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Apple Care? Definitely worth it.. or not.
- Thread starter JJHello
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You have up to a year from the date of purchase to buy AppleCare. I don't sweat this kind of stuff until i'm a few months away from the 1 year point. Then I either buy it off Amazon for a few bucks cheaper, or I buy something like SquareTrade with accident protection.
I buy APC on all my products. I usually end up replacing the hard drive or battery or something at least once, so it is worth it. Also covers any failures with the power cord or peripherals you may have ordered.
If I keep a Mac for more than a year, I most likely will buy it, but I would never buy it at the same time as the Mac. Might as well save for now and buy it right before the 1 year ends. That way, it doesn't seem like so much money spent.
How does SquareTrade stack up with Apple Care?
Wow, I did not know I could just wait a year before getting Apple Care. Is it possible to still return it now?
Square Trade offers an optional accidental damage coverage for an extra $150. They are always running coupon promotions so the base warranty is $170 plus the $150 for accident coverage. I haven't had a claim from them, but it would be a little more of a hassle since you'd need to pay for repairs upfront and them submit claims.
Note that your credit card company might double your warranty, as well, so if you only intend to keep it 2 years, that might be an option. Check your agreement or call your card company.
Peoples opinions of Apple Care are different and change from time to time. No need to point out what historical perspective there is on people buying apple care. If you don't like the question, then don't click on it!!!!! Move on!
I have started using Amex as they double the warranty for up to one year plus give you 90 days of theft and damage protection.
It might be worth it for the "Ultimate" models. At $249, it's 15% of the cost of the Ultimate 11.
Apple sells these because they make money on them. That said, if you truly intend to keep a notebook for the full 3 years, chances are better that you'll at least get back some of your money over time. Remember, it is really only a benefit if something goes wrong in years 2 and 3. Usually if electronics fail, they fail in year 1.
I'm going to buy apple care when I pick up my air. Reason being is that it's the 11'' model and I'm going to use it mainly for school. Chances are, something might happen to it when I go to pack up my bags and just throw it in there with my books and such. It's just peace of mind knowing that I won't have to worry too much about damages especially when I'm still in school for another 2-3 years -_-.
AppleCare doesn't cover accidents. A SquareTrade warranty would, but at $320, it is also pricey. It might be worth it for something like the Air (as my little wine accident involving my 2010 Air would have cost me $755 had Apple not given me a one-time exception), but if you are getting the $999 model then you are probably better off just being careful with it.
Shoot, the MBA has an SSD drive, so that's a big reason for failure gone right there.
Figure that after six months or so, we'll be able to figure out if these new cpu's will do all right or fry.
Normally, I would say hell yes to applecare, but the air's may be pretty darned near bullet proof.
Figure that after six months or so, we'll be able to figure out if these new cpu's will do all right or fry.
Normally, I would say hell yes to applecare, but the air's may be pretty darned near bullet proof.
Applecare an Absolute MUST
Absolutely worth it. I had Applecare on my 24" 2008 iMac. I had Superdrive issues in year 2 and Screen patches showed up in year 3. Both replaced for free by Apple. Screen patches showed up again with 60 days left in my warranty. Apple replaced the machine with a 27" iMac absolutely free. Which other hardware manufacturer would give you that kind of service.
Now I have a brand spanking new 27" iMac eligible for another 3 years of warranty.
Also you can get it on eBay for way less than from Apple. Macbook Air/Pro warranties on eBay for around $175
Absolutely worth it. I had Applecare on my 24" 2008 iMac. I had Superdrive issues in year 2 and Screen patches showed up in year 3. Both replaced for free by Apple. Screen patches showed up again with 60 days left in my warranty. Apple replaced the machine with a 27" iMac absolutely free. Which other hardware manufacturer would give you that kind of service.
Now I have a brand spanking new 27" iMac eligible for another 3 years of warranty.
Also you can get it on eBay for way less than from Apple. Macbook Air/Pro warranties on eBay for around $175
I'm interested in this. Does AMEX actually double the first year of AppleCare or is it some other type of "comparable" warranty coverage?
I just checked with my homeowner's insurance company (Germania). I can add a rider to the policy that will cover theft and damage to any computers I have. The cost is $7 per $1000 (per year) with a $100 deductible. "Damage" includes stupidity, like the dog eating it or dropping it in a bathtub full of water.
That's a hell of a lot cheaper than the accidental damage policy you can get from Best Buy or Squaretrade, although you do have to consider the deductible. However, the deductible obviously only comes into play if you have to make a claim. Your actual outlay is $7 per year per $1000.
My guess is that most similar homeowners/renters insurance policies should cost about the same as mine.
That's a hell of a lot cheaper than the accidental damage policy you can get from Best Buy or Squaretrade, although you do have to consider the deductible. However, the deductible obviously only comes into play if you have to make a claim. Your actual outlay is $7 per year per $1000.
My guess is that most similar homeowners/renters insurance policies should cost about the same as mine.
AppleCare Is A Must For Portable Macs
The best price for AppleCare if you don't qualify for the educational discount can be found at the L.A. Computer Company. I think that they essentially charge the educational discount price...
Stay away from eBay AppleCare sellers. They are almost always scams, particularly sellers that e-mail the serial number to you.
The best price for AppleCare if you don't qualify for the educational discount can be found at the L.A. Computer Company. I think that they essentially charge the educational discount price...
Stay away from eBay AppleCare sellers. They are almost always scams, particularly sellers that e-mail the serial number to you.
I've always got mine off reputable eBay traders for a third of the price. Had an optical drive, track pad and two logic boards outside of the first year replaced (on different macs).
In the case of the Air, assuming you're keeping it over a year, its essential IMO as its almost completely nonuser serviceable.
In the UK, you can buy it off the shelf at CeX for about £100.
In the case of the Air, assuming you're keeping it over a year, its essential IMO as its almost completely nonuser serviceable.
In the UK, you can buy it off the shelf at CeX for about £100.
When you think about it, AppleCare doesn't offer jack. What people really want and need is accident coverage. A lot of shops offer this, I know amazon does, which covers spills and falls. I am NEAR certain AppleCare won't give you that.
My concern with adding a rider to my homeowner's insurance is that if I make a claim, that will be a factor in my future insurance rates and if they use a laptop claim as an excuse to jack up my overall policy rates, even for just a few years, it could easily outweigh the benefits of the laptop claim.
AppleCare is fantastic. I highly recommend it for portable computers. For desktop units, it's less compelling. For iDevices, ditto. But for the various flavors of MacBooks, it's an excellent deal. There are just so many subsystems that can and do fail within three years: hard disks, displays, backlights, keyboards, even the power supply. With AppleCare, you're covered.