Applecare Warranty End Tips?

[SuperSparkplug]

Hi there,

I'm a new media art student that's been proudly running with my 15" Macbook Pro since I got it in 2010 at the start of University. It runs Snow Leopard, has 8GB of RAM, an Anti-Glare screen and was ordered with pretty much the top specs I could select at the time on Apple's site. I use it for creating 2D & 3D graphics, programming interactive applications, playing and making games, and video media production and animation. It's my first Apple machine and I love it... But my AppleCare expires in a few months and, of course, there's no way to renew it. One of the best things about AppleCare is that it provided an easy and free fix for me in a bind at my local Apple store. This is a huge problem for me because I'm going into my final thesis year, during which I plan to make a video game for my thesis, and I'm terrified my Macbook is going to die on me at the worst possible moment.

Because I can't renew AppleCare, which has helped me in many binds in the past, I turn to you, Mac community, to ask what do you recommend getting done to the computer for AppleCare to cover before it expires? Should/Can I upgrade certain components? Get certain parts replaced? How can I best exploit AppleCare so that my Macbook Pro runs better or is less likely to breakdown before it ends?

 

[yusukeaoki]

You can't really benefit from the AppleCare when there isn't a problem.
Its just a manufacture warranty guaranteeing you to replace something if its broken.

Now of course there is ways to make Apple get you a brand new laptop by using AppleCare
but that needs you to do little tricks which I don't really recommend.

The only part I would be worried with any computer would be the HDD.
Since it has moving parts and its been running for 3+ years in your case, it may likely to fail.
Now Im not saying all HDDs fail in few years but it is a possibility.
I would simply get a SSD and store all my data there or at least make back ups.
If there isn't anything broken in your Mac, you can't use AppleCare.

 

[me43]

Defiantly get a backup hard drive and be backing up at least every night so if something does happen you won't lose any data.

 

[locoboi187]

Time capsule!

 

[scbond]

Hi there,

I'm a new media art student that's been proudly running with my 15" Macbook Pro since I got it in 2010 at the start of University. It runs Snow Leopard, has 8GB of RAM, an Anti-Glare screen and was ordered with pretty much the top specs I could select at the time on Apple's site. I use it for creating 2D & 3D graphics, programming interactive applications, playing and making games, and video media production and animation. It's my first Apple machine and I love it... But my AppleCare expires in a few months and, of course, there's no way to renew it. One of the best things about AppleCare is that it provided an easy and free fix for me in a bind at my local Apple store. This is a huge problem for me because I'm going into my final thesis year, during which I plan to make a video game for my thesis, and I'm terrified my Macbook is going to die on me at the worst possible moment.

Because I can't renew AppleCare, which has helped me in many binds in the past, I turn to you, Mac community, to ask what do you recommend getting done to the computer for AppleCare to cover before it expires? Should/Can I upgrade certain components? Get certain parts replaced? How can I best exploit AppleCare so that my Macbook Pro runs better or is less likely to breakdown before it ends?

It depends on where you bought the computer and where you live now as you may still be protected by various laws which require manufacturers to repair/replace goods that turn faulty through a situation deemed as their fault.

 

[luisito]

How can I best exploit AppleCare so that my Macbook Pro runs better or is less likely to breakdown before it ends?

There is no way that you can exploit AppleCare without a legitimate problem. You can do this with brands such as HP, Sony, Lenovo, etc.. but Apple has different rules in order to take a product in.

However, if you are able to go to an Apple Store and explain the guys that you will soon run out of AppleCare and that you would want to make sure that all the components of your MBP are running fine before then end of the contract, they might help you. Those guys have their own Apple software to check all components. If you talk to them nicely and not demanding something, they will more likely give you a hand, after all you still got AppleCare.

Under your AppleCare contract, the tech-support can aid you on trouble shutting. Testing your components to see if they work is.. trouble shutting.

In the past, a couple of friends have done this. Apple Store employees are nice and friendly.

And yes, I agree with all the people above, get an external hard drive for backups only and turn on time machine, it might save your thesis if the worst occurs.

 

[glenthompson]

Instead of looking at this from an AppleCare perspective, you should think about it from a disaster recovery perspective. Stuff happens, fires, floods, thefts, and accidents. What would you do if your MBP burned up in a fire? Does your university have resources you can use in such a case? Some university computer shops offer loaners when your machine is in for repairs. Keep your project in multiple places, including cloud storage. A cloned, bootable drive would allow you to run your stuff on someone else's machine.

Lots of options, find what's available, make a plan, and execute that plan. I've been through many DR tests where we had prove we could run the business from the backup site.