SquareTrade vs. AppleCare

[Vice92]

Hey,

I recently purchased a new uMBP 15in on Saturday, and I can easily say I'm very excited to get it.

I'm going to be using this laptop at college in the fall, and getting a warranty on it seems like a no brainer.

My question is though, does anyone have an experience with SquareTrade warranties with laptops?

I have a warranty with them on my iPhone, and it covers accidental damage, my main reason for purchasing it.

If I were to go through SquareTrade, I can get a 3yr warranty, with accidental damage protection (from drops, spills, etc) for $319.

It seems like I should go with SquareTrade, but I'm curious what anyone else thinks.

 

[jdechko]

I've never used SquareTrade, but one of the main advantages of having Apple Care is that you can take your computer to an Apple Store to have repairs done. And depending on which store is closest to you, the turnaround can be much shorter than having to send it in. Of course, I'm assuming that ST even has a repair program and that you live near an Apple Store. Really, I think the one benefit from ST is the accidental damage.

If you still (mainly) live with your parents, you might be able to insure the computer against accidental damage on their homeowners policy for pretty cheap. Then you can use the AppleCare (which is only 249 with EDU) to "insure" against any repairs needed.