Is AppleCare worth it?

[Freelancer]

As an unlucky MBP owner, i'd advise you to take the applecare :
MBP bought on 6th of June 2007. Had to take it back 3 weeks later since the keyboard and trackpad became unresponsive till unusable : topcase changed.
On April 2008, some brown dots appeared on the screen. I decided to wait.
At the beginning of May 2008, the fans were blocked at 6000rpm.
I took it back, and had the screen, logic board and topcase changed.
on the day of the coming back from repair (3rd of June), i saw the backlightning of the keyboard was defective, and the superdrive did not work properly. so it took it back for repair.
I know all MBP users don't have so many problems with their computer, but having the screen, logic board and topcase changed cost half the price of the machine, so the Applecare seems worth it.

 

[gadgetgirl85]

Would you say that applecare is worth for the imac?

 

[Dimwhit]

Would you say that applecare is worth for the imac?

Yes. Especially if you can find it cheaper. Our iMac at work started acting up after an office move. Turns out the logic board went bad, so they sent a technician to our office to fix it.

On my iMac at home, I have what I can only describe as a palm print on the inside of the glass. I know that's not what it is, but it's something. Eventually, I'll get it taken care of. And I have two and a half years to do it, thanks to AppleCare.

 

[GGJstudios]

Would you say that applecare is worth for the imac?

I think it's more critical for notebook owners, since a notebook usually goes through more, with heat, being transported, etc. But personally, I depend on a computer for my business, so there's no way I'd risk going without coverage. How critical it is to you is something only you can decide. I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it! My hopes are I can go 3 years and never need the AppleCare I paid for!

 

[flyinmac]

What does it mean to "push" your computer, and how would that have any impact on something going wrong? Unless of course you mean, "push it off the table." I'd be afraid to do that too.

Likely means that he is afraid to stress it. The idea being that stressing the machine could cause a failure.

Not an unreasonable thought. If a machine has weaknesses, then working it harder, generating more heat, etc. could cause that failure to surface faster.

Back in the days when it was recommended that you "burn-in" your computers (as in stress them) for 24 to 48 hours right after getting them, the wisdom was to do it immediately, and then never again.

The idea, was that if it had a weak spot, you could identify it faster if you stressed the machine severely (we had programs to do that) immediately out of the box for 48 hours.

But, under the idea that as time went on (like say 3 years or more), that the machine's components would eventually weaken (as all all electronic components have a given life), you were advised not to stress it that hard again because a failure would be much more likely.

The point was to kill a weak machine quickly so you could return it for another one very soon (before the warranty ran out). But, obviously, you wouldn't want to stress it hard enough to potentially kill it once you were past your warranty period.

 

[ntrigue]

Two things haven't been mentioned:

1) You can purchase a MBPro AppleCare on eBay for $189-225
2) You can wait 364 days to add the AppleCare

I would say on a laptop 100% encouraged. On an iMac 50-50

 

[GGJstudios]

Two things haven't been mentioned:

1) You can purchase a MBPro AppleCare on eBay for $189-225
2) You can wait 364 days to add the AppleCare

I would say on a laptop 100% encouraged. On an iMac 50-50

One other option: If you're a student, faculty or staff of an educational institution, you can buy AppleCare from Apple for $239.

 

[flyinmac]

Two things haven't been mentioned:

1) You can purchase a MBPro AppleCare on eBay for $189-225
2) You can wait 364 days to add the AppleCare

I would say on a laptop 100% encouraged. On an iMac 50-50

I'd go further, and say anything with a built-in monitor.

Apple likes to get around $900 for those out of warranty. And, with an iMac, even worse. Think about having to remove your case (with hidden snaps that could break if you don't do it right), the the glossy glass screen, then the foil / RF Shield, then your LCD Screen, then your circuit boards, etc. before you could replace the hard drive or whatever else you might be after. And, then think about trying to reassemble it without getting dust between the glass screen and the LCD screen.

It's actually much worse than repairing a laptop.

I'd actually be more inclined to get AppleCare for an iMac than for a laptop.

But, then I've been through a couple of iMacs that never did anything but break down.

