Applecare - Worth it?

[calderone]

Let me ask a related question:
when I give my mac to an authorized apple service center, am I obligated to provide them with my login password?
I think not. I think they have the tools to make any repairs or gain access anywhere they need on my system, without my password, but I just want to be sure.

Depends on the nature of the repair really. Apple themselves will ask for your user account password.

Are you obligated? I suspect no, but if they need it in assisting with the repair, just change it temporarily or make a new account and give them that one.

 

[FrozenDarkness]

this is confusing for me considering I've gotten my battery replaced under applecare before

isn't the language that the battery isn't covered for normal wear and tear?

 

[cool11]

Depends on the nature of the repair really. Apple themselves will ask for your user account password.

Are you obligated? I suspect no, but if they need it in assisting with the repair, just change it temporarily or make a new account and give them that one.

Not so simple.
2 times I needed to go to them with my mbp in a non-responsive status.
So, i did not had the chance to prepare a new account or change the password.

 

[calderone]

Not so simple.
2 times I needed to go to them with my mbp in a non-responsive status.
So, i did not had the chance to prepare a new account or change the password.

Well, so you give them the password which falls under "they need it to assist with the repair."

 

[thejadedmonkey]

It's definitely worth it, but only because Apple laptops are impossible to work on without specialized tools, and replacement parts are insanely expensive as Apple doesn't generally sell them a-la carte.

If your macbook pro was made by Dell, and they were easy to fix and replacement parts were plentiful, it wouldn't be worth it. But since that's not how it is, I consider Applecare to be a necessary expense.

 

[Wahlstrm]

2/4 macs have gone bad after the warranty expired.

Both times it was something Apple had a policy to fix by the time it happened.

Nvidia problem on my 2007 MBP and hard drive failure on a 27" iMac.

So even if 50% of my macs die year 2, Apple seems to fix it for free anyway

But..

It was easier to take that chance when you could fix a lot of stuff by your self if something broke down.. RAM, HDD, DVD, Battery where all quite easy to replace.

Current models are basically unrepairable so it will probably cost a fortune if anything brakes. Apple Care might be good then..

 

[Hustler1337]

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

Haha, this is (almost) true considering 'Radeongate'.

You predicted the future 3 years ago.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I have always had Applecare on any Apple computer that I bought, and I have needed it and used it for my MBP and each of my two MBAs.

In my case, as I operate on a three year cycle - I usually hold onto a computer for as long as it has a warranty, thus, my buying cycle tends to last a little over two and a half years, as, after that, I start to think of upgrading.

However, I buy Applecare for peace of mind, and also, should I wish to sell the computer subsequently, having Applecare on it will not hurt as it will serve to reassure a potential buyer.