Applecare - Worth it?

[fblack]

You need some xtended warr on laptops

Laptops are more prone to failing than desktops. Its what happens when you sandwich some potentially hot running electronic components into a 1 inch design. Of course your usage will also affect how quickly components wear out. Web browsing and email do not put the same wear and tear as gaming and pro applications.

All of our desktop macs in the last 20 years have pretty much been problem free. Laptops are completely different story. We have had nothing but issues with our apple laptops. In comparison we have dells at work and they die on us all the time, the only good thing about the dell warranty is that we get serviced in 1-2 days.

As far as service with apple goes it really depends on who you get. Its been a very mixed experience for us. The nearest apple store is a 2 hour drive from us and we have pretty much given up on going there for any service, because the attitude has been very antagonistic. On the other hand, I've had friends who rave about the service they've gotten at other apple stores.

The apple warranty as far as I'm concerned is overpriced, but if something goes wrong after a year you're screwed and face it the longer you have something the more likelihood its going to fail at some point. Nothing lasts forever. The only time not getting the extra coverage is for those people who replace their machines every 2 years. They put their old machines up on ebay and buy the latest and greatest. But if you tend to hang onto your machines for a long time I think its worth getting the extra coverage.

 

[daher1012]

I suggest Square Trade, although you have to ship your product in they give you no hassle and its alot cheaper. I dropped my last laptop and the screen shattered and they refunded the price i paid for the laptop, allowing me to buy a MBP once my money comes in, also with the MBP im getting if they do have a refresh soon i can always smash it and get all my money back then buy the newest model.

 

[splashnader]

Yes very worth it in my opinion. I had a minor keyboard issue with my last MBP, pre-uniobody. After two fixes within the first 12 months of ownership, the minor keyboard issue turned into a major keyboard issue. If I hadn't invested in Applecare the genius would have charged me $500. Plus a year later the hard drive crashes and burned and that was also replaced with Applecare.

It has always been cost effective for me.

 

[mofunk]

yes its worth it.

Bought a refurb MBP. For some reason, I couldn't calibrate to my liking. So the Apple Genius said I could come back and trade it in. Few months later, the screen was found defected. So, they replaced it. The new LCD screen looked a lot better than what came on my 08 MBP. Two weeks after the 1st yr warrantee, the battery died. Apple Care working..


What I do like is the turn around time. My friend has a Dell laptop and has been dealing with an issue for months. The time I had at the Genius Bar lasted roughly 1hr total.

 

[farmermac]

also with the MBP im getting if they do have a refresh soon i can always smash it and get all my money back then buy the newest model.

Classy.

People that pull these tricks are the reason warranties like Squaretrade cost so much.

 

[torbjoern]

I suggest Square Trade, although you have to ship your product in they give you no hassle and its alot cheaper. I dropped my last laptop and the screen shattered and they refunded the price i paid for the laptop, allowing me to buy a MBP once my money comes in, also with the MBP im getting if they do have a refresh soon i can always smash it and get all my money back then buy the newest model.

Sounds like a great idea. How come I haven't thought of that before?

 

[Yebubbleman]

I have a MacBook Pro 15". Is it worth it for me to buy Applecare? I've had a few problems with it, and I'm still under warranty, so it was taken care of. If I buy it, should I buy it now? The cheapest I found was 245. Would the price for it drop once the new MBP series comes out? Thanks

The 15" and 17" MacBook Pros have the most expensive AppleCare, sadly. But even then, I'd say it's definitely worth it. If you go in for one hardware repair between the end of year one and the end of year three, it pays for itself. A second one, and you've scored a free repair. One other neat trick you can do is order AppleCare from the Apple Online Store for Education (pick a school, it doesn't matter) and it's cheaper, they don't check for your student ID or anything like that. Similarly, you can call the AppleCare hotline [(800) 275-2273] and pay to activate it over the phone; just tell them that you're a student and they don't even ask for proof. And if you do that in California, you also don't have to pay sales tax. It's pretty sweet. Also worth noting: Academic discounts on AppleCare are significant. For example: the white MacBook/13" MacBook Pro/MacBook Air AppleCare ordinarily retails at $245, but is sold for $183 with the discount.

Get it. The price will always be he same though. But you can shop around for it. Don't pay Apple's regular price for it.

Too bad the eBay AppleCare racket had fizzled out. That was a way to get it on the cheap, though it's always up for debate whether or not it was the best route to go.

Look at Amazon, you'll save a few bucks there.

Academic discounts trump all.

I would say it's worth it. I bought it for my 13" MacBook Pro about a week before the first year expired, and so far it's paid for itself by replacing my battery, bottom panel, and AC Adapter. The AppleCare kicked in October of last year, and all of my problems started after the first year expired.

That is a common trend, ESPECIALLY ON THE LAPTOPS! Though at this rate, iMac users should get it too, given how it gets increasingly thin, and therefore thin, and therefore hot.

