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Do you think AppleCare is necessary for your MacBook Pro Retina?

Hieveryone

Hieveryone

macrumors 603
Original poster
Apr 11, 2014
5,632
2,347
USA
Your first year is covered, then you get 2 more years for a grand total of the first 3 years.

In 3 years the computer is still relatively new if you maintain it.

Is it really that likely that something will go wrong? I can understand after 5 years but 3 years seems short.

I do use my computer a lot but nothing heavy. Mainly internet browsing and watching youtube videos. And of course the basics (notes, iMessage, iCal, keynote).
 
Hieveryone said:
Your first year is covered, then you get 2 more years for a grand total of the first 3 years.

In 3 years the computer is still relatively new if you maintain it.

Is it really that likely that something will go wrong? I can understand after 5 years but 3 years seems short.

I do use my computer a lot but nothing heavy. Mainly internet browsing and watching youtube videos. And of course the basics (notes, iMessage, iCal, keynote).
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Yes, in short. I have always had AppleCare for every Apple computer I have owned, and it has been both useful and necessary for most of them. Besides, it gives me peace of mind, and also ensures that if anything goes wrong (and Apple repairs tend to be on the expensive side) such things are covered for three years.

Moreover, should you wish to sell the machine on, AppleCare will help you sell it; it is not that it will add immeasurably to the price you will manage to obtain - it won't - but it will serve to reassure a potential buyer.

Finally, just a short list of what I have actually had done under Applecare: My 2008 MBP had a HDD failure in 2010 - which AppleCare dealt with. My 2010 MBA needed a new keyboard ad a new Magsafe - both supplied under Applecare. A 2012 11" MBA required some new letter keys (in fact, the keyboard was replaced) again, under AppleCare.
 
boast said:
AppleCare for MacBook doesn't protect against accidental damage like squaretrade does.
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Is squaretrade good? I've always avoided it because of all the nightmare stories online of how people got ripped off by them.
 
Also remember that if you have AppleCare, then any Apple peripherals are also covered. Things like AirPorts, Time Capsules, probably mice, etc.
 
I never buy insurance for something I can afford to replace.

We know that Apple is making a profit (probably a huge profit) on AppleCare, which means on average the cost of AppleCare is higher than the expected cost of repair/replacement. Since the vast majority of Apple laptops are perfectly fine with no defects, I am extremely likely not to need a repair or replacement before I upgrade in a few years.

In the rare event that something does go wrong, if it’s a widespread issue Apple will replace it free out of warranty, and if it’s just a fluke then I’ll eat the cost. It is such an unlikely scenario, there is no way it is worth $300 to me. That is a sixth of the cost of the machine I bought, and more than half the overall net cost to upgrade (including what I get when I sell this machine.)
 
Absolutely. I regret never buying it for mine. I was having graphics issues and glitches during the last month of my 12 months and I've had it repaired twice since then. I'm currently having more problems and will be having it repaired yet again. I've been riding off the extra 3 month warranty that comes after a repair, and I'm definitely concerned that I might run into even more problems after my warranty expires :(

You can get it from B&H for $244, probably the best price you'll ever find, and they're an authorized reseller http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...I-9q-iY9b0CFYhaMgodNF4AlA&Q=&is=REG&A=details
 
For me, it's only partly about the extended warranty.

I've just converted over from PC. None of the PC's I owned had technical support as good as Apple's. I used to often get stuck with problems that frustrated me to no end.

Now I just call Apple. I'd pay more for it if I had to.
 
aren't all the parts soldered in? I just bought a late 2013 retina MBP and thinking if I should get apple care.

I usually fix everything myself...But I can't anymore.
 
I bought mine without Applecare for now, as the 1 year warranty comes up I will reconsider more seriously. I plan on doing some travelling so it'd probably be best to get it for any incidentals.
 
Commy1 said:
I bought mine without Applecare for now, as the 1 year warranty comes up I will reconsider more seriously. I plan on doing some travelling so it'd probably be best to get it for any incidentals.
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It won't cover accidental damage.

I'm going to do the same. When it gets closer to the end year I will highly consider it after reading y'alls posts.

I didn't realize that things can really go wrong within 3 years with MacBooks :(
 
Yeah, my wife and I have had Applecare on all of our Apples over the years, and we've sometimes needed it--I'd say that we've gotten our money's worth. Some problems don't show up in the first year, or there is some recurring problem. It's not that most Apple laptops are a problem--but if you get a lemon, it can cost you many hundreds of dollars--we've had to have a couple of them replaced, which would be really a lot more. It's true that companies make money selling insurance, but some insurance is worth having.
 
Hieveryone said:
It won't cover accidental damage.

I'm going to do the same. When it gets closer to the end year I will highly consider it after reading y'alls posts.

I didn't realize that things can really go wrong within 3 years with MacBooks :(
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I realize accidents aren't covered, I suppose what I meant by incidentals was hardware failures, screen issues, etc.
I didn't have the cash at the time of purchase, so I'm glad they offer it afterwards.
 
