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Applecare worth it?

cookiesnfooty

cookiesnfooty

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Hello,

Recently I purchased a Macbook Pro, now a month down the line I am trying to decide if Applecare is worth it. Apple charge £199.99 now the cost of new hardware without cover will be much higher I know but I look after my products and I understand macs are very reliable.

With that in mind is it worth it? Also I have fitted RAM and an SSD drive would this invalidate an Apple Care agreement?

Thanks.
 
cookiesnfooty said:
Hello,

Recently I purchased a Macbook Pro, now a month down the line I am trying to decide if Applecare is worth it. Apple charge £199.99 now the cost of new hardware without cover will be much higher I know but I look after my products and I understand macs are very reliable.

With that in mind is it worth it? Also I have fitted RAM and an SSD drive would this invalidate an Apple Care agreement?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Might I suggest you use the search tool on the forum? This has been addressed many times before - often with the same or similar subject line.

Cheers!
 
Not to mention this was asked millions of times in the thread...

Anyways, it really depends.
I had a hard time choosing as well.
Buying AC means it can benefit you, or it can be a loss for you.

I bought AC so if I have ANY defects made by Apple on this machine (i.e. Logic board failure, graphic failure, etc) I can get it replaced.

Heres the situation.
Your MBP is out of stock 1 year warranty and your logic board fails.
Do you want to pay 900USD to fix it? No? Buy AppleCare.

But the thing is, this might never happen.
Its basically like an car insurance.
You dont know when you will ever get into accident.
But you have it just in case and you pay for it every month.
As long as you have it, you feel safe and dont have to pay for the extreme repair cost.
 
Installing the SSD *does* technically invalidate AppleCare....however, if you replace it with the original HDD before service, theoretically there shouldn't be any problems.

If you use the search function, you'll find that roughly 70% of people on here recommend getting AppleCare. It comes down to A) how much you depend on your MBP (i.e. is it your primary computer?), and B) how willing you are to take a chance. Personally, A isn't a big deal for me, but I'm very risk averse, so AppleCare was right for me. Add on the fact that I got it for <$90, and it was definitely worth it.
 
If it helps, In Feb 2009 I bought a 15 Macbook Pro Unibody (specs in sig).

I decided against Apple Care and now approaching June 2012 this machine is still in tip top condition.

I notice you have priced Apple Care in GBP. In which case remember that you have a statutory warranty of sorts - that is, the laptop must be in a satisfactory condition and last for a reasonable period.

So basically if it dies for any reason other than something you did within say 2 years, you can take it back to apple and ask them to fix it for you.

Also apple customer service is awesome as long as you're not a dick to them.

TL😀R - IMHO, Apple Care is not necessary in the UK, others may disagree.
 
Zzari said:
Installing the SSD *does* technically invalidate AppleCare....however, if you replace it with the original HDD before service, theoretically there shouldn't be any problems.
Click to expand...


Uh, no it does not. Please do not spread false information for new users as it only spreads misinformation.
 
To the OP:

I am wary of extended warranties like most people but there are a few exceptions and this is one of them. Here are my reasons for thinking AppleCare is a good deal:

1. I use my MBP for my work. Being without my MBP would be like loosing my right arm. I know some users will say their MBP will last a decade without problems, but that is not what I have seen.

I had one colleague who had their logic board just die. The system would not turn on or show any signs of life. AppleCare replaced the logic board and he was up and running in three days. The cost of the replacement would have been high.

While not an issue today per se but in the past the LCD back lighting went out in two other colleagues and AppleCare fixed it.


2. Peace of mind. This may sound frivolous it is not. If there is a problem with my MBP, I have a plan. I can pull the HD, replace it with the original and send it in knowing I'll get it back working. The reason I'll pull the HD is not because I'm afraid that Apple will be unhappy that I replaced it, it is because my data is there and I do not want to risk it.

I can' afford to be down and wonder how I'll finish a project or something.

3. I'm OCD so I take extreme care of my MBP. In the past, when I have decided to sell it and upgrade, I feel that people are more willing to trust your MBP as it has an extended warranty. If the roles were reversed, I would not buy a used computer without a warranty. So I'm saying that AppleCare only enhances the resale value.

YMMV, as I use my MBP for work. Even with the above reasons, I've never had to use AppleCare so you could say that Apple is making money on me. That may be true. I do take extreme care of my MBP so maybe that is the reason or maybe I'm just lucky. In the end, those are my reasons for recommending AppleCare.


Good luck!
-P
 
It is a nice thing to have if you have the spare money to spend on it. Here are a few things to know:

Mac hardware can fail just like any other computer's hardware. Once that happens and if it has no warranty, Apple will most likely charge you an arm and a leg to get it fixed or replaced. If you know how to repair the laptop yourself, you might be able to save a few dollars when buying parts from EBay. Under warranty the parts are free. The Warranty ranges from $250-$350, so if the part that needs replacement costs that much, then consider the warranty as paying for itself.

Upgrading with your own RAM and SSD can be a hit or miss when it comes to warranty. There have been cases where people had their warranty invalidated because they upgraded their drives and ram, even though the manuals mention how to do it. Best bet in this case is to keep the old parts, and reinstall them if you'll be handing your system over to Apple to fix.
 