The only time I’ve really ever “used” AppleCare is when I bought a used MBP off ebay. The fan was making all sorts of noise and the Apple store replaced it free of charge. My Macs since then have all been brand new and I take care of my stuff, so I don’t think I’d buy it. But if you’re clumsy or take your computer with you everywhere you go (thus increasing the odds of something happening to it) it’s most likely money well spent.

I bought it on my iMac (the one listed in my signature), didn't need to use it once. I had it on my MacBook, must've used it six times.

Macs with aftermarket HDs and memory because they are user-replacable and don't void your warranty.

The only Mac I would consider skipping AppleCare on would be a Mac mini purchased without a display, and even then I would debate it.

Same. I just bought a Mac mini Server (that I'm going to RAID 0 the hard drives with and run the client version of Snow Leopard) and I'm definitely going to buy AppleCare for it when I next have the money to do so. It's $150 retail and $100 academic. Plus the damn thing is essentially a laptop just without a keyboard, trackpad, battery, and built-in screen.

 

[wct097]

Making a claim on it would then raise your homeowners insurance would it not? It seems that will be WAY more than $300 over time as you pay the additional monthly for making a claim under homeowners.

That is, if you were planning that route.. I know a lot of folks do that way. Not all though.

Talked with my State Farm agent yesterday. They offer a zero deductible 'personal articles policy' for this type of thing. She had a girl who spilled drinks in her laptop twice and had it replaced each time, though they refused to continue covering it after the second occurrence.

It just so happens that I already have such a policy for my wife's diamond and band. I'll be simply adding my 2011 MBP along with it's aftermarket SSD to that policy. The cost is minimal. I think it's under $10 per year per $1000 of coverage.

I asked specifically if a claim would affect my homeowners, car, boat, motorcycle, or liability policies that I also carry. She told me that it would not cause a rate increase on my other policies, hence the reason for having a separate 'personal articles' policy. The worst that could happen would be a mandatory deductible ($250 rather than $0) for the personal articles policy.

 

[ThaDoggg]

I would still go with Applecare as it can be a pain dealing with third party insurance companies. The headache is not worth it in my opinion.

 

[wct097]

I would still go with Applecare as it can be a pain dealing with third party insurance companies. The headache is not worth it in my opinion.

Applecare doesn't cover accidental damage or theft. Comparing Applecare to insurance is like saying you'll go with a Toyota Prius because you think flying to Bermuda is a pain.

When I buy my MBP, I'll be taking adding it to my personal articles policy for insurance purposes, and buying it on my Amex for the extra year of extended warranty for free. Having dealt with State Farm & Amex before, I can assure you that getting a check or credit in the amount of my laptop for purchasing a new laptop is much easier than dealing with Applecare or driving 2 hours to an Apple Store.

 

[techie3]

So I'm currently troubleshooting a macbook problem. I was able to successfully hook up macbook to Sony Bravia LCD tv for months now. Then just this past Sat. it was no longer working. Just bought a replacement mini displayport to DVI cable to see if it will fix the problem.

My question is this, I never purchased apple care since Jan 19, 2009 when I purchased macbook from Amazon using my Amex card. I know Amex will give you 1 addt'l year warranty. Today is Feb 2, 2011, just past 2 years. Can I still get Apple Care? I'm looking to buy from 3rd party.

 

[Eddyisgreat]

nm

 

[wct097]

So I'm currently troubleshooting a macbook problem. I was able to successfully hook up macbook to Sony Bravia LCD tv for months now. Then just this past Sat. it was no longer working. Just bought a replacement mini displayport to DVI cable to see if it will fix the problem.

My question is this, I never purchased apple care since Jan 19, 2009 when I purchased macbook from Amazon using my Amex card. I know Amex will give you 1 addt'l year warranty. Today is Feb 2, 2011, just past 2 years. Can I still get Apple Care? I'm looking to buy from 3rd party.

I'm pretty sure Applecare has to be purchased while the laptop is still under Apple's 1 year warranty.

Applecare and Personal Articles complement each other. Applecare won't cover theft, accidental damage, lake accidents etc. Personal Articles doesn't cover "normal" wear and tear and even then I wouldn't want to bring out a claim for an HDD failure or dead screen anyway.

Agreed, however I don't believe it's worth the price considering I get a free year of warranty through my credit card. I understand the peace of mind that it brings to the less techy people, but I myself feel fairly confident that I won't have any 'warranty' problems that I can't sort out with a credit from Amex for the repair costs. I also like to replace my computers ever 2.5 years on average, so it's really a loss for me.

 

[Eddyisgreat]

I'm pretty sure Applecare has to be purchased while the laptop is still under Apple's 1 year warranty.

indeed.