 

[IJ Reilly]

Likely means that he is afraid to stress it. The idea being that stressing the machine could cause a failure.

Not an unreasonable thought. If a machine has weaknesses, then working it harder, generating more heat, etc. could cause that failure to surface faster.

Back in the days when it was recommended that you "burn-in" your computers (as in stress them) for 24 to 48 hours right after getting them, the wisdom was to do it immediately, and then never again.

Problem is, nobody actually knows what "stresses" a computer. If electronics are going to fail, they usually do so fairly quickly and under normal use. The tolerances are very small. Usually they either work of they don't.

 

[flyinmac]

Problem is, nobody actually knows what "stresses" a computer. If electronics are going to fail, they usually do so fairly quickly and under normal use. The tolerances are very small. Usually they either work of they don't.

Not really hard to figure out a way to stress a computer. It would be the same principle as the old days.

Run a program that:

constantly works the CPU as hard as possible (throwing as many computations as you can in a fashion that will push it right to the edge of being able to keep up.

Runs the hard drive through a constant read and write state over all heads and the entire surface of each platter.

reads and writes constantly to all available memory locations

runs a constant test and sending constant data and retrieving said data from every controller chip in the computer.

Same thing with the video card.

And so on.

And, do it all simultaneously.

Basically, exercise everything in the machine hard for a duration of time that should break something if it's going to fail.

That would be a deliberate attempt to find a weakness.

In the context of what was being discussed, it would likely mean trying not to perform tasks which are inherently stressful. Such as complex video games with intensive graphics and high frame rates, or DVD Encoding, or rendering complex graphics, or things along those lines. In other words, reducing your use of the computer to simple tasks that are not going to make anything work hard in an effort to keep a weakness from killing the machine.

 

[Baffles]

Perhaps it's time for me to rethink purchasing a Mac? If you have to buy an expensive piece of hardware then pay $300 just to keep warranty to keep the thing fixed when it falls apart, it doesn't seem like a very quality piece of hardware.

 

[souldawg]

Perhaps it's time for me to rethink purchasing a Mac? If you have to buy an expensive piece of hardware then pay $300 just to keep warranty to keep the thing fixed when it falls apart, it doesn't seem like a very quality piece of hardware.

Any machine, PC or Mac, will fail if it is pushed. It's just the rules of the game. Although I'm not totally sold on AppleCare, by agreeing to the warranty, you get service directly from Apple and the ability to have defective parts replaced. With a PC, you don't really have that option. After the warranty maxes out, you are on your own and most likely have to go to a third party for repairs, unless you like waiting 6 hours on hold with Dell...just for them to tell you to go to a third party.

 

[gnasher729]

Would you say that applecare is worth for the imac?

You can always wait 11 months until you buy AppleCare. If your Macintosh had problems in those 11 months, buy AppleCare. If not, then I would not buy it.

Check out the numbers. Say you have an 11 month old iMac on your desk. Case 1: You buy AppleCare. Check how much it costs. Case 2: Exactly one day after warranty expires your iMac breaks down completely. Check how much it would cost you to buy an _identical_ model from the Apple refurbished store, not a brand new one. And remember that this refurbished model is actually better than yours, because it hasn't been used for a year and comes with a year of warranty again.

Now consider that the money for AppleCare is _guaranteed_ to be gone, but chances are very good that you don't need to replace the iMac and therefore have no cost.

 

[tuinte]

Perhaps it's time for me to rethink purchasing a Mac? If you have to buy an expensive piece of hardware then pay $300 just to keep warranty to keep the thing fixed when it falls apart, it doesn't seem like a very quality piece of hardware.

My experience is that computers break. Too much is going on in too small a space. One of the reasons to switch, in my opinion, is AppleCare because the service you get when something inevitably goes wrong (have you ever had a computer, Mac or PC, that didn't start doing weird things?), it takes care of the problem quickly and for free.

-

In general, these AppleCare threads take the question way too seriously. If you're spending $2000 on a computer, you're not going to spend $200 - $400 to make sure you have three years to save for your next one?