Initially I did not think of buying Applecare for my mbpr 2012, but after receiving the bill for replacing a dead pixel on the screen (totally my fault - stupid keyboard cover), which was $1100 for the screen + labor, I changed my mind.
I think Applecare is worthy because it increases your resell price (if you want to sell it in the future), and also you wont have to worry much about your machine.
I suggest you wait till last month of your 1 year warranty then buy Applecare:p
 
kobe27 said:
Initially I did not think of buying Applecare for my mbpr 2012, but after receiving the bill for replacing a dead pixel on the screen (totally my fault - stupid keyboard cover), which was $1100 for the screen + labor, I changed my mind.
I think Applecare is worthy because it increases your resell price (if you want to sell it in the future), and also you wont have to worry much about your machine.
I suggest you wait till last month of your 1 year warranty then buy Applecare:p
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How do you get a dead pixel from a keyboard cover? I use a keyboard cover on my retina.
 
Hieveryone said:
How do you get a dead pixel from a keyboard cover? I use a keyboard cover on my retina.
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Well, it is not a good idea to have your keyboard cover and sleep on the laptop while the lid is closed. I felt asleep on the machine and next morning i found the white dead pixel that I could actually feel it there :(
luckily the genius guy did not really check the screen so they got the machine fixed for me :) awesome apple
 
standard recommendation from me is: if you get a laptop (Mac or PC), get the extended warranty. Laptop components are not easily available / repairable.

Extended warranty may seem expensive at the onset, but it pays it self off in the long run (3 years).

Of course, for those who always replace the machine every year, this totally doesn't make sense. But for the general crowd, extended warranty is a safety net to protect your investment for the whole 3 years.

PS: I bought my AppleCare online (from some seller). It's cheaper than normal, but I do see my rMBP with the extended warranty on Apple's checkers. Search around. :D
 
Hieveryone said:
Is it really that likely that something will go wrong? I can understand after 5 years but 3 years seems short.
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It is unlikely that something will go wrong. You should see this more as an insurance (for technical defects only) and quality of life thing (better service). Would you rather spend some extra money now and be sure to have a working machine for 3 years, or would you rather save the money, keeping in mind that if a repair should be necessary, it can easily cost 2x to 4x the cost of AppleCare?

So far I have gone without. Including my wifes machines, I'm on MacBook #5 now, none of them with AppleCare:
- 2007/08 non-unibody MBP: Died at 38 months (outside AppleCare), repaired for free due to 8600M GT graphics card issue. No problems before or after that
- 2009 white Macbook: My dad is using this now. No problems ever
- 2011 15'' MBP: Some issues with the screen that were there from day 1 (i.e. would have been covered under the 1 year warranty), still running fine after years of heavy use
- 2012 Air: No problems
- rMBP bought in 2014: no problems

Combined we would have spent probably $1k - $1.5k on AppleCare. That is a full new laptop. In particular on the cheaper models I feel it is not worth it. However I would consider it for machines north of $2.5k and in particular if they come with discrete GPUs. They seem more likely to fail in the long run.


PS: Note that when the 2007 17'' MBP failed I was offered a flat-rate repair for $330 or so. It made what would have been a $700+ repair reasonable. Only later it turned out that the GPU was the issue and the fee was waived.
If Apple still does this then it provides a small safety net.
 
Can I ask how places like amazon, and B+H Photo are able to sell applecare at a discount? Does apple really accept this? How do you link it to your notebook serial number after you have bought it?
 
If it was a PC I would have never bought extended warranty. If anything broke I would buy new (and probably better) part and change it myself.

Now, when it comes to Retina MacBooks, you simply can't change almost any part. It's not something I mind, but I appreciate my AppleCare.
 
Merode said:
If it was a PC I would have never bought extended warranty. If anything broke I would buy new (and probably better) part and change it myself.

Now, when it comes to Retina MacBooks, you simply can't change almost any part. It's not something I mind, but I appreciate my AppleCare.
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This. I didn't purchase Applecare for my non-retina models, but I will be purchasing it for my retina due to me not being able to service anything on the machine myself. I usually wait until the end of the first year when I have purchased applecare in the past.
 
I ended up just getting accident/theft insurance from Worth Avenue Group. It ain't cheap at ~170/year to fully cover a 15" rMBP purchase price but it covers the whole kit and whatever might come of it. Like a spilled drink on a plane, a broken screen in a party, or a stolen laptop in a car.

I have purchased Applecare in the past, and used it for various things, but will just be going this route this go around.
 
If AppleCare would've been cheaper, I'd consider it. As of now, it's simply too expensive.

In highschool, all of us students were supplied with white 13" MacBooks, the classic model. I used mine carefully, while others simply abused theirs. Computers were dropped, scratched, dinged, and so on. I swear, after three years, some even had the plastic surrounds around the screen missing. Some had plastic bits around the keyboard missing so that you could in fact see the innards of the computer. Still, most of these computers worked without fault. Of nearly 60 people, none had any hardware problems which were not caused by the user.

Those old plastic MacBooks really stood the test of time. Mind you, those MacBooks had spinning HDDs, which are way more likely to break than the SSDs of new Apple laptops. I figured that if all those old plastic MacBooks survived for three years while being ABUSED, my MBA and iMac should survive as well. But then again, I take care of my stuff.

So no, I don't think AppleCare is necessary. For now, I've done reasonably well without it.

My MacBook Pro (2007) had the GPU/Logic Board issue, but that was fixed under warranty in 2008 and has been fine ever since. Still runs without fault.

I think most significant problems are likely to appear in the first year of ownership while under standard warranty. (Although not always of course). I'd say, save the $300 and skip AppleCare. After 2 years of age, sell the computer and use those $300 for your upgrade instead.
 
I was wondering if the AppleCare expired can I get another AppleCare? If not, then I am thinking about SquareTrade AFTER AppleCare expires. :apple:
 
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