Applecare is insurance, so buying it is worth it if you need it. It's wasted money if you don't. Peace of mind has its value. I've had two Macs and have gambled that I could get through three years without problems. I won with the first and am 2.5 years into the second. But then I've never bought any insurance that I have not been required to buy and have never needed it. Maybe I'm just lucky, but I've saved a lot of money over the (many) years.