I (as you know) am getting a new PowerMac and the AppleCare thingy costs £165 which is rather alot more than it cost for the iMac. Over the last 2 years i've probably only spent about 1/2 an hour on the phone to support people, and the blokey had to come here once. However, aren't Macs more reliable now because of OS X? Is it sensible to not get the protection plan and just hope? You phone support for 90 days and repairs for a year without it and with it you get both for 3 years.
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AppleCare
- Thread starter momoko
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HARDWARE FIX
Phone support, who cares! Those guys offer some help, but nothing to compensate for the apple care price. its the hardware fixes that you save on. IF your computer were to need new hardware, one or two parts will run you over $300 US (dunno how to say stuff in foreign currency terms). My ibook for example has had the hard drive replaced THREE times, the battery replaced once, and the display hinge serviced in the first year. All except the battery required a shipment to apple, at their cost. I never paid a dime for any of them. The total of all 5 repairs would be well over a thousand dollars, yet it only cost me the apple care plan. Granted, notebooks are more expensive to repair and prone to damage.
Phone support, who cares! Those guys offer some help, but nothing to compensate for the apple care price. its the hardware fixes that you save on. IF your computer were to need new hardware, one or two parts will run you over $300 US (dunno how to say stuff in foreign currency terms). My ibook for example has had the hard drive replaced THREE times, the battery replaced once, and the display hinge serviced in the first year. All except the battery required a shipment to apple, at their cost. I never paid a dime for any of them. The total of all 5 repairs would be well over a thousand dollars, yet it only cost me the apple care plan. Granted, notebooks are more expensive to repair and prone to damage.
I agree. OS X may relieve you of many software and system problems, but what you are investing in is insurance for your hardware. I wouldn't think of buying a Mac without AppleCare. While I rarely need it, it has saved me money enough times to pay for itself on all my systems, not just those which needed repair.
Just remember: this is the same as waiting for a phone call all afternoon and then deciding to leave the house... the call will come right after you leave.
Get AppleCare, even if you don't expect to need it. If you don't, you are almost sure to regret it.
Dan
Just remember: this is the same as waiting for a phone call all afternoon and then deciding to leave the house... the call will come right after you leave.
Get AppleCare, even if you don't expect to need it. If you don't, you are almost sure to regret it.
Dan
i would buy applecare. i work in apple service and see what comes in. applecare is probably some of the cheapest insurance. there isnt a single part in that computer besides ram that is cheaper than that applecare. the good thing is is that you have a year to buy it. the other problem is you may forget and it may be to late to purchase it. plus it doesnt matter if your os x is stable or not, applecare doesnt cover software problems.
iJon
iJon
well kindof. a two year extension on the 1 year labor. its a two year and 9 month extention on the phone support. personally i like to protect my investment,, i would get it, but its yoru money, plus your hearing this from a guy who works in apple service. if that logic board goes bad in your powermac, your gonna be out about 600 dolloars US, almost 700 with tax. take that into consideration.
iJon
Another nice aspect to AppleCare regard tiny fixes. Say you have a machine that won't boot correctly and it turns out that the problem could be solved by resetting the mother board. No maybe you would have tried that, but if you didn't you'll end up paying $50 for someone to push a button.
Dan
Dan
Actually it doesn't extend it by three years. It extends it to three years from the date of purchase.
Reading about applecare has got me thinking whether it is worth it.
I'm getting an iBook and i've been told mac's are reliable then i find i have the option of having to purchase applecare, making me think why when i've been told apples are reliable!
Anyway it sounds interesting but i will base my response on past experiences with laptops.
I've got an NEC laptop which after using it isn't all that good, but it must be a miracle because i've never had a hardware problem with it. Its solidily built, pity i had to buy it with windows.
Anyway if i've never had a problem with this one with a standard one year warranty (ran out now) then why should i get a iBook with Applecare?
Then again one must remember or take into account sod's law or murphy's law (depending on where you live).
I'm getting an iBook and i've been told mac's are reliable then i find i have the option of having to purchase applecare, making me think why when i've been told apples are reliable!
Anyway it sounds interesting but i will base my response on past experiences with laptops.
I've got an NEC laptop which after using it isn't all that good, but it must be a miracle because i've never had a hardware problem with it. Its solidily built, pity i had to buy it with windows.
Anyway if i've never had a problem with this one with a standard one year warranty (ran out now) then why should i get a iBook with Applecare?
Then again one must remember or take into account sod's law or murphy's law (depending on where you live).
You have to weigh risk and benefit as with any decision to buy insurance. Apple probably makes money hand over fist with AppleCare (if they didn't, they wouldn't offer it at that price point)--what they're selling is piece of mind. With a computer there are many many expensive things that can go wrong.
Previously I never bought "extended insurance" on anything (always thought them to be big scams). That being said, I did fork out money for AppleCare when I bought my TiBook 2 years ago for two reasons: 1. laptops are complex little buggers with expensive guts and 2. I knew that I would be lugging it around everywhere, thereby increased the chance of grievous bodily damage to it.
I have used it twice to replace two fried batteries and have therefore more than recouped my $$.