If you're buying a mini, or maybe low-end MacBook, where AppleCare is over 25% the cost of the machine, OK, maybe not (I could probably scrape together $600 for a new mini in a year if I had to). But if you're talking about a MacBook Pro you really need for work, and it breaks, can you scrape together $2500? Maybe yes, but these are the kinds of questions you should be asking yourself, not what Apple's profit margin is, which is something that has popped up here. What does how much money a company makes on something matter to whether the product is good for me or not?

If you spend $300 now, at the end of the three years, you won't miss it. Whether you used it or not.

Michael

 

[IJ Reilly]

Not really hard to figure out a way to stress a computer. It would be the same principle as the old days.

I'm not sure I can entirely agree. Most computer parts are not like a piece of metal that will break if you bend it enough times or a mechanical part which will fail with a given number of cycles. Normally they either work or they don't. Failures which occur under "stress" would likely occur in normal use. Exceptions could include hard drives, which have a MTBF, but you'd be challenged to find ways to avoid accessing your hard drive. In short, I would not worry about over-working a computer.

 

[majordude]

Is AppleCare worth it? That's like asking, is health/life/auto/home/renters insurance worth it. Who knows? It depends on luck.

If you only get colds, you're paying a lot for health insurance. But if you have cancer it pays for itself after the first CAT scan.

Me, I baby electronic devices. I'm betting I won't need AppleCare.

YMMV.

 

[flyinmac]

I'm not sure I can entirely agree. Most computer parts are not like a piece of metal that will break if you bend it enough times or a mechanical part which will fail with a given number of cycles. Normally they either work or they don't. Failures which occur under "stress" would likely occur in normal use. Exceptions could include hard drives, which have a MTBF, but you'd be challenged to find ways to avoid accessing your hard drive. In short, I would not worry about over-working a computer.

Actually, every electrical part is rated or estimated for a specified number of hours before failure.

And, yes, they are metal parts which stress with use (just like being bent back and forth). They are made of tiny metal trace wires that expand and contract with temperature changes (in other words when used or turned off / unused). And, with todays modern chips, they get hotter and colder based on the type of use / stress in addition to just the natural heating and cooling that occurs between turning them on or off.

So, yes, essentially the same thing as bending a piece of metal back and forth. Just takes longer.

 

[IJ Reilly]

Actually, every electrical part is rated or estimated for a specified number of hours before failure.

And, yes, they are metal parts which stress with use (just like being bent back and forth). They are made of tiny metal trace wires that expand and contract with temperature changes (in other words when used or turned off / unused). And, with todays modern chips, they get hotter and colder based on the type of use / stress in addition to just the natural heating and cooling that occurs between turning them on or off.

So, yes, essentially the same thing as bending a piece of metal back and forth. Just takes longer.

Longer than most of us will live, if the part isn't defective. You also can't predict whether an electrical component will last longer under continuous use or with frequent heating and cooling cycles. So good luck knowing how to not "stress" your computer.

BTW, I've never seen a MTBF rating published for a microprocessor. I'd be very interested to see these numbers, assuming they exist. I would also doubt very much if a PC board has any MTBF numbers.

 

[flyinmac]

Longer than most of us will live, if the part isn't defective. You also can't predict whether an electrical component will last longer under continuous use or with frequent heating and cooling cycles. So good luck knowing how to not "stress" your computer.

BTW, I've never seen a MTBF rating published for a microprocessor. I'd be very interested to see these numbers, assuming they exist. I would also doubt very much if a PC board has any MTBF numbers.

Actually, every little component will have a MTBF rating. Even the resistors, capacitors, and such.

As for leaving it on, or turning it off, both will cause you to reach the end of a given components life. It's just a matter of time.

Essentially, letting it cool, and then suddenly shocking it to life causes stress, and will kill it in time. Think about how your light bulbs tend to blow when turned on instead of when left on.

But, at the same time, you will reach the actual rated time faster if you just leave it on. So, that could lead to faster failure as well.

But, the MTBF rating for most computer components exceeds the 3 to 5 years that most computers are in actual use.

But, if you are one of those who will keep a computer for say 10 or 15 years, then you might meet those ratings in time.

