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Applecare? Is it really a must have??
- Thread starter onoble
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Buy it on the secondary market or through the Education Store if you qualify. It's considerably cheaper there.
One blowout and it's paid for itself, not to mention you get free telephone support.
MacDann
One blowout and it's paid for itself, not to mention you get free telephone support.
MacDann
It's always a must have if you own a notebook. The components are shrunk down to fit in an enclosure 1" thick and are subjected to heat and being carried around as opposed to a desktop. I had problems with my Powerbook G4's LCD screen which Apple replaced, covered under the AppleCare extended warranty. Barring any accidental abuse, AppleCare can more than pay for itself.
Yes, it is.
My G5's FireWire just burned out. Since the controller is the motherboard itself, that's around $800. Thanks to AppleCare it's covered.
And even on a notebook, yes, it is. A problem I've been having with the 17" & 15" PowerBooks and even the MacBook Pros is that the little mechanism that holds the top shot will sometimes break. They have to replace the ENTIRE top part of the case (where your hands rest while typing) to fix that one spot. That's about $120 and I've had that happen 3 times now and mind you, I keep my Macs in pristine condition, I don't abuse them.
That's why I feel AppleCare is worth it.
~Crawn
My G5's FireWire just burned out. Since the controller is the motherboard itself, that's around $800. Thanks to AppleCare it's covered.
And even on a notebook, yes, it is. A problem I've been having with the 17" & 15" PowerBooks and even the MacBook Pros is that the little mechanism that holds the top shot will sometimes break. They have to replace the ENTIRE top part of the case (where your hands rest while typing) to fix that one spot. That's about $120 and I've had that happen 3 times now and mind you, I keep my Macs in pristine condition, I don't abuse them.
That's why I feel AppleCare is worth it.
~Crawn
You are covered for the first year, so buy your apple care juts before your first year is up, then you get 4 years coverage.
I thought Apple Care was only 2 additional years, one top of the original 12 months you get with purchase. so regardless of what time you buy Apple Care, you still only get a max of 3 years. Only thing you save by waiting is the interstin on a few bucks. Which is hardly worth the risk of fogetting to purchase A/C later down the line. With the increased heat related issue with Mac computers I think A/C is more worthwhile than ever, especially on Mac Pros and Macbook Pros.
Just my 2c worth.
Uh, it doesn't work that way....
AC is based on the purchase date of the computer, *not* the purchase date of AC. It doesn't matter if you buy it with the computer or 364 days after you buy the computer - it only extends the warranty to a maximum of 3 years from the date of purchase.
MacDann
(who has AC on everything he buys except iPods)
No you don't. Applecare has a three year max. It's equal to 2 years added onto the standard year. However, you can buy it anytime within the first year.
That said, I just realized that my credit card gives me another year of the standard warranty for free. So for me, Applecare really isn't worth it at all. Check it out before you make a decision.
AppleCare is absolutely not a must-have, for any Mac. AppleCare is a profit center for Apple, which means they collect more in premiums than they pay out in claims. As a general rule, you should only insure items which you can't afford to repair or replace, otherwise it's a bad deal for you. Remember also that you automatically get one year of coverage for Apple products. AppleCare only extends the warranty for two more years.
yes, 3 logic boards, a few case replacements...i'd say it worth it
No warranty service outside of the first year in over 20 years of buying Macs. I'd say not worth it.
No warranty service outside of the first year in over 20 years of buying Macs. I'd say not worth it.
same here, except it's only 12 years of buying macs. the only repair i needed was a lousy usb port on an ibook that was taken care of through apple care. never needed warranty outside of 12 mos.
No warranty service outside of the first year in over 20 years of buying Macs. I'd say not worth it.
pffffft...show off
Rather cliche, but I'd rather have it and not need it, then need it and not have it. Sure, a catastrophic failure could occur one day after my AppleCare expires but at least I'll sleep better till that day.
i understand this sentiment completely. but the way i look at it, i've owned 10 macs in my lifetime, and i've saved at least $2,000 by not purchasing apple care on any of those computers. so if i ever need to service a product after that first year, i'll still have saved some money. it's worked for me so far (knock on wood).