There is probably more than a 90% chance you won't need extended insurance....depends on how much of a risk taker you are and what you're buying it for. For a blender or toaster from Best Buy, I'm willing to take that risk. For an expensive computer with an LCD screen, I'm not.
Previously I never bought "extended insurance" on anything (always thought them to be big scams). That being said, I did fork out money for AppleCare when I bought my TiBook 2 years ago for two reasons: 1. laptops are complex little buggers with expensive guts and 2. I knew that I would be lugging it around everywhere, thereby increased the chance of grievous bodily damage to it.
I have used it twice to replace two fried batteries and have therefore more than recouped my $$.
There is probably more than a 90% chance you won't need extended insurance....depends on how much of a risk taker you are and what you're buying it for. For a blender or toaster from Best Buy, I'm willing to take that risk. For an expensive computer with an LCD screen, I'm not.
Personally the thing I do and therfore think is the way to do it is to not buy Applecare at first.
You can buy AppleCare at anytime durring the first year of free Applecare. So what I do is if I have a lot of problems with my current mac I purchase the Applecare if I don't I wait out the first year and when they send me my reminder I decide then if I should purchase it or not based on my first full year of experience with the computer and input from other people with the same computer.
You can buy AppleCare at anytime durring the first year of free Applecare. So what I do is if I have a lot of problems with my current mac I purchase the Applecare if I don't I wait out the first year and when they send me my reminder I decide then if I should purchase it or not based on my first full year of experience with the computer and input from other people with the same computer.
You make a valid point, MacBandit.
However, some things cannot be predicted, and the capital outlay that would be involved with a fritzed screen or MoBo may be enough to justify AppleCare for the squeamish amongst us (like me).
Its all about rolling the dice....
However, some things cannot be predicted, and the capital outlay that would be involved with a fritzed screen or MoBo may be enough to justify AppleCare for the squeamish amongst us (like me).
Its all about rolling the dice....
good stuff
i'm an Apple Service Technician in hollywood. Trust me, you need applecare. If you do not get applecare, you will learn your lesson the hard way. The VERY EXPENSIVE kind of hard way.
i'm an Apple Service Technician in hollywood. Trust me, you need applecare. If you do not get applecare, you will learn your lesson the hard way. The VERY EXPENSIVE kind of hard way.
4 Macs in the last 7 years and no extended AppleCare. Am I lucky or just no how to take care of my equipment?
I had a bad experience with my brand new iBook 800Mhz. I bought from a authorized dealer here in Canada. I nstalled a airport card on it, and I noticed that the keyboard was not sitting proprely. It was kind of floating, when I typed, everything would bounce.... I noticed that the metal cover, insidde the keyboard, on the right side was popping up. I also noticed on the second day some scratches on the screen. I know that these scratches are supposed to be from dirty in your fingers etc... but I would not expect my keyboard to be dirty on the second day. Anyway, I took back to the store, thinking that they would replace the computer... NOPE. They would fix it and if this was not my FOULT, apple care would pay to fix it. Yes, a computer wit 3 days old, I had not even carried it, it was in my table to install softs etc...
At the end, the "fixed" the computer, and Apple care end up covering this problem. The techs found out that I was not culprit. Apple care would not cover the screen if it was really damaged (Although they clean it, I still can see some scratches, and from then one I have use a keyboard protective tissue).
I know that most of my problems are not really related to Apple Care, but with the store exchage policy. They told me that it was Apple policy not to replace the computer, but fix it.... (is that true? (iJohn, maybe you can help me here...)) Today I just went to another store and they told me that they would replace the computer within 15 days.
I am thinking if its worth it buying the extension plan for Apple Care... But since my computer had problems since day one, that would not be a bad idea... But guess where I will buy my new iMac?
At the end, the "fixed" the computer, and Apple care end up covering this problem. The techs found out that I was not culprit. Apple care would not cover the screen if it was really damaged (Although they clean it, I still can see some scratches, and from then one I have use a keyboard protective tissue).
I know that most of my problems are not really related to Apple Care, but with the store exchage policy. They told me that it was Apple policy not to replace the computer, but fix it.... (is that true? (iJohn, maybe you can help me here...)) Today I just went to another store and they told me that they would replace the computer within 15 days.
I am thinking if its worth it buying the extension plan for Apple Care... But since my computer had problems since day one, that would not be a bad idea... But guess where I will buy my new iMac?
Sigh....we need Apple Stores in Canada. I'm originally from Vancouver. While there are some good stores there (Simply Computing and Westworld come to mind), there's nothing beating an Apple Store like the one here in Boston. Any problem with an Apple Care'd product gets a "no questions asked" fix right then and there (2 dead batteries replaced with no problems with my PB).
BTW: would they have let you open up the machine to inspect it first before you bought it?
do logic boards usually fry on Power Macs? I don't understand why people would spend so much money on a mac and not expect the hardware to perform up to standards. I have a PM and have no issues with it. I of cource am not tampering with its guts unless I'm upgrading the beast.
The phone support is only good if you're an ametuer mac user. When you don't know your iApps then get it. If you know your way around a mac. Save your money or use it to further upgrade your machine. Hey and even within a year your Power Mac can lose $1,000 in value alone. In three years its worth about $600.
I know its a gamble but I'm not paranoid about my mac, i just love it.
Tyler