Applecare payoff!

[harcosparky]

I actually have it on mine due to a need for minimal downtime which precludes depot repair if offered, and I will take it in directly if anything goes wrong. Not everyone has 2 Apple Stores within a 20 minute drive. Anyway I wasn't thinking of Best Buy there. I was thinking specifically of OEMs.

I don't know if they still do it but from my experience Hewlett-Packard used to have THE BEST service ever. ( on their professional stuff )

I once bought a USED HP Omnibook. I sold later sold it to my boss for his daughter. She had a problem with it and he asked me if I could take a look at it. I determined the HDD was bad so I called HP to order a replacement.

The HP rep asked for the serial number, and I gave it to her.

She came back to inform me .... " It is still under warranty, FEDEX will be at your office tomorrow morning ( monday ) to pick it up. That thursday FEDAX came to my office to bring me the repaired Omnibook. "

This was a long time ago.

At that time you could go to a consumer store and buy an HP Pavillion for maybe $1,200. If you wanted an Omnibook ( new ) you had to have a in with that supply line and $3,500. HP would not allow consumer retailers to sell the Omnibook.

Also they were NETWORK CERTIFIED by Microsoft to run WinNT and that added to the cost.

ALL Omnibooks had a 36 month warranty with ON-SITE pickup.

if you had an HP service center in you area you could upgrade the warranty to get 24 HOUR turnaround at the service center.

 

[wonderspark]

On the subject of AppleCare, I buy it depending on the device.

Things I'd buy AC on:
- iMac
- iPad (not that I'd buy either one of those)
- MacBook
- iPhone

Things I don't bother with AC:
- Mac Pro
- iPod

I saved plenty of money by not buying AppleCare for my Mac Pro, and in fact, I've only bought it for my iPhone 3GS, which turned out to be a waste, since it never failed. On the other hand, my ex-gf had it on her old 2006 MacBook Pro, which was back to the Apple Store once or twice a year for problems. AppleCare absolutely paid off for her, but she wasn't very nice to her stuff. I've never needed it, even after tweaking (and jailbreaking) all but one Apple device I've ever owned. I just treat my stuff nice, and it keeps working.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

you should spell it out to yourself ,that next day service link applies to laptops not the 27 inch desktop the OP is talking about.

I wouldn't assume people would travel internationally with a 27" iMac, but rather a laptop. Having said that, Dell's next business day support is available on their all in ones too. I don't get what you're trying to say.

 

[alk-3]

let me get this straight, without Apple Care your wife dropped and smashed her 1 year old ipad and it was replaced for free with a new one?


I find that hard to believe

You got that right. It is hard to believe, but it's true. I have no reason to lie.

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Probably because they don't have the regular AppleCare but AppleCare+. They might have gotten the $49 fee waived.

(http://store.apple.com/us/product/S4689LL/A/applecare-for-ipad)

We do not have any type of extended apple care at all. We just have an awesome local apple store staff, and we also have a large number of apple products dating back over a decade. They have records of our loyal history with them, and pay back in kind I suppose.

 

[Cameoblue]

I purchased Apple Care on my 24" iMac 2006 and got a lot of use out of it but not in they way you would imagine. I have not had any hardware issues with the iMac (I'm using it to post this message) but more than once been stumped on a software issue. Over the years I have spoken over the phone to their Help Line many times for many hours trying to get something to work correctly (usually not Apples fault). If I did not have the Apple Care I would have had to pay $80/hr for this service. I like many out there, are not experienced enough to solve lot of computer issues without assistance. On line blogs are a good way to get help, Apple Help line is a great way to get help, Apple Care covered any expense I would have accrued by using Apple Help.
Their techs have always been courteous and informative and speak my native language fluently, and work out of my native country, Canada. Oh yes, they also have been very patient and professional, understanding that they are speaking to an impatient dolt, but still treated me with utmost respect. Apple service is rated #1 in Consumers Reports and many other magazines for a reason. If it costs me $199 for phone service (for the computer! get your mind out of the gutter) for 3 years, this is a good investment for me and many others out there. I live 500km (300 mi.) from the nearest Apple Store and I still believe I will get my money's worth. I ordered my BTO 27" Nov 30th with the understanding it would be delivered to me Jan 2-7 and now it has be rescheduled for delivery Dec 27th. Five to eleven days earlier than promised and I did nothing to (no whining, complaining or emailing) get this service. This is service eh!
As for the people loving Dell's service plan go ahead and by a Dell and their plan you will need it

 

[mushroomtip]

I wouldn't assume people would travel internationally with a 27" iMac, but rather a laptop. Having said that, Dell's next business day support is available on their all in ones too. I don't get what you're trying to say.

what im trying to say is , I rather wait 2 weeks for an Imac than 24 hours for a Dell . 2 weeks truly is not that long of a wait , you stating the opposite is disingenuous .

 

[thejadedmonkey]

what im trying to say is , I rather wait 2 weeks for an Imac than 24 hours for a Dell . 2 weeks truly is not that long of a wait , you stating the opposite is disingenuous .

If I used my mac for facebook and the like, I'd be inclined to agree with you. But I use my PC for work related stuff, and 2 weeks without it - or even a week, as was the case when the logic board on my Macbook Air went - was rather terrible. That alone would make me buy a PC.

But, to each their own I guess

 

[Hexley]

I am considering getting AppleCare for the iMac on it's 11th month.

BH's selling it for $122. from $169 Apple Store is asking. And if you live out of state BH is cheaper than Apple which operates in most US states.