Thinking seriously about getting a Mac but....

i bought mine from best buy, there is nothing wrong with buying from best buy.
i bought from best so apple gets less of a profit, that my protest to apple for past/present practices. i considered the the warrenty because they include accidental damage coverage. the true problem with extended warrenties is the company that you get it from has to be around when you need to use it. i.e. is best buy going to be here in three years. to me it was tempting be cause of the accidental part....oops left it on the roof of my car.

kmac1036 wrote:
what it all boils down to is this: Best Buy / Geek squad are NOT certified by Apple to touch those machines. If they were to attempt a repair, any warranty from Apple is VOID.

Well - I remember looking up some AASPs, and maybe a year or two ago there were some Best Buy locations that were in the database. They are no longer in the database.

As for anyone touching a machine, it's a lot more complicated than just that anyone opening a machine meaning the warranty is voided. There are warranty protections in the US, many US states, as well as countries around the world.

I or anyone else (a friend or independent service personnel) could conceivably open up a MacBook Pro, fiddle around with it, competently reassemble it, and legally the warranty or service contract (AppleCare) would be intact. The key is that the warranty terms don't cover damage as a result of non-Apple personnel opening up a computer, don't cover aftermarket parts installed in the computer, and they imply that damage caused by Apple personnel or AASP personnel is covered under warranty or AppleCare. I've heard that the service has to be documented in Apple's database though.

At least in the US, warranties are never wholesale voided for violations of warranty terms. Even if a car owner doesn't perform regular maintenance under the hood, should something like a trunk latch falling off would still be covered under warranty. Denial of a warranty claim would need to demonstrate some sort of cause and effect of something improper by the consumer.

Goingcrazy, that's like saying "I had a few problems with my iPod so I advise everyone to stay away from iPods because mine had a few problems!!". That makes no sense. I and my friends have had no problems with the MB. That doesn't mean they are perfect. I had a ton of problems with my PC but I wouldn't tell a friend not to buy one if they think it is the right thing for them.
Also, he's looking at the white MB, not the aluminum. So the fact that you've had some problems with the unibody MB would really apply totally here.
Personally, I would buy from Apple. If you don't have the opportunity to go to the Apple store, you could do it online and get free shipping. You can still get a student discount if you are in high school but you won't be able to get the free iPod touch. Mailing your laptop in for repairs wouldn't be the worst thing. I've mailed electronics in for repairs before and had no problems. I'm sure some people have problems, but I have not in the past. Just my opinion though.

Actually, you missed the point. The point was that if you're paying a premium for a product, you should expect good value. One of the Macs in my family has failed to deliver that value.