No warranty service outside of the first year in over 20 years of buying Macs. I'd say not worth it.
I think Apple's Quality Control has gotten worse since the 80s. Apple Care all the way. I was lucky enough to get the $1100 repair on my computer done for free. it was a week out of warranty and the motherboard and power supply went up. Now all these problems with MacBook Pros and what not... just get the warranty.
Hindsight isn't a good argument for Applecare. Like IJ Reilly wrote above, it's a huge profit maker for Apple. Think about it, they couldn't make money if it was really needed on the consumer's part
Granted, notebooks have a higher failure rate, but it still doesn't add up to $350 on a $2000 product. It's essentially a form of insurrance. The risk is spread out and there a few losers (the many who buy Applecare and don't need it) and the winners (the few who buy Applecare and their money's worth and Apple itself).
in my experience , i think applecare is a total waste of money
by the time you need it , your mac will probably be so outdated you may as well just buy a new one - or have an 'accident' and claim on your insurance
i've had at lest 5 applecare warranties and only ever needed to claim 5 years after purchase - which rather defeated the purpose of buying it
basically - it's a ripoff - akin to those 'extended warranties' they foist on you when you buy a tv or a fridge
by the time you need it , your mac will probably be so outdated you may as well just buy a new one - or have an 'accident' and claim on your insurance
i've had at lest 5 applecare warranties and only ever needed to claim 5 years after purchase - which rather defeated the purpose of buying it
basically - it's a ripoff - akin to those 'extended warranties' they foist on you when you buy a tv or a fridge
This is another important point. By the end of your AppleCare service warranty, your Mac will probably be worth -- at best -- about half of what you paid for it, and the new Macs available at that time will probably be cheaper and more powerful. You might very well be better off dumping the broken Mac and using the money you might have spent on AppleCare on a new one.
Apple prices AppleCare to make money on it, which means that net over time you will pay for more services than you will get. As I said before, insurance is only a good deal when you can't afford the cost of repair or replacement yourself. Maybe that's a computer for you, but for most people, its cars and homes.
Of course I've been speaking as a Mac buyer. Speaking as an Apple investor, I say go for it!
Consumer Reports recently undertook a survey and found that less than 10% of electronic goods sold ever need warranty repairs, and even then the repair cost is usually around the price of any extended warranty offered by the seller. So if you don't purchase AC the numbers are in your favor.
I'm somewhat jinxed when it comes to electronics (if you knew me, you'd understand ), so I won't buy a Mac without it.
), so I won't buy a Mac without it.
I think it should depend on how you feel about your own financial situation and how much you spend on the computer. Would it be a financial disaster if you had to pay for a major repair out of your own pocket? The odds are you aren't going to be faced with such a repair, but what if you were among the unlucky who are? How would it effect your finances?
I doubt I would buy applecare at $249 for a $1099 Macbook, but I might pay $349 for applecare if I were buying a fully loaded MBP that starts at $2799 before the upgrades.
I doubt I would buy applecare at $249 for a $1099 Macbook, but I might pay $349 for applecare if I were buying a fully loaded MBP that starts at $2799 before the upgrades.
I´m on my 9th Mac in 6 or 7 years. My first Mac was a Titanium 667. With the money I saved not buying AppleCare I can pay any repair and still go winning. Even if my Mac Pro explodes in 10 months when the warranty expires.
The Original manufacturers warranty is the company's commitment to the product. AppleCare IS a product that 90% of the people never use.
Now if I also count all the money I saved not getting ANY extended warranty since they started pushing it on buyers at every shop imaginable than that's big $$$
The Original manufacturers warranty is the company's commitment to the product. AppleCare IS a product that 90% of the people never use.
Now if I also count all the money I saved not getting ANY extended warranty since they started pushing it on buyers at every shop imaginable than that's big $$$