AppleCare is outstanding. I get it for every new Mac Laptop I buy.

Do not waste your money on any of the other warranty choices from other companies. They'res no substitute for AppleCare.

It's the one & only warranty I buy for any high end purchase. It's a bargain if something breaks because you have the assurance that qualified Apple techs will do the job right with the proper high quality parts.

Enjoy your new Mac 🙂
 
Here's a way to think about it:

For years 2 and 3, would you like to deal with a potentially variable cost or deal with a fixed cost?

If you buy the AppleCare, then you will have a fixed cost for those two years, if you don't, then the cost could vary...

Depends how much you like uncertainty IMO. I bought AC for my 17" MBP because it also covers my ATD and for $250 (students), it was a nice fixed cost for my $3500 investment.
 
I recommend Applecare strongly and have had it (and availed of it) on both my MBP 15" (HDD failure, replaced no problem, when it was two and a half years old), and my MBA (mag-safe adaptor and keyboard replacement, and again, no problem, under Apple care; the external MBA optical drive had earlier been replaced under warranty).

I'm a switcher, one of those who bought into the Apple universe as a result of the iPod.

Back in 2006, I bought an iPod as I was heading to a country for a few months where people could not really talk to you without consequence as it was a police state (I was observing elections there in an official capacity). Needless to say, I loved the iPod, an invaluable companion in a country where phones were monitored along with the people.

Anyway, a few months after my return home, the HDD on the iPod died, and, as it was still under warranty, it was replaced without a murmur, or an attempt to seek refuge in contractual small-print, by Apple.

I have had another iPod die, years later (both were classics) and the same thing happened; I was offered a refund, repair or replacement.

So, when I 'switched' to Apple, in 2008, it was not just because of the exquisite design and form factor, or the technical elegance of the OS platform, but was also, for the after sales customer care.

And Apple Care is a part of that. Yes, some may view it as expensive, but I see it as affording me peace of mind for three years.

Moreover, it actually does enhance the value of the device, if you choose to sell it on, subsequently; potential buyers like to think that Applecare is part of the package. Certainly, when I sold my MBP, the fact that it still had a few months of Applecare to run, didn't hurt me at all.
 
I would defiantly recommend AppleCare unless you are going to replace your laptop every year. I had it and when I got a shock off my laptop they upgraded it 😀. This was after the 1 year free.
 
cookiesnfooty said:
Hello,

Recently I purchased a Macbook Pro, now a month down the line I am trying to decide if Applecare is worth it. Apple charge £199.99 now the cost of new hardware without cover will be much higher I know but I look after my products and I understand macs are very reliable.

With that in mind is it worth it? Also I have fitted RAM and an SSD drive would this invalidate an Apple Care agreement?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Your location suggests that you live in the UK, where local consumer laws will probably have you covered real well already. This is one of the reasons why Apple products have the same nominal prices in £ as in $ 😉 But if you have purchased the device for professional purposes, i.e. you're going to make money with it, then a few days without the MBP might be disastrous. In that case I recommend that you get AC. The same applies if you travel a lot with it.
 
Pentad said:
Uh, no it does not. Please do not spread false information for new users as it only spreads misinformation.
Click to expand...

Pretty sure it does if you remove the optical drive and put the original HDD there with the optibay adapter. Should have been more clear, sorry.
 
Yes. In my case anyways. Seems when it comes to computers if something can go wrong it happens to my machine. In this particular case, dealing with a 2K piece of equipment that I plan to keep for a while or maybe pass on to my kid:

Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
 
Yes, in any case. It can never be a loss to you because you know you're 100% in the safe zone for 3 years to come.

Even if the Mac passes his days in excellent health, you know you would never had any problems, even if something encountered.😎

Yesterday, someone came in with an 'old' MacBook from 2009 (white non-unibody model) and walked away with a brand-new MacBook Pro 13". The Apple Care warranty had just 2 weeks left on it, and the poor fellow died. So the customer was told he could get a replacement (by paying 100 euro's extra).

He did buy apple care straight away for the new MacBook.

*This is a rare story, but it can be this way. Just calculate it in the total expenses of the Mac computer. It's part of it*
 
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Cheers for your view point guys, I am gonna make final decision after new MacBooks are announced, I am considering keeping this model for it's portability and getting a second with a bigger screen for home use.
 
iDutchman said:
Yes, in any case. It can never be a loss to you because you know you're 100% in the safe zone for 3 years to come.

Even if the Mac passes his days in excellent health, you know you would never had any problems, even if something encountered.😎

Yesterday, someone came in with an 'old' MacBook from 2009 (white non-unibody model) and walked away with a brand-new MacBook Pro 13". The Apple Care warranty had just 2 weeks left on it, and the poor fellow died. So the customer was told he could get a replacement (by paying 100 euro's extra).

He did buy apple care straight away for the new MacBook.

*This is a rare story, but it can be this way. Just calculate in in the total expenses of the Mac computer. It's part of it*
Click to expand...

Is die applestore in amsterdam een beetje mooi? 😉
 
How's this guy a Macrumor's regular and not know this answer...

I think I'm a newb still and I've read dozens of similar threads.
 
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