Seriously - how often do ibooks die?

caveman_uk

caveman_uk

Guest
I've got an 12" 800Mhz combo ibook that the warranty runs out of in December. I'm already getting the reminders about Applecare.

Now Applecare for an ibook is £200. A new base model ibook is £800. So basically if anything serious goes wrong it's new machine time. Is the Applecare worth getting? Do ibooks die that often? I have had no issues so far apart from a new keyboard 'cos I pulled a key off it.

I'm thinking I might just take the risk. Am I being foolish?
 
I suggest keeping a close eye on ebay for a couple weeks. I picked an apple care kit up for my MDD PowerMac for $70 US! I have seen iBook apple care kits go for about $100 US. At that price range I think it's definitly worth it.
 
Get the applecare. You will hear people say that it is the best thing since sliced bread and you will hear people like me who has sent their iBook in 4 times in as many months.
 
If you pick it up off eBay or something, do you get the full additional 2 years, or do you get the unused time remaining on the AppleCare warranty?
 
Getting applecare is such a toss up. I would say if you are planning on keeping your iBook for the next two years then go ahead a buy it. That way you are insuring that you have a functioning iBook for 100 a year. I just bought it on my TiBook since I will definitely be running it another year at least. But that is $300 for $2500 replacement
 
Just because you've never been in a car crash, doesn't mean you don't need seatbelts.

Anyway, the LCD screen costs more to replace than the entire system costs to buy. If you KNOW that your LCD will be working in 6 months, then don't buy it. But unless you're psychic, you wouldn't know that.
 
I bought mine from Fry's

And I got their 3 year warrantee. They try to repair it through apple first, or you get a new one, or you get a new laptop that is most price comparable to the price you bought the original for.
 
Re: I bought mine from Fry's

Originally posted by frescies
And I got their 3 year warrantee. They try to repair it through apple first, or you get a new one, or you get a new laptop that is most price comparable to the price you bought the original for.
Click to expand...

So if your iBook goes, they can give you a PC if there are no Apples of comparible price. :) (Just messing with you. I am sure that they never would do that. ;) :D)
 
Re: Re: I bought mine from Fry's

Originally posted by Stelliform
So if your iBook goes, they can give you a PC if there are no Apples of comparible price. :) (Just messing with you. I am sure that they never would do that. ;) :D)
Click to expand...

Nope.... I get to pick :D

I would rather have apple care though... but this was cheaper. Now if it dies and they offer a new ibook or whatever, I'll have to backup everything first.
 
yes. get it...it's not too expensive and it gives you peace of mind...he he...most likely, you will also never use it and then you will get pissed off...and you will think that apple ripped you off

but,

then again, if something is wrong with any computer, it shows itself well within the first few months in the great majority of the cases....but there are exceptions where things go wrong after the one year point...but not nearly as common as a computer which has something wrong with it right out of the box

my original business partner was a dell, compaq, and apple warranty tech so i got to get a feeling of how often things went wrong and on what...and macs were, no surprise, built far more reliably than PCs...but i don't have to point out the obvious to this crowd ;)
 
I've had an iBook 500 dual usb (snow) since it came out. Which was what...3 years ago? The only problem I had with it was the battery broke when we got rear-ended in our car. (The iBook went flying around the car, we were stopped at a red light with no other cars around and this stupid **** driver comes and hits us in the rear going 60Mph! Yes I figured it out. Thank god I was in a Volvo!) The iBook itself was fine. Just the battery was messed up. Well that's my story for the night lol.:rolleyes:
 
I´m of the opinion too that on a machine with a reputation for lasting for years, if something is going to die on your particular model it will happen early on.

Having said that, is your mac a bog standard tool, or is it worth a bit more to you than just the value of the components.?

I use my PB for work and play and if it died or incurred a major $1000 plus fault, it would be beyond my emergency cash budget to get the machine up and running. I wouldnt be stuffed as such, because Id go get a cheaper iBook, but Id be a man down!

Also I have the idea of getting a couple of years hard but careful use out of it before taking advantage of the traditionally high resale value of Macs in order to upgrade. Apparently with some Applecare on it, the sale will be very much easier.
 
Originally posted by ianimate3d
I suggest keeping a close eye on ebay for a couple weeks. I picked an apple care kit up for my MDD PowerMac for $70 US! I have seen iBook apple care kits go for about $100 US. At that price range I think it's definitly worth it.
Click to expand...
I did just that and although I ended up paying £103($155) it was still a lot cheaper than the £199 Apple wants for it:D :D
 
Originally posted by StealthRider
"Seriously - how often do ibooks die?"
Hopefully not very often...my school has about 50, and NO Applecare...
Click to expand...

yikes

my guess, from being a tech, is that three or four of your ibooks may show some problems..and you may have a lemon or two
 
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