Wrong! It's great for the iPhone and iPad now because it covers 2 accidental damage incidents, you pay a small deductible. Also of note, for the smaller gadgets, Applecare only extends the warranty by one year.
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Is AppleCare REALLY worth it for the MacBook Air?
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Wrong! It's great for the iPhone and iPad now because it covers 2 accidental damage incidents, you pay a small deductible. Also of note, for the smaller gadgets, Applecare only extends the warranty by one year.
Which is also exactly what Amex does anyway. Don't you just love Amex? It is destroying this thread.
I find extended warranties to be a rip-off for anything, but I bought it for the Air. I didn't buy one for my last MBP because I both upgraded user-serviceable parts (which doesn't violate a warranty) and swapped out the CD-ROM for an SSD (which might). That poor lass was claimed by a glass of water, so Applecare wouldn't have helped. My first Macbook had a trackpad die right near the end of its 1-year warranty. That's not something I could fix myself, and with the Air there's nothing I can fix myself. I expect to hold onto the Air for the 3 year period, so I figured it was worth it 
A discussion in another thread says Amex will cover 1 year beyond Applecare. That means Amex+AC = 4 years of coverage, versus 2 years of Amex alone. Also, not everyone here is a geek or has a nearby Apple Store. Applecare gives you at least 2 years of free phone support. (2 years, 9 months if you buy it early) No phone support from Amex.
The other thread also said that using Amex to purchase the AC alone is sufficient to get the 4th year, you didn't have to buy the computer itself with Amex.
CIBC told me their extended coverage is invalidated if I purchase AppleCare (or any external warranties for that matter), they certainly wouldn't add another year on top of AppleCare. I imagine I could still add AppleCare down the road and they wouldn't know, I just don't see that being a good value for one extra year of warranty (year 2-3)
I'm not sure how accurate that is. From AMEX's FAQ:
I'm pretty sure it requires the actual product being covered to be on the AMEX card.
Why would a credit card company offer you an extended warranty for something they have absolutely nothing to do with.
And do you have a link for that other thread? 1 anecdote from a secondary source (you) is a pretty tenuous argument.
With Apple's legendary service, having the Apple Care gives me such piece of mind for the next three years.
Might I never need it? Perhaps.
Will I sleep better for the next thousand+ nights knowing I have it? Absolutely.
That was what convinced me to get it - for me, it was a no-brainer.
Might I never need it? Perhaps.
Will I sleep better for the next thousand+ nights knowing I have it? Absolutely.
That was what convinced me to get it - for me, it was a no-brainer.
If I need to buy an extended warranty, then I am buying the wrong product. I worked at a store in college, that pushed selling extended warranties. They were almost entirely profit for the company, it was upwards of 95%. That said. I didn't purchase AppleCare for the G4 iMac that is still running in a spare room, or my 1st release 17" MBP that's my second machine.
The only warranty issues I ran into where with the battery on the MBP, but those were replace for free due to the battery having a defect. As many have said, if your computer is defective, it will fail within the warranty. Anything outside of the warranty period is going to be based on how you use it.
The only warranty issues I ran into where with the battery on the MBP, but those were replace for free due to the battery having a defect. As many have said, if your computer is defective, it will fail within the warranty. Anything outside of the warranty period is going to be based on how you use it.
especially with 512GB Flash
For me AppleCare is absolutely worth it as I have a maxed out MBA with 512GB Flash. If the flash brakea 13 month after purchase it is probably costing still an arm and a leg to replace it.
For me AppleCare is absolutely worth it as I have a maxed out MBA with 512GB Flash. If the flash brakea 13 month after purchase it is probably costing still an arm and a leg to replace it.
A logic board repair on a MacBook Air is $765. If 1 out of 3 notebooks has a defect in years 2-3 then AppleCare becomes worthwhile. My guess is the actual number is much less than that.
I don't understand the people who say to wait till the end of the 1-year factory warranty. The AppleCare plan covers 3 years from date of purchase, so it doesn't matter when you buy it.
That said, I also have AppleCare on my 2012 MBA. When I had an MBP and things were user-serviceable, I took my chances, but not this time.
That said, I also have AppleCare on my 2012 MBA. When I had an MBP and things were user-serviceable, I took my chances, but not this time.
They recommend waiting so you don't have to pay for the computer and the AC at the same time. Since you can buy AC anytime within the first year, waiting until later in that year gives you more time to save up for it, and it doesn't affect your coverage (except phone support).
Waiting also gives you a chance to see how much you abuse your laptop (which can damage parts over time).
https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/15109023/
https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/15108740/
I wasn't the source and here are the messages. The first one does refer to purchasing both computer and AC with Amex, while the second one is talking about Amex + AC only.
It seems pretty clear to me that buying both computer and AC with Amex will give you 4 years of coverage. Buying AC alone with Amex does seem questionable but not impossible for an extra year. Even if you go by the restrictive wording of the Amex FAQ, you might be able to get up to the cost of AC to help with a repair in the 4th year.
Obviously these are anecdotes, as are 99% of the ideas presented in the forums. YMMV.
I think Apple Care is worth it just for the peace of mind. Compared to the cost of a Mac, it's not really that bad. Plus, if you travel a lot or live outside the US, it makes Apple Care even more attractive IMO. I bought it for my 2010 11" MBA and have used it once already when my charger suddenly stopped working.
I think a charger that suddenly stops working should be covered -- with or without AppleCare.
It was after the basic one year warranty expired, so that's why I assumed it was the Apple Care that allowed me to get a new one. But I'm not sure how long chargers are covered, so this assumption could be totally wrong.
Last year on holiday, my power adapter was destroyed because of some electrical problem in my hotel room (blown fuse). I wonder if I could have used Apple Care to get a new adapter, or if they would say it was an 'externally' caused damage?
I should have checked or asked but I simply forgot and just bought a new adapter. *sigh*
I should have checked or asked but I simply forgot and just bought a new adapter. *sigh*
If an MBA air 11" is $999, is it an extended care plan for 250 bucks that doesn't include damage due to spills and drops really worth it? Seems not to me. Can someone convince me otherwise? Want to purchase an MBA for my 17 year old but not convinced yet that apple care is worth it.
No one needs to convince you one way or another. Only you can decide if it's worth it to you or not. All others can do is say why it is or isn't worth it to them. Your priorities, values and concerns may be completely different than another's. If you haven't already, read post #3.
For me it wasn't. But, I have a credit card that offers an extended warranty (one year) plus Apple's one year gives me two.
I've been a Macintosh user since 1986, and have never bought Apple Care, nor have I ever needed it. The MBA may not be as robust as my prior machines, but it's used much less often, so we'll see.
Lou
Both my Mac Mini and MacBook Pro dropped their hard drive just before their Apple Care expired so it's well worth taking out Apple Care and selling one year old iPhones and iPads you get a lot better dollars when you have apple care.