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Is AppleCare REALLY worth it for the MacBook Air?
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Normally, I'd pass on a $250 warranty on a $1000 computer, especially for the Air with it's proven design and lack of moving parts. Especially if it's the base model, as they depreciate less than the higher spec'ed ones and are easier to flip on a yearly basis.
OTOH, if I'm buying a computer which costs say $500 more, I'll normally buy AC. I suppose it has something to do with use and expectations: a top end model usually means it's either a primary use system, used for relatively important work, or will be kept for more than one year.
I bought a 2013 11" base for $800 last month on CL, and have been really happy with it. It's about to usurp my iP3 as my on the go off site device. I wasn't intending to spend $250 on a $800 system.
But all the reports of the Toshiba SSD's dying on the 2012 lower spec'ed models just barely out of the initial one year warranty caused me concern, along with Apple's lack of a response so far. All the people reporting stated they didn't buy extended applecare, which I suspect was for the same reasons I previously stated.
Was able to find a unused, still in the shrink wrap AC policy from a reputable seller for $160, even cheaper than B&H Photo's $176. Did some rough calculations, and deduced that would be cheaper than any possible repair other than replacing a worn out battery. If the Air used a conventional 2.5" ssd, I could replace a 128 or 256 gb drive for less money than AC. But the less common blade drives used on the Air, especially the 2013's MPCle ssd, ensure that this will not be the case.
The saving grace of AC is that you do have a year after the initial purchase to buy it. You could go ahead and buy one now and see if there are any widespread problems reported by here on the forum on the Apple Support site, and if Apple decides to extend the warranty on the 2012 toshiba ssd's.
OTOH, if I'm buying a computer which costs say $500 more, I'll normally buy AC. I suppose it has something to do with use and expectations: a top end model usually means it's either a primary use system, used for relatively important work, or will be kept for more than one year.
I bought a 2013 11" base for $800 last month on CL, and have been really happy with it. It's about to usurp my iP3 as my on the go off site device. I wasn't intending to spend $250 on a $800 system.
But all the reports of the Toshiba SSD's dying on the 2012 lower spec'ed models just barely out of the initial one year warranty caused me concern, along with Apple's lack of a response so far. All the people reporting stated they didn't buy extended applecare, which I suspect was for the same reasons I previously stated.
Was able to find a unused, still in the shrink wrap AC policy from a reputable seller for $160, even cheaper than B&H Photo's $176. Did some rough calculations, and deduced that would be cheaper than any possible repair other than replacing a worn out battery. If the Air used a conventional 2.5" ssd, I could replace a 128 or 256 gb drive for less money than AC. But the less common blade drives used on the Air, especially the 2013's MPCle ssd, ensure that this will not be the case.
The saving grace of AC is that you do have a year after the initial purchase to buy it. You could go ahead and buy one now and see if there are any widespread problems reported by here on the forum on the Apple Support site, and if Apple decides to extend the warranty on the 2012 toshiba ssd's.
I have it on my 2011 cMBP. I bought the machine pre-owned and the fact it had the additional 2 years certainly influenced my purchase.
I have it on my Air and thankfully I haven't had to use it yet *touches wood*
Annnnnd, bought it for the pre-owned iMac I just purchased covering it to mid 2015. Shortly after purchase I got a dead pixel and had the display swapped out. Bearing in mind this fix alone would have been £400.
Bear in mind that having Applecare on a mac also covers some peripherals. I bought a pre-owned 3TB time capsule from Amazon that developed a fault. Because I had Applecare on the cMBP they replaced the time capsule with a new one off the shelf.
I'd not buy an Apple computer without it either already being in place, or purchasing it myself.
The 2x Applecare I've purchased, I got from Amazon ... saved about 40% on each.
I have it on my Air and thankfully I haven't had to use it yet *touches wood*
Annnnnd, bought it for the pre-owned iMac I just purchased covering it to mid 2015. Shortly after purchase I got a dead pixel and had the display swapped out. Bearing in mind this fix alone would have been £400.
Bear in mind that having Applecare on a mac also covers some peripherals. I bought a pre-owned 3TB time capsule from Amazon that developed a fault. Because I had Applecare on the cMBP they replaced the time capsule with a new one off the shelf.
I'd not buy an Apple computer without it either already being in place, or purchasing it myself.
The 2x Applecare I've purchased, I got from Amazon ... saved about 40% on each.
I just got Applecare from Adorama for $179. Bonus is that they shipped to FL, which not even Apple does... 
I'm on my 3rd MBA in 6 years, and have taken out and used AppleCare on my last 2 (screen & hinge replaced on 2008 model and screen replaced on 2010 model). Have only just bought the new one, but before the end of Sept 2014 I'll be taking out AppleCare.
Never paid the full Apple RRP though, and never had a problem with online alternatives
Never paid the full Apple RRP though, and never had a problem with online alternatives
This has absolutely not been my experience, and I've sold quite a few used Macs, iPhones and iPads over the past few years. People who are buying used don't care about extended warranties, they care about cheap. They might prefer for AppleCare to be on there but they're not willing to pay a premium for it. What's the point, then? I always just contact Apple and have them issue a refund check for the prorated amount remaining on the AppleCare (yes, you can do that).
