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iMas70

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 4, 2012
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MA
I very rarely buy extended warranties but I got AppleCare when I bought my iPhone. That came in handy when the screen shattered. Should I consider getting it for the iMac?
 
Well it's great if your machine has a fault but it doesn't cover accidental damage like with the iPhone only manufacturing defects and failures, I'd just get the machine added to your home insurance instead.
 
It absolutely is worth it. The cost of just one out of warranty repair would exceed the cost of AppleCare in the first place. Buy it and have peace of mind for 3 years!

As Samsan mentioned, unlike the iOS AppleCare it doesn't cover accidental damage and Apple don't offer any accidental damage policies against their computers. So best get it insured for accidental damage through a third-party or home insurance.
 
Another vote for AppleCare, its a lot more affordable on the iMac then the MBP and I find getting an extra 2 years provides some peace of mind - especially since these machines are virtually sealed and there's no way the consumer can easily update/repair these bad boys :)
 
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Another vote for AppleCare, its a lot more affordable on the iMac then the MBP and I find getting an extra 2 years provides some peace of mind - especially since these machines are virtually sealed and there's no way the consumer can easily update/repair these bad boys :)

I agree. If the iMac were more modular and user-serviceable with an external monitor, then I'd probably not buy AppleCare. But with the highly integrated packaging, high repair costs and many of us paying over $3000 for a system, buying AppleCare for the iMac is a no-brainer.

My only wish is that there was an option for a more expensive AppleCare that covered the system for 5 years rather than 3. That 3 years goes by really quickly .
 
Apple Care covered every issue I've had with my iMac except the last one, which is a HD problem, and should be covered by Apple nevertheless. The first thing to go was a grommet holding up the monitor. It snapped and the iMac hung forward. Next was a GPU and screen problem. Now the HD.

Wonk.
 
I would buy AppleCare if I lived in the USA without doubt. But, check if your country have consumer laws. In Norway you can file a consumer law claim after the first year of warranty is expired and Apple have to honor that request.
 
I never bothered with it when I used IPhones, I was buying a new one so often it didn't seem worth it. I do get it on my computers (IMac and MBP).
 
I ordered a refurbished computer from Apple last night. Would you want AppleCare more because of that?

I'll probably get it either way. I believe I have a year to do it.
 
I thought it was 90 days?
You get a one year warranty and 90 days tech support. You can but AC within that year. The 90 days tech support might be what you are thinking of.

Then to make it even more confusing, there is AppleCare+ for iOS devices that must be purchased within 60 days.
 
Not good value for their computers. Most production defects are covered by more than the standard 1 year warranty such as my old MacBook pro which had pealing of the bezel and was covered under 3 year warranty even though i only had 1 year warranty which had expired.

Better to just use a decent unauthorised apple repair place to fix your stuff provided you can find somewhere local with a good reputation. I've been doing this for years, never once purchased AppleCare for this reason.
 
I very rarely buy extended warranties but I got AppleCare when I bought my iPhone. That came in handy when the screen shattered. Should I consider getting it for the iMac?

I'm a big fan of AppleCare. I've only needed it once in about 15-17 years of owning Apples, but the one time I needed it, it saved my bacon.
 
Count me in as a big fan of AppleCare. It's relatively inexpensive (shop around, you can often find a better deal than the Apple store) and Apple really goes out of their way to take care of you if you have it.

My AppleCare story involved my 2012 rMBP. I accidentally cleaned my screen with lens cleaner instead of display cleaner. It removed all the anti-glare coating and my display looked like it had a large hole in the center. At the time, this display had a couple of stuck pixels along the right edge that really never bothered me enough to have it fixed. I sent my laptop into Apple for service and told them what I had done. I also mentioned that there were a few stuck pixels as well. Apple replaced the whole display for free!
 
You get a one year warranty and 90 days tech support. You can but AC within that year. The 90 days tech support might be what you are thinking of.

Then to make it even more confusing, there is AppleCare+ for iOS devices that must be purchased within 60 days.
Yes, I thought the 90 days was like the 60 days for AppleCare+
 
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For an iMac, AppleCare is a good investment.

It is not exactly like the old Mac Pro days when we could open 'em up, change gfx, hard drives, clean fans, change CPU's etc at will. Apple consider the iMac a 'sealed unit' to persuade owners to get service done at an Apple Store or a Reseller.

Here in Australia, my nearest resellers, 100 + klms away and 400klms each way to an Apple Store, are very reluctant to try and crack 1012 and late iMacs, and ship them to Apple for maintenance work. Then again the Resellers are also HP agents and often seem only interested in sales.
 
I bought it on my last iMac and it saved me. Had to replace the screen and the logic board. It paid for itself and then some. When I replaced my old iMac with a refurbished 27" iMac I got it again. It's just insurance and that leads to restful nights and no worries for 3 years. Also have it on my iPhone 7 as part of the Apple upgrade program. I like not having to worry about things like replacing or fixing something out of warranty.
 
Isn't it only $169 for the iMac compared to $250 to $350 for the MacBooks?

$169 is definitely worth it for another 2 years of warranty.
 
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