Is AppleCare worth it??

[wilsonlaidlaw]

Applecare is good value, even in the UK where rip off pricing applies. Price on Amazon UK GBP185; price on Amazon USA USD190 (current R.O.E. GBP1=USD1.64).

I had endless troubles with my 2006 Core duo Intel iMac and everything was replaced apart from the screen and HD at various times. Eventually they replaced the whole machine (three times as they sent me two dead replacement Core duo iMacs) but the upside is that they upgraded me in the end for free, to a Core 2 duo machine. I had an HD replacement in my Macbook. All this would have considerably exceeded the cost of Applecare. I will buy Applecare for my new MBP later on this year.

Wilson

 

[cluthz]

It really boils down to where you live.

If you live in Norway (like i do) you get 5 year "apple care" by default on any computer you buy, because our laws kinda says that a laptop should live for 5 years, unless you ofc damages it yourselves.

I've never bought applecare, and never will.

 

[feelthefire]

I didn't buy Applecare on my last computer, and I regretted that strongly when the hard drives failed repeatedly. I'm buying applecare this time around because $250 is less than the cost of one hard drive replacement.

 

[alent1234]

I didn't buy Applecare on my last computer, and I regretted that strongly when the hard drives failed repeatedly. I'm buying applecare this time around because $250 is less than the cost of one hard drive replacement.

hard drives are pretty cheap and get cheaper all the time

 

[alent1234]

I'm planning on buying my first Mac...a refurbished MacBook. I've heard Apple's warranty and customer service are EXCELLENT, but I was wondering if AppleCare's extra 3 years are really worth an extra $250?? I'm trying to save money here and not buy things I don't need, but I don't want to regret it. Any thoughts?

i spilled 1/4 cup of organic iced tea on my HP laptop a few months ago. took me a month to get it working again. for a while i thought i'd have to have it fixed. i looked it up and for my model it's $190 for a logic board. i have a nice business laptop from 2007. Apple won't cover spills, but things happen. LCD is $500 to replace. i also had an LCD problem on mine which HP said I caused and this is why i'll never buy HP again.

 

[huntor]

No

definitely not worth it.

my hard drive on my old mbp kept crappin out on me,
and my left shift key, cap lock, and tab key stop working.
Also my cd drive made this loud clicking noise when i ejected cds.

i take it into an apple store a month ago, knowing i have apple care
thinking they'll say nothing but "no problem, we'll fix it for free."

this little asian tech dude pick up my mac and starts looking at every tiny scratch and mark on the thing, asks me three times if it had any water damage. after 40 minutes of him asking every tech dude what he should do,
he tells me he's gunna send it in. and it's most likely gunna cost me about 200bucks to have it fixed.

i said f*ck it and left.
i bought a new mbp last week and didn't think twice about whether or not to buy applecare.

 

[feelthefire]

definitely not worth it.

my hard drive on my old mbp kept crappin out on me,
and my left shift key, cap lock, and tab key stop working.
Also my cd drive made this loud clicking noise when i ejected cds.

i take it into an apple store a month ago, knowing i have apple care
thinking they'll say nothing but "no problem, we'll fix it for free."

this little asian tech dude pick up my mac and starts looking at every tiny scratch and mark on the thing, asks me three times if it had any water damage. after 40 minutes of him asking every tech dude what he should do,
he tells me he's gunna send it in. and it's most likely gunna cost me about 200bucks to have it fixed.

i said f*ck it and left.
i bought a new mbp last week and didn't think twice about whether or not to buy applecare.

If you had taken it to an authorized service provider, you would have gotten service and it likely would have been free. WHY people go to Apple stores for repairs I will never understand. Your local service provider can often make MIRACLES happen insofar as Apple fixing stuff for free.

 

[JasG]

Like a good forumite, I have my say, repeating so many people have already said: I am a teacher and my kids are still students so we get it for $183.

It is great for peace of mind and if you are going to keep your computer for three years and my experience is representative, it is a great investment. I was a relatively late convert to Mac World, preferring the Thinkpad keyboards until Windows 98 drove me away. I have had three apple laptops since 2000, before my current air. I loved the operating system and I loved the machines, but stuff happens: hard drives fail, optical drives fails, network cards fail, power cables fray. . . --and Apple has made good every single time, without pause or question. Once my hard disk failed two weeks after the warranty expired and they still replaced it for free.

A month ago, a month before my son's three year apple care was about to expire, he was having trouble with his optical drive and what seemed like his network card, he kept losing the network. He sent the computer in, and it came back with a new optical drive, a new hard drive, a new heat sink, a new network card, and half a new case, including keyboard and trackpad.

I think the three year apple care is worth it.

 

[progressweasel]

Is AppleCare Worth it?

100% Yes.

My son when he was 2 pulled the cord on an iMac which caused a head crash and the display to me slightly messed up. I brought the iMac to the Apple store and told them what had happened. They fixed the hard drive (I had a backup) but when they returned the machine I noticed that the display issue. It was OK but not perfect so I asked if anything could be done and how much it would be. They replaced the display under AppleCare! This was an issue directly caused by me (my son) and they fixed everything good as new under AppleCare.

We always buy with AppleCare for the piece of mind but also the fact that the people in my company travel a great deal and if they have an issue there is generally an Apple Store within driving distance to sort any issue. I have used AppleCare more than once and have always been pleased. It is never a hassle, just a fix and you are gone.

 

[nigameash]

its def worth it!

i had my superdrive replaced 2ce, my display 2ce and my logic board 2ce all for free!!!! think of the money i saved wonder why apple never gave me a new mbp, i thought they had a policy of giving a new piece if your machine gets 3 repairs

if you dont want to spend the money now, buy the applecare right before your warranty expires

 

[itou]

applecare shouldn't be considered as an added purchase. it should be considered as part of the price for any new mac.

this kills two birds with one stone: you get peace of mind that should anything fail, you're covered without the guilt of having to buy something extra.

 

[laf5203]

I'm planning on buying my first Mac...a refurbished MacBook. I've heard Apple's warranty and customer service are EXCELLENT, but I was wondering if AppleCare's extra 3 years are really worth an extra $250?? I'm trying to save money here and not buy things I don't need, but I don't want to regret it. Any thoughts?

are you a curent penn state student? if so check out the computer store they have some great deals on new macbooks, or at least use the education discount on the apple care.

 

[briansolomon]

Consider what I did....

See if your computer is problematic during that first year of warranty. If not, you may feel a little more at ease when you opt to not purchase the warranty.

If your computer seems to have problems then purchase it.

I did that for my refurb MacBook that was riddled with problems and Apple ended up replacing the machine a little over a year after purchase with a brand new one.

Brian