Wait, what?
Is it worth it to "you"
I believe the 3rd reply said this and everyone should say this. If you have a limited budget then perhaps not. If the $200 -$350 is worth protecting a $2500 laptop for 3 years, you wont know till 3 years passes. Perhaps you could look at what could break, for example the logic board crashes or dies, thats about an $800 repair. What about the display, say you need a new display from a deep pixel or what ever, thats about $500-700 depending on size and retina or not. My video card died a month into my 13" Macbook Pro retina and apple replaced it on the spot, well it took a day, but very quickly without any fuss. if that was outside the 12 month window, it would have been $395. You may never have an issue with any of the of the parts of your computer and may never need to use it, the Apple coverage is important for the "what it" situation. Again, its a question of is it worth it to you. The only thing you do know is, you DONT know what will happen in the future. Expect the best, prepare for the worst.
I believe the 3rd reply said this and everyone should say this. If you have a limited budget then perhaps not. If the $200 -$350 is worth protecting a $2500 laptop for 3 years, you wont know till 3 years passes. Perhaps you could look at what could break, for example the logic board crashes or dies, thats about an $800 repair. What about the display, say you need a new display from a deep pixel or what ever, thats about $500-700 depending on size and retina or not. My video card died a month into my 13" Macbook Pro retina and apple replaced it on the spot, well it took a day, but very quickly without any fuss. if that was outside the 12 month window, it would have been $395. You may never have an issue with any of the of the parts of your computer and may never need to use it, the Apple coverage is important for the "what it" situation. Again, its a question of is it worth it to you. The only thing you do know is, you DONT know what will happen in the future. Expect the best, prepare for the worst.
Thread is over a year old so I hope the OP got their answer.
2012 MBA 13" I have had wireless card replaced (failed) and the LCD assembly replaced (vertical line). The LCD failure was outside of the initial warranty. So that more than paid for the Applecare. With what Apple charges for replacement parts, Applecare is a no brainer for portables (when purchased at a discount like from B&H). Well that's my opinion anyway.
2012 MBA 13" I have had wireless card replaced (failed) and the LCD assembly replaced (vertical line). The LCD failure was outside of the initial warranty. So that more than paid for the Applecare. With what Apple charges for replacement parts, Applecare is a no brainer for portables (when purchased at a discount like from B&H). Well that's my opinion anyway.
I've gotten AppleCare on all my laptops. I'd say about 80% of the time, it pays for itself in some repair or another, even if those repairs end up being power supplies with frayed cords.
I also think there's more peace of mind to be able to just hand a broken machine to the Genius, and say "It doesn't work, please fix it." And, I think there's more of a tendency for Apple to comp a repair if there's AppleCare, if it's a borderline case of normal wear or not, like, say, a hinge.
Protip: Even for removable batteries, schedule an appointment with a Genius. Batteries are cheaper as service parts than they are on the shelf. It never really hurts to talk to a Genius, because you never know when you'll stumble on an replacement program, a comp, or the worst is you just pay for it anyway.
I also think there's more peace of mind to be able to just hand a broken machine to the Genius, and say "It doesn't work, please fix it." And, I think there's more of a tendency for Apple to comp a repair if there's AppleCare, if it's a borderline case of normal wear or not, like, say, a hinge.
Protip: Even for removable batteries, schedule an appointment with a Genius. Batteries are cheaper as service parts than they are on the shelf. It never really hurts to talk to a Genius, because you never know when you'll stumble on an replacement program, a comp, or the worst is you just pay for it anyway.
Yep, I don't know about outside the UK but you get a 3 year warranty with a student purchase.
Edit: Have a look here: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1103022/
Here's one for you guys -
My wife's MBA has needed 2 (two!) logic board replacements in the last 4 months. Our one year of standard Apple Care is up this Saturday.
Should we rough it and just hope for the best? Or, should we plunk the money down and buy for the next two years?
My wife's MBA has needed 2 (two!) logic board replacements in the last 4 months. Our one year of standard Apple Care is up this Saturday.
Should we rough it and just hope for the best? Or, should we plunk the money down and buy for the next two years?
To the OP's original question, my response will always be yes.
Apart from the obvious, (it gives a three years peace of mind, and makes it easier to sell on for up to three years), Apple spare parts cost quite a bit of money. In fact, I use the Applecare cycle when buying computers; I always upgrade a few months before Applecare expires.
My first Apple computer was a MBP which I bought in 2008; I needed to use Applecare when both the HDD failed after two and a half years; it was replaced. My first MBA (which I bought in September 2010) needed a keyboard replacement and a Magsafe replacement; again, both were replaced without any difficulty.
Actually, I will go so far as to say that I do not expect to buy an Apple computer and not buy Applecare. I also bought Applecare for my iPad, but would not consider it for an iPod.
Apart from the obvious, (it gives a three years peace of mind, and makes it easier to sell on for up to three years), Apple spare parts cost quite a bit of money. In fact, I use the Applecare cycle when buying computers; I always upgrade a few months before Applecare expires.