I've seen office computers that were left on for 10 years. And, then one day they get turned off, and back on. And, they die on being turned on. Essentially, they were already weakened, and the stress of being left off for a while and then shocked back to "life" killed it.

Trying to predict which method of use will kill the machine faster, is pretty much futile.

But, you can be assured that leaving a computer on will cause you to reach the life expectancy faster. But, turning it on and off will cause more stress to the components than if you left it on. So, pick how you want it to die, and go for it.

I don't really tend to worry about it much.

But, since I used to design and build computer accessories out of raw materials (as in building it from components as my own PCB boards, custom cases, and hand soldering all the resistors, capacitors, chips, power system, etc.), I am quite aware that every component has a MTBF rating.

And, yes, PC Boards do have MTBF ratings. One of Intel's boards for the Core2Duo / Core2Quad chips has a MTBF rating of 218,279 hours (or almost 25 years).

http://download.intel.com/products/motherboard/DG33TL/tps.pdf

Intel doesn't like to publish it's MTBF ratings for it's CPU's. But, you can call them for the info if you want:

http://www.intel.com/support/processors/sb/CS-001666.htm


But, MTBF ratings are rarely what you can realistically expect. For example, most hard drives have carried MTBF ratings of 80 to 140 years for the last decade. But, hard drive failures are quite common, and obviously, they have not been in use for 100+ years.

In the end, the life of a component will be determined by it's weakest part.

But, in the real world, computers rarely see more than 3 years to 5 years of solid use before being retired for the latest and greatest.

In the world of Apple's, many people only use them for 1 to 6 months before ditching them for the next latest thing.

So, it's unlikely that most of today's users will ever have a machine die because it's useful life expectancy was met. It is more likely that they'll see failures do to weaker than expected parts.

What it takes to kill said part can be quite varied. It could be turning the computer on. Or, it could be allowing the component to get too hot (as in working it hard, or improperly cooling it). Or, it could be weak enough to die with no real cause at all (other than being a dud).

 

[jonnysods]

Is it worth it? Definitely. I have it on my MBP and iMac (see sig.)

iMac - replaced superdrive, and replaced screen (18 stuck pixels), both outside the 1 year warranty window. No grumbles from Apple or pushback.

MBP - replaced superdrive, 2 months outside of the 1 year warranty window.

For the price you pay for the unit, and the cost of repairs, it could save you $$$ down the road.

 

[cjduckk]

Speaking as a technician who has to fix OOW Macs pretty much exclusively, and as the guy who orders the parts for said machines, AppleCare is definitely worth it. When you figure that your battery is probably going to last about 2 years, and the APP kicks your warranty coverage to 3, if nothing else, you get a free battery out of the deal, plus unlimited calls to AppleCare.

regards,
-c.

 

[flyinmac]

plus unlimited calls to AppleCare.

Yes, it's always nice to have someone to call when you get bored

Get bored in the middle of the night, just call Apple and you've got someone to talk to until whenever.

Unlimited calls....

I wonder how many times you could call just to ask stupid stuff or just to talk before they cut you off?

Seems a pretty good bargain for the lonely

 

[flopticalcube]

Speaking as a technician who has to fix OOW Macs pretty much exclusively, and as the guy who orders the parts for said machines, AppleCare is definitely worth it. When you figure that your battery is probably going to last about 2 years, and the APP kicks your warranty coverage to 3, if nothing else, you get a free battery out of the deal, plus unlimited calls to AppleCare.

regards,
-c.

AppleCare does not cover consumables like batteries.

 

[IJ Reilly]

Trying to predict which method of use will kill the machine faster, is pretty much futile.

And that's the bottom line, as far as I'm concerned. A person could give themselves a lot of stress trying to avoid stressing their computer.

Yes, it's always nice to have someone to call when you get bored

Get bored in the middle of the night, just call Apple and you've got someone to talk to until whenever.

Unlimited calls....

I wonder how many times you could call just to ask stupid stuff or just to talk before they cut you off?

Seems a pretty good bargain for the lonely

 

[JustLikeYou]

I haven't purchased AppleCare yet, but I will before my first year is over. My MacBook isn't even 6 months old yet and I've already had to replace the optical drive and fix the outside casing.