Agreed, however I don't believe it's worth the price considering I get a free year of warranty through my credit card. I understand the peace of mind that it brings to the less techy people, but I myself feel fairly confident that I won't have any 'warranty' problems that I can't sort out with a credit from Amex for the repair costs. I also like to replace my computers ever 2.5 years on average, so it's really a loss for me.

lol I edited my post after yours my bad anyway yeah I tend to keep my machines longer or as long as possible. My 17" MBP w/ 2.66 i7 was a bit expensive so I'll probably hold onto it for a while. Add in the fact that Applecare covers additional components (Airports, keyboards, mice, power supplies etc) and my local store is right down the street, it's a bit more value for me. If I did purchase it w/ CC then i would've gotten the extension there too.

 

[63dot]

I wouldn't buy it. If your Macbook pro goes over 1 year without any problems, it will stay problem free. That is why Apple is such a great product.

Being a former PC and Apple warranty, tech, what you say is not 100% percent true. But if I had to put a number on it, I would say it's in the high 90s so what you say is generally true from fixing thousands of computers (mostly PCs).

So whether it's 95% percent of the time or 99% percent of the time where a computer (Mac or PC) shows issues within the first year (and often right away), there's always that small chance where you can have that computer that goes haywire on its 13th month or sometime in its second year.

As a general rule of thumb, PCs have more issues than Macs, and from there laptops have more issues than desktops. So when I bought a Gateway PC laptop, I had no issue of buying an extra year of warranty service to cover me for two years vs. the one year hardware and software support plus (60 days free call in support for Windows 7 plus call in Windows tutor) that came with it. The $150 dollars extra bought me that second year of support plus two full years of free phone support or Windows 7 "genius" on the other line. If I had bought a Gateway desktop, I don't think I would feel the need for that extra year or two or three of warranty service.

But for a Mac laptop, it's really a tossup. It is a Mac but depending on how you treat it, it may be a good idea to get Applecare. There are thousands on this forum who have bought a Mac laptop w/o Applecare and have done well. The few times I knew of people buying Applecare for their Mac laptops never had to use the extra coverage.

 

[techie3]

I'm going to call Amex and attempt to purchase Apple Care even though there is no major problem with my laptop. I purchased on 1/29/2009 and probably didn't even get my laptop till mid Feb. 2009, so technically I'm still covered under Amex warranty. Now how do I purchase apple care this way?

 

[Eddyisgreat]

I'm going to call Amex and attempt to purchase Apple Care even though there is no major problem with my laptop. I purchased on 1/29/2009 and probably didn't even get my laptop till mid Feb. 2009, so technically I'm still covered under Amex warranty. Now how do I purchase apple care this way?

As mentioned earlier, you cannot get AppleCare unless you are under the 1 yr warranty that's included. you are passed that and then some lol.

 

[techie3]

Yeah your right. I'll need to see if Amex will fix my issue, if the new cable doesn't work. I've come to my senses.

 

[ExiledMafia]

Just get it, with the education discount it is around $180 (i believe) definitely worth it imo.

 

[ExiledMafia]

believe me you will be a lot more pissed off if you don't get the apple care and need it versus getting the apple care and not needing it....

 

[c0l3a5h3r]

Next one is 2012

On day 366, your Graphics Processing Unit will be toast.

Unless its a Leap Year

 

[gonnabuyamacbsh]

It is not. With a premium prices that apple already charge you would hope apple care would be free but whatever... Macbooks are very durable so it's usually not worth it. Don't give apple more money!

 

[ExiledMafia]

when your paying over $1000 for a laptop, an extra $200 to protect it for 3 years with phone help seems pretty reasonable to me....

 

[yegon]

Apple Care, for cheapies off a reputable eBayer, is a no-brainer.

The optical drive in my late 08 MBP has been flakey for ages. As I rarely use it these days (in the past I've probably burnt 1000 dvdr's with it) I've put off taking it in. Finally pulled my finger out, the "genius" had a look at it this morning, and while he diagnosed that the optical drive does indeed need replacing he said, "This trackpad isn't performing as it should be is it?". It then occurred to me that, about a year a go, I did notice it wasn't as responsive but didn't think it'd warrant a replacement. I'm so used to it, completely forgot it wasn't perfect - using my MBA right now, and all of a sudden it's obvious that the one on my MBP isn't up to snuff. So he fitted a new trackpad and optical drive

Worth the £100 Apple Care (off eBay) methinks and I'm normally averse to extended warranties etc. Now if only I could wangle a new battery out of 'em.....no chance, pfft, it's depleted markedly but still pretty good considering it's had about 500 cycles. £101 for a replacement, meh!

 

[ExiledMafia]

believe me you will be a lot more pissed off if you don't get the apple care and need it versus getting the apple care and not needing it....

I can't emphasis this enough, I mean I can't tell you how many of my friends have complained about the cost to fix their computer and these same people were the ones down talking extended warranties....