New MacBook Pros (and Possibly MacBook Airs) Coming on April 13th?

[deadlydingo]

Costco's regular member return policy is 6 months, isn't that enough? I still haven't heard a compelling argument for AppleCare, they wouldn't be selling it unless it was making them money. Seems like most computer problems are from operator error or reveal themselves soon after purchase, with people claiming some great failure to justify their purchase. But I'm all ears to AppleCare apologists.

Yeah, I dunno anything about Applecare. I'm getting ready to buy my first mac once this update comes through and I'm curious to know if it's worth it.

Costco's return policy for stuff like computers is 90 days which is still pretty good. I think they changed it kinda recently and it may be different in other countries. The nice thing about Costco is that they automatically give you an extra year of warranty when you buy a computer from them. I know cause I am in the process of sending in my crap HP tablet just out of the original manufacturer's 12 month warranty but Costco is taking care of it through their Concierge service. The only reason I justify getting warranties though is that my family and I have had to use them for various reasons (all hardware problems) outside of the original warranty and so we were able to save the computer instead of having to go buy a new one. In each of those situations, the warranty was well worth it. Maybe it was cause all of them were HPs...who knows. I know that I'm probably not going to get another HP for a long time and the whole experience has turned me towards Apple.

 

[h20pwer]

AppleCare

Hello everyone, (and very sorry about the long post, I felt it necessary)

After reading a few posts I felt compelled to join in on the fun by signing up to this forum. Actually, it was "deadlydingo" statement he made about AppleCare.
I've been a daily Apple user for nearly six years. Prior to that it was nothing but PC,s. I started in '95 building my own and then for others. I would build, repair, replace parts for people (It became very lucrative for quite so time) but I was always finding myself working on the PC's for family members especially immediate family members. It kept me from making money working on others.
After receiving my new job position at work and after a little pushing on my behalf, I found myself with a PowerBook G4 (which I still have and typed this intro on) I fell in love with this thing right away. It's been a real trooper throughout the last 5 years and 7 months. After the first three years of continuous use, I had to replace the hard drive (not a problem for me) and everything was fine again.
After knowing how well this machine has performed, it was time to buy the wife and kids their own. I did some research on the web about Apple refurbished products and became to realize this was the route for me. They all received the white MacBooks for Christmas of 2006 (wife and two teen aged girls). Life was good...Not one PC in the house for me to work on....ahhh. No more "DAD, I CANT GET ON THE WEB!!!", or "Oh hunny, when you get done there could you look at my computer, it wont boot up?" Yeah man! Life is good.....

Oh yeah back to deadlydingo's statement....

So, last month my Mother-In-Law tells me her Mac Mini wouldn't boot up (Yes, we got her on the band wagon Christmas a year ago). I go over her house to see what the issue was. Well, I tried everything I could without taking it apart....nothing. So, I figured maybe I should take it to the local Apple store (not really local but not that far either) and speak with one of the so called "Geniuses" to get their take on the situation. Well, the guy asks me, "Did you Purchase AppleCare with the Mini?" I bowed my head and reluctantly said "no..... I didn't".
Well, as you might have guessed, it was a few month's out of warranty. Then he said, "Hold on a minute, let me see when the warranty was up". He then replied, "This has only been out of warranty a little while (three month's), it looks to be a bad MB. Here is what we will do, we will repair this for you at no cost to you, you might have to wait a day or two before I have it fixed. I need to order the parts." Well my response was "Really! Wow, that would be great! Take three days if you have to! Two days later I pick it up. It now has a new MB, ram and the bottom ventilation pad and all it cost was the fuel to get there.

Well let me tell you, One PowerBook G4 over five years old with one hardrive replaced(and a battery, they don't last forever), three MacBooks going on three years (needing nothing) and one Mini (needed repair at no cost).
So, do people need to purchase "AppleCare"? It's still up to you but if Apple treats people the way they treated me without it, just imagine how they will treat you with it.
I think Apple really does care....Maybe that's why they called it that.

