

Dell will charge you just as much for fixing a laptop of the same quality as apple will.

 

[macfreak101]

How often do you use your laptop on ac power and how often do you use it on battery? Could you provide some charging tips? Well I have read that the apple care plan doesn't cover the battey, is that true? What do you mean by 80% 1000 cycles, I didn't understand that quite! Could you please elaborate a little?

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Buy the Apple Care for your peace of mind - and forget about the battery "issue". 1000 cycles are a lot and even if you have to buy a new battery in 3-5 years, you have to factor in that depreciation of a Mac is substantially lower than depreciation of a Dell. That being said - if you prefer a Dell, go for it, but I don't think that from an economical point of view you will be better off with a Dell.

I'm getting the apple care for 100 $ as I have a gift card for 150 $ still I am wondering I rather spend 250 $ on accessories than extended warranty right? I mean the apple care doesn't even cover the battery of the Mac, so what are you paying 250$ for??

 

[Samuelsan2001]

Battery Capacity

Apple claim that their macbook battery will still charge to at least 80% of the original capacity after 1000 cycles. So an rMBP with 10 hours battery life on light load when new should still give 8 hours after 1000 charge cycles. If you have applecare and this is not the case they will change the battery free of charge. Once applecare is up though the battery becomes the usual consumable item it is and you have to pay for a new one. This is by far the best battery guarantee in the business.

Applecare will basically fix any problems with the computer (not caused by accidental damage) for three years, So things like new logic boards, failed hard drives, new screens etc etc etc. Due to the way these machines are made these repairs are likely to cost 6,7,8 hundred dollars a go if needed. The chances are you won't need it but it is great when you do.

I use my laptop on ac power 60-70% of the time I just use it how when I want on battery or AC power. My Newer 2013 rMBP is 8 months old and still charges to the same capacity as it started with.

 

[Weaselboy]

How often do you use your laptop on ac power and how often do you use it on battery? Could you provide some charging tips? Well I have read that the apple care plan doesn't cover the battey, is that true? What do you mean by 80% 1000 cycles, I didn't understand that quite! Could you please elaborate a little?

Applecare is a very personal decision. I buy all my Macs with my VISA card that extends the warranty one year for free, so paying almost a fifth the cost of the computer for one year extra extended warranty is a poor value as far as I am concerned. If you see the value, then have at it. I don't.

Applecare will only replace the battery if it is defective, not just if it is worn out. Unless you are on battery power a lot, that is not likely to happen anyway in the three years of Applecare.

Here is Apple battery warranty info. So if say your battery is at 800 cycles and can only hold 70% charge during the warranty period, it would be considered defective and replaced.

Read this and this for battery info direct from Apple. Just use it on battery when you need to and leave it on AC charging when you aren't on battery. No need to run down the battery to condition it or anything. Just use it how you need to and don't worry about it.

 

[simonsi]

Here is Apple battery warranty info

If that is the warranty statement then it doesn't say it should retain 80% of its charge at 1000 cycles, it says "designed to retain up to..."

That para is not a definition of "defective" for the terms of the warranty, 80%/1000 may be how Apple operates the warranty but that isn't what that paragraph states.

 

[GGJstudios]

I have been reading a lot and have come across battery issues saying that the battery last only for 2 Years that's 1000 cycles and then you need to replace it which cost 200$ and the apple care plan doesn't cover battery replacement is that true? What happens after 1000 cycles? How to increase the life of the battery and is it okay to always keep the computer on ac power?

Batteries can be used long after 1000 cycles or after 2 years, as long as they hold sufficient charge to meet your needs. AppleCare only covers replacement of defective batteries, not ones that have depleted from normal use. As they are designed to retain up to 80% of their maximum capacity for up to 1000 cycles, if they fail to do that, they are likely to be considered defective and replaced free.

Run on battery whenever you need to and plug it in whenever you can. You can plug or unplug any time you need to, regardless of the charged percentage, and you never need to completely drain your battery.

​

The link below should answer most, if not all, of your battery/charging questions, including tips for maximizing battery performance. If you haven’t already done so, I highly recommend you take the time to read it.

Apple Notebook Battery FAQ​

 

[Weaselboy]

If that is the warranty statement then it doesn't say it should retain 80% of its charge at 1000 cycles, it says "designed to retain up to..."

That para is not a definition of "defective" for the terms of the warranty, 80%/1000 may be how Apple operates the warranty but that isn't what that paragraph states.

I agree it is poorly worded and sure gives Apple wiggle room for interpretation.

 

[TechZeke]

I agree it is poorly worded and sure gives Apple wiggle room for interpretation.

Of course. Apple's legal team probably spent a week making that one paragraph.

 

[Rizvi1]

Did Applecare stop replacing batteries in your laptop? I know if you called them up and complained about the battery they may not do anything, but if I was sending my laptop in for some other issue and mentioned the battery was bothering me, I think they've always replaced it for me. I just had it replaced in April on my mid-2010 MacBook Pro when I was sending in for a keyboard repair. I'll be honest, I don't even know if I had a battery issue, I just asked them to check on it because I wasn't happy with it (who is?) and they just replaced it.

The trick is to send it in and not take it into the store - the store only deals with the issue you're bringing in for.

 

[terraphantm]

Well the Apple Care just paid off on my 2012 rMBP 15". Sent it in for battery issues (<80% at 740 cycles, and it would often die when the indicator still showed 20-30%) and I also decided to complain about the image retention while I was at it.

Got the laptop back today -- new top case and display assembly, so it's almost like using a new laptop. Battery was manufactured a couple months ago and has 0 cycles. The display is the SJA2 version of the LG -- colors appear pretty good and no more IR (for now). The Genius didn't really give me any trouble; he agreed the laptop had issues and created the work order.