My first Apple computer was a MBP which I bought in 2008; I needed to use Applecare when both the HDD failed after two and a half years; it was replaced. My first MBA (which I bought in September 2010) needed a keyboard replacement and a Magsafe replacement; again, both were replaced without any difficulty.
Actually, I will go so far as to say that I do not expect to buy an Apple computer and not buy Applecare. I also bought Applecare for my iPad, but would not consider it for an iPod.
But Apple products are "premium"
Superb quality much better then anything else. Why would you need a Warranty?
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After reading about the SSD's failing about one year of after, I rather have Applecare, and not need it, than needing it, and not having it. Peace of Mind. Worth it for me. Renters insurance helps as well for Lost/Stolen
I agree with that but one thing I think is worth some money is the 3 yrs of phone support. If you have an Apple store near then forget it, but other wise getting help for a software problem or just something you don't understand can be invaluable. My wife had a problem with AOL a while back that had nothing to do with Apple and they walked her thru it and it took a while. I don't know that she would have gotten it fixed otherwise.
If you hang out at MacRumors long enough you need 16GB of RAM, 560SSD HD, AppleCare, $400 leather case, keyboard cover, hardcase.. all in the name of future proofing that will likely be slower than next years base model.
Ahahaha this!
And your machine will be obsolete within a year! Upgrade every year! Your machine is 3 years old? Upgrade!
I suppose once bitten, it would become tempting to purchase extra warranty. However, consider my scenario....
I've purchased at least one major electronic item each year since 1999 (i.e. a desktop, laptop, PDA, tablet, TV, or cellphone) - note: not one of each per year but one such item per year!
I have never had an item fail outside of the already provided warranty period and I have never purchased extended warranty. The money saved is, conservatively, $200 x 14 years or $2800. That should pay for a lot of repair work if I get burned in the future.
Admittedly, I like technology and purchase more than I should so if I were making a purchase that absolutely had to last for the next 3 years, I might be more proactive and want extended warranty. However, I'm currently using a 2010 MBA, an iPhone 5, Ipad 3, and a new Mac Mini (my purchase this year!) and no problems.
I've purchased at least one major electronic item each year since 1999 (i.e. a desktop, laptop, PDA, tablet, TV, or cellphone) - note: not one of each per year but one such item per year!
I have never had an item fail outside of the already provided warranty period and I have never purchased extended warranty. The money saved is, conservatively, $200 x 14 years or $2800. That should pay for a lot of repair work if I get burned in the future.
Admittedly, I like technology and purchase more than I should so if I were making a purchase that absolutely had to last for the next 3 years, I might be more proactive and want extended warranty. However, I'm currently using a 2010 MBA, an iPhone 5, Ipad 3, and a new Mac Mini (my purchase this year!) and no problems.
My Mac Mini and MacBook Pro both blow hard drives just on three years old and my 4s was replaced twice. I had Apple care on them all so to me Apple Care is a must. I now have a 4 month old 2013 new Air and purchased Apple Care today as I got a 20% discount off the price of Apple Care.
I have found I get better prices when selling my one year iPhones when they have Apple Care included .
I have found I get better prices when selling my one year iPhones when they have Apple Care included .
I never buy extended warranties for my non-Apple stuff.
I always buy AppleCare for my Macs.
No justification; maybe I just value my Apple stuff more.
That said, I've had computers that never need any service while others that have needed constant service up to the point where it was deemed a lemon and replaced.
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Luxury cars are also premium, so are name brand suitcases like Rimowa and Tumi why do those companies need to offer warranties if they're suppose to be "premium?"
I always buy AppleCare for my Macs.
No justification; maybe I just value my Apple stuff more.
That said, I've had computers that never need any service while others that have needed constant service up to the point where it was deemed a lemon and replaced.
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Luxury cars are also premium, so are name brand suitcases like Rimowa and Tumi why do those companies need to offer warranties if they're suppose to be "premium?"
If you hang out at MacRumors long enough you need 16GB of RAM, 560SSD HD, AppleCare, $400 leather case, keyboard cover, hardcase.. all in the name of future proofing that will likely be slower than next years base model.
ha, yeah. not to mention the fact that many of the people advocating all this "future proof" business are usually buying a new computer every year or two.
And most of those warranties are included directly from the manufacturer... Not some add on for $200 over $1200 purchase
Around 17% of the total price.
That's $5000 added to a $30000 car.. way overpriced
It's less of a matter of the warranty cost versus the price of the object that the warranty is on; it's more about what a typical repair will cost you.
You'd be hard pressed to have Apple repair your MBA for under $200; however I have often walked out of a auto repair shop spending less than 17% of my car's cost. One repair to your MBA in year 2 or year 3 will completely wipe out the savings by not purchasing AppleCare. It's not the price that's the issue, it's the probability that you'll need it.
I have 4 Mac devices, and all 4 have (or had) Apple care. My two oldest, both 2008 iMacs, needed new SuperDrives before they turned 3, and both needed new parts with respect to the graphics and internal power cables. In that case I am currently ahead on what those repairs would have cost me.
We'll just have to see how it plays out on the MacBook Airs.