Is AppleCare worth it?

[wowoah]

Hi, I'm planning on buying a new PowerBook pretty soon and I was just sizing up the prices when I noticed that the 3-year AppleCare plan costs $250, which is a bit hefty especially for a student like me. The thing is, however, that I'm a student who plans on lugging my new PB back and forth to class everyday, which means that my computer might take a bit of a physical toll over the course of its life (my old Dell's plastic enclosure started to crack in three different places.)

Is the $250 for AppleCare a worthwhile investment, or will my PowerBook be fine without it?

 

[Eniregnat]

Yes. Search for simular threads on this site.

 

[Capt Underpants]

Get it! You will be happier knowing that your Powerbook is protected. I always get the extended warranties on my computers for peace of mind.

 

[Abstract]

It depends on who you ask.

Some people will say its worthwhile because of their history with Apple's service. Some say it's great, some say it was great but not what it used to be, and some say it sucks now.

Also, its not a warranty. Applecare will protect you from any product defects that are due to manufacturing, or parts being defective. If you break it yourself, or if the case cracks in 3 places, they won't fix it. They'll blame it on you, make you cry, and then blame your parents for raising such an irresponsible child. Some people, myself included, think that if the machine breaks because of a faulty part, that Apple should honour the warranty even if it's your 1 year warranty has expired. Car companies do recalls when they know that a mistake has been made on their part, even if the car is 10 years old. Why shouldn't Apple? Its not your fault that they made a faulty product.

I'd buy AppleCare anyway, but whether they'll fix your problem, or end up blaming the problem on you and charge you $800 to fix a tiny problem, is a risk. Apple is still a generally good company in terms of customer service, but once in a while, they'll muck up.

 

[triton]

I've been wondering the same thing. Is Apple Care worth it? Do they cover such things as dead pixels on LCD screens?

BTW, if there is something wrong with your product, who pays for shipping back to Apple? You or them? And do they charge you $45 per incdent, even if you have Apple Care?

 

[Abstract]

If you get 3 dead pixels, they'll take it back, guaranteed. If you have 1 dead pixel, it will depend on the situation, but usually not. I'm sure they'll take it back if the dead pixel is present during the first few days of ownership. Otherwise, it may not be as simple as asking them to do it. You'll have to whine to a manager or something.

I'm sure someone else here will say, "But my laptop was taken back when I had a single dead pixel," or something of the sort. But generally, you need to have 3 dead pixels.

 

[Schiffi]

Ugh, Applecare is horrible. Nevertheless get it. I don't know about damages as AppleCare usually only covers factory defects. But ALWAYS take your Mac to an AppleStore first. It saved me $1200 to have the AppleGenius there confirm that the defect on my TiBook couldn't have been caused by me. Though my experience has been slow (after on the phone this morning sorting out the whole "defect" issue the Repair Status site still says "Hold" and that was at 11.00AM!). Oh well, it one of those quicks in my life that gives me headaches...

 

[Huked on Fonick]

Apple Care is Great, they fix stuff no questions asked.

 

[gopher]

AppleCare is really good. I had my power supply, CD-ROM drive replaced twice, sound card, and power management unit, hinges, and even keyboard replaced on my Wallstreet Powerbook. All with less than 4 day turn around going through their main repair center in Texas. Also my motherboard was replaced on my Flat Panel iMac. What's more is if ever I have a software issue, I can call them and ask a few questions and get the answers I need to solve my problems. And I can do this 7 days a week.

 

[Lanbrown]

It is very rare for a car company to do that. They issue a TSB and getting that covered when your warranty is out can be hard, especially if the vehicle is made by one of the big three. In some cases, getting warranty work done by some vehicle manufacturers is almost impossible. The dealers give you the line that they all do that and that is the benchmark. They all do that is because they are all defected, but they don't see it that way.

My take on warranties is this. If you get it, chances are it will not be used. If you don’t get it, chances are you wish you did.