Oh yeah, one more thing. I will be buying the new MBP and will retire the PowerBook G4.

 

[deadlydingo]

[Long post...]
Oh yeah, one more thing. I will be buying the new MBP and will retire the PowerBook G4.

That's awesome! I've only had to deal with the genius bar once for a cracked lcd in my iphone and it was a great experience too. Granted it was still under warranty, but it was a lot easier than I expected. Anyone else have experiences like this? If so, then I may think about skipping out on Applecare with the upcoming purchase. I am only adamantly for extended warranties because of my experience with pc's crapping out which many of them have, plus I am a firm believer of being safe than sorry. Anyone have experience with the Squaretrade warranty?

 

[aibo82]

Well im from the UK and alot of UK Online retailers have gone out of stock John lewis, Misco, Krcs to name a few this rarely happens so something big is happening!

Even I beleave there will be an update soon hopefully im not eating my words by the end of this week because I've been waiting since november last year!

 

[regandarcy]

I'm waiting too. But be prepared that updates might not come until September. Thats when Apple usually has their back to school, buy a laptop get an ipod for free type promos. Soon as the promo ends, BAM! New laptops.

But who knows. I hope it's sooner. I hope Tomorrow.

I'd like to see the ENTIRE line get updated tho including the 13" macbook pro, white macbook and the air. heh heh heh.

I'd like to see the white macbook get an SD slot. Same for the Airbook. I hope the Airbook also gets 4gigs of ram, a bigger HD and the same trackpad as the rest of the macbooks(that track pad button is ANNOYING on the Air!).

Thats my 2 cents.

Peace out.

 

[Eric S.]

I'm waiting too. But be prepared that updates might not come until September. Thats when Apple usually has their back to school, buy a laptop get an ipod for free type promos. Soon as the promo ends, BAM! New laptops.

But the BTS promo is for the purpose of clearing iPod inventory, because Apple traditionally updates iPods, not laptops, in September. They'll be happy to sell you a new laptop and throw in an old iPod.

 

[macmyworld]

The local Best Buys here (Minneapolis) are out of the 13" Macbook Pro and I only found 1 15". MicroCenter is down to a few of each.

The 13" Macbook is in stock everywhere, MicroCenter has 230 of them (for $799).

Please do the refresh, I need a laptop and do not want to look like this if the update comes out right after I buy it!

 

[ogee]

That's awesome! I've only had to deal with the genius bar once for a cracked lcd in my iphone and it was a great experience too. Granted it was still under warranty, but it was a lot easier than I expected. Anyone else have experiences like this? If so, then I may think about skipping out on Applecare with the upcoming purchase.

I can tell you 2 different situations. My Mac Pros graphics card went poof 1 month out of warrantee, and I had to pay for the repair myself, no applecare. Cost me about 250 Euro as I recall. Applecare would have been around 300 as well, so no big deal really.

Someone I know who works at an apple store had a MacBook Pro with no applecare, and it had a problem. Applecare would have cost (before staff discounts) about 350 Euro. He needed a new mainboard and it cost him well over 1000 euro.

So is it worth it ???? Depends.

I guess its like health insurance. You hope you will never need it, but if comes to the crunch, its good to know youve got it.

 

[drmacnut]

Prognostication: Into Thin Air

The MacBook Air was an experiment in preparation for the iPad, I believe. It was an experiment in both marketing and product design.

It's been a great little Mac to use for daily work, with my MBP in reserve for Final Cut and so on. But the problem with the Air is the expense and the fact that iPad is really coming on strong now and duplicating much of what made the Air interesting to users of lightweight computers.

So now, I think the MacBook Air is going to disappear Into Thin Air after 2011, by which time it will be completely replaced by its experimental and stronger offspring, iPad!!

 

[penter]

why not merge the macbook into the MBA? seems like the only logical way of thinking. two lines of low-end notebooks?