AppleCare or other Warranty for MBA?

[stockcerts]

Have any of you purchased an extended AppleCare policy for your MBA? I may be buying a MBA this weekend. I have a SquareTrade policy for my iPhone 4, and I'm glad I have it.

Would like some input on have additional coverage on a MacBook. Thanks!!

 

[GGJstudios]

Have any of you purchased an extended AppleCare policy for your MBA? I may be buying a MBA this weekend. I have a SquareTrade policy for my iPhone 4, and I'm glad I have it.

Would like some input on have additional coverage on a MacBook. Thanks!!

The big difference is that AppleCare doesn't cover accidental damage, while SquareTrade does.

AppleCare
AppleCare Protection Plan for Mac or Apple Display

• You can buy AppleCare any time during the first year warranty period, so you don't have to buy it at time of purchase.
• You can check your remaining warranty and/or AppleCare coverage here
• AppleCare will extend the 1 year warranty for an additional 2 years, for a total of 3 years coverage from the date of your Mac purchase.
  It also extends telephone support from 90 days, which is included with your original warranty, to a total of 3 years.
• You cannot buy AppleCare again or renew it once it expires.
• Neither the Apple Warranty nor AppleCare will cover damage from accidents, spills, etc. They only cover manufacturing defects.
• AppleCare+, which provides some coverage for accidental damage, is only available for the iPhone, not for Apple computers.
• Neither the Apple Warranty nor AppleCare will cover batteries that have worn out. They only cover defective batteries.
• For more detailed questions, read the AppleCare Protection Plan (pdf) agreement.

As to whether AppleCare is worth it or not, that's a matter of opinion. You'll find lots of opinions on both sides, with roughly 75% saying it's worth it. You really need to decide if it's worth it to you. If you want more information, you can search the forum, where you'll find dozens, if not hundreds of threads asking "is AppleCare worth it?" The overall consensus seems to be about 75% in favor of it.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

As always, an excellent, detailed, thoughtful and informative post from GGJStudios.

I have always made a point of buying Applecare for my Apple computers (though not for iPods, or other devices from the Apple family); computers cost too much, and. if anything goes wrong, repairs can be very expensive.

To date, I have had a MBP and a MBA and I have bought Applecare for both. Strangely, the Applecare paid for itself over time. The HDD went in the MBP, and was replaced under Applecare; (GGJstudios is quite correct in saying that battery death is not covered). Re the MBA, the keyboard and the external drive were replaced under warranty, while the magsafe of the MBA has been replaced under Applecare.

The key point about Applecare is that you do not need to buy it the day you get the computer - but you must get it within the first year, and before the first year anniversary of your purchase ends - not a day over - otherwise you will not be able to buy it.

Personally, I'm a fan of Applecare; I see it as a sort of peace of mind for three years, - rather than the usual warranty of one - at which time I am usually ready to upgrade.

One of the key reasons I switched to Apple was the excellent customer service; other companies sometimes attempt to seek refuge in contractual small-print, or try to weasel out of obligations, but Apple tend to honour their warranties, hence the attraction of Applecare.

Having Applecare also helps - by making it more attractive to potential buyers - when selling on a computer if there are a few months of Applecare left on it.

Cheers

 

[JMies419]

I prefer AppleCare to second party warranty options and purchase it for all of my Apple products.