Is Apple Care worth it?

[RawKurd]

I want to order a new MBP and people tell me that the apple care is something I should get? Is this really worth it?

What does and doesn't it cover? What if I hypothetically drop my laptop and it breaks?

Thanks

 

[GGJstudios]

AppleCare
AppleCare Protection Plan for Mac or Apple Display

As to whether AppleCare is worth it or not, that's a matter of opinion. You'll find lots of opinions on both sides, with roughly 75% saying it's worth it. You really need to decide if it's worth it to you.

• You can buy AppleCare any time during the first year warranty period, so you don't have to buy it at time of purchase.
• You can check your remaining warranty and/or AppleCare coverage here
• AppleCare will extend the 1 year warranty for an additional 2 years, for a total of 3 years coverage from the date of your Mac purchase.
  It also extends telephone support from 90 days, which is included with your original warranty, to a total of 3 years.
• You cannot buy AppleCare again or renew it once it expires.
• Neither the Apple Warranty nor AppleCare will cover damage from accidents, spills, etc. They only cover manufacturing defects.
• Neither the Apple Warranty nor AppleCare will cover batteries that have worn out. They only cover defective batteries.
• For more detailed questions, read the AppleCare Protection Plan (pdf) agreement.

If you want more information, here are just a few of many threads on this topic, found by searching the forum:

Is AppleCare Plan worth it?
Is Applecare worth it if I don't even use the macbook pro to its full potential?
Applecare - Worth it?
AppleCare worth every penny
is applecare worth the money?
Mac Pro and AppleCare, worth it?
applecare worth it?
Is AppleCare worth it?
Is AppleCare Worth It?
Is AppleCare worth it??
Applecare? is it worth it?
Is Applecare worth getting???
Is Applecare worth it for MBP?
Is AppleCare worth it?
Applecare - if ever you thought it wasn't worth it
Is AppleCare or extra warranty really worth buying?
Applecare for MBP is $349. Is it really worth it?

What does and doesn't it cover? What if I hypothetically drop my laptop and it breaks?

AppleCare doesn't cover damage from accidents. Read the agreement linked above for details on what it covers.

 

[-tWv-]

As posted above, AppleCare doesn't cover accidental damage but I ended up getting covered for accidental coverage through applecare because the genius who helped me in the apple store happened to be nice, so you never know! Now in my case it was just cosmetic damage that didn't effect the functioning of the computer, but if you drop your laptop and it stops functioning, they definitely wouldn't cover that.

I would recommend getting AppleCare anyways just for the peace of mind that if anything goes wrong with your computer, you can always take it in and have them fix it for you. AppleCare covers software issues and hardware failures, and if one of these ends up happening, the price of AppleCare will pay for itself. If not, you always know that you will be able to have issues resolved if they do end up happening.

 

[JabbaII]

I want to order a new MBP and people tell me that the apple care is something I should get? Is this really worth it?

What does and doesn't it cover? What if I hypothetically drop my laptop and it breaks?

Thanks

Unfortunately MBP breaks more often than not.
In my case - (MBP 2007): logics board (the nvidia issue), battery twice (known defect), CD reject issue

I would probably have gotten the first two defects fixed without applecare, but since I had it, it was no questions asked service.

Most PC notebook makers offer 3 yr warranty as standard.

 

[Gregg2]

Your question can only be answered in the past tense. If you had a malfunction that was fixed for no additional cost, AppleCare was worth it. If you didn't, it wasn't.

 

[hojo10]

AppleCare is worth it

In my experience, it is worth it. Four years ago, I made the transition from PC to Mac. The first machine that I had my first year, a Macbook Pro, was a real lemon. I had about a dozen visits to the Mac Store. Luckily, there is one in my city. Anyway, even after the initial warranty had lapsed, they still replaced the whole machine under AppleCare, or so they said. It is something that should have taken place earlier. Either way, it was no money out of my pocket.

Now, here is the most recent development. My replacement machine has been perfect for three years until last week. The logic board went bad. Basically, I was looking at a mid $500 repair charge. This, to me, meant that I was going to buy a new machine because I was not going to invest that much money in an old machine that is out of warranty. Well, luckily for me, AppleCare that I thought had lapsed was still in effect; therefore, no charge.

So, yes, it is worth it. It is just like buying insurance or an extended warranty. Look at it this way, if things go really bad, can you afford to replace possibly a $2k to $2.5k machine? If not, then think hard about AppleCare. Plus, from the long lines at The Apple Store, I think a lot of what Apple is manufacturing is crap. Don't get me wrong, I like the brand. However, you pay a premium for their machines, and I have dealt with more problems in the last four years that I ever have with all PCs combined.