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Should I get AppleCare?

I'm thinkin about getting a 15" Macbook Pro, but don't know if i should get the protection plan for it. I bought one for my iPod video and I am very pleased with the service I have recieved.

Windows XP

Posted on Jan 17, 2007 11:44 AM

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Posted on Jan 17, 2007 12:06 PM

You pretty much answered your own question. That said, I always get Apple Care for my portables.
17 replies

Jan 17, 2007 12:26 PM in response to ilikemonkeys

Get the applecare. Unfortunately, but fortunately they bailed me out on my last two powerbooks. One had a faulty Combo drive, my last had a faulty video card/logic board. Both issues crept up on me in the end of 2nd year.

I hear people 'that know everything" always yap on about if nothing goes wrong within the first 2 weeks (during the burn-in period) then nothing will go wrong after that. Your odds may be better, but I deal with computers and repairs daily, and **** happens at any moment and three years is a large window of time for **** to happen.

If you're like me and you can't afford to drop $1000 at the drop of a hat for repairs, then get the AppleCare.

Jan 17, 2007 12:59 PM in response to ilikemonkeys

Absolutely! I get it with every Mac--there are 4 in my house--and it is always a good value. I call them on average once per month, if not to deal with a problem, then to ask a question. It is great service, and if you amortize it over 3 years, it is pretty cheap.

I have had 2 motherboards, 2 power supplies and 3 HD in my iMac G5. I had to replace my MBP. All covered, no muss, no fuss.

Jan 17, 2007 1:45 PM in response to ilikemonkeys

I'm thinkin about getting a 15" Macbook Pro, but
don't know if i should get the protection plan for
it. I bought one for my iPod video and I am very
pleased with the service I have recieved.


I would say absolutely yes !! I had a PowerBook that was 2.5 years old. It had all sorts of problems and was in and out of repairs. Apple then agreed to replace it and gave me a brand new MacBook Pro 2.16 - they wouldn't have done this if I had not had Applecare.

Go for it..just one repair can easily cost more than the price of the Applecare !

Kallum

Jan 19, 2007 2:00 PM in response to ilikemonkeys

I got applecare on my 12" 866 Powerbook. I have never called Apple. Never used it at all. Solved all the software issues via the Internet, and didn't have any hardware issues.

I did upgrade the ram myself, and swap out the HD (most likely voided the warranty there). I have an Apple store locally, so I can set up an appointment at the Genius bar if something is hosed, and avoid the Apple Care phone fee. Now, I'll still be out parts cost if the laptop dies after the first year, but I figure I can get the diagnosis at the store, and pay for parts out of pocket.

Now that I say this, every Mac I own will burst into flames. 🙂

W.

Jan 19, 2007 2:10 PM in response to ilikemonkeys

Let me be the exception to the chorus - I've never purchased Applecare on three iPods, and now three portables. I've had one iPod (my 5G 60 gig video) and one portable (my now-four-year-old iBook) require repair, but in each case the problems arose within a few weeks of delivery. The iPod is going strong after a year, the iBook will be four in about two week . . . if you're not dead-flat busted for cash, you're better off saving your money and playing the odds. If you're a poor student or something and HAVE to have the peace of mind, buy it. But economically, Apple couldn't sell it if it cost them more to fix/replace hardware than they actually bring in on the whole.

And as the last poster said, all my Macs and iPods will be smoking piles of melted plastic and semiconductors before the end of the weekend . . . LOL!

(*frantically looking for something wooden to knock on*)

Jan 25, 2007 11:09 PM in response to ilikemonkeys

I would not bother getting AppleCare on a desktop, but I would not get a laptop without it. And if you don't like working on computers as much as I do, you should get it on a desktop, as well. But a laptop, forget it: even to the extent that I may do my own repairs, the built-in display makes a laptop a very different animal. And if anything major turns out wrong (my last PowerBook had two very common and potentially expensive problems), you're covered. No problems, no worries, and they take good care of you and make sure you have your computer back fast.

Jan 26, 2007 4:25 AM in response to JRizzle

This is an excellent question so I decided to chime in on the subject.

On a whole, all of the service plans you are offered during the purchase of electronics whether its at an Apple store, Best Buy or Circuit City are pure profit and BIG money makers for the stores.

They offer it because it is essentially insurance and the odds are for every 10 policies, one will be excercised and even if that one is excercised, it could be very minor, so minor as to be pennies or so major that it requires a new laptop. It all works out in the end and they never lose. You also neglect to calculate the hundreds of millions of dollars in interest the up front monies generates over the 3 years, so dont kid yourself, they would die to sell a policy with everything we purchase.

In the case of BB and CC, they arent the manufacturers of the products being sold and the warrantee they offer, in my opinion, is a waste of money because the service they provide is horrendous and if you actually need to excercise the extended warrantee they make it about as difficult and unpleasant as the experience can be and their repair guys are usually morons. For that reason I tell everyone "just say no".

Apple is the exception to this rule, for me anyway, and I have quite of bit of electronic gear. Apple makes it easy and very simple to excercise their warrantee. They sell or manufacture every part in the laptops and the repair techs are all trained in repair by Apple, so its a standardized system.

I purchased a new MBP 15" about a month ago and, even though I have not needed the service, it is good to know it is there. The other benefit is that if you ever sell the laptop, the warrantee transfers tot he new owner within the 3 years so, you can recoup some or all of the investment from the next person.

Jan 26, 2007 5:59 AM in response to ilikemonkeys

Hi,

I would recommend it. I have bought it for most of my portables (when I used windows) and I hadn't had the need to use it. With Apple it seems to be different, I have read so many post of 8 months old macbook having issues (no simple issues), no counting the ones at the genius bar.

If you are planning to keep your macbook for more than a year, the answer is YES.

I hope it helps.

Jan 26, 2007 9:47 PM in response to macuser1801

I generally recommend AC for portable products, generally not for desktops based on my experience of almost 30 years with Apple products. I also advise that you wait until the end of the original warranty to buy. It is not a wise use of money to pay in advance for something that is of no use to you for a year.

Webb

PM G5s 2.0/A & 1.8/A, MBP 2.16, PM G4 DA , iMac600SE, 9600/G4, 5 Older Macs Mac OS X (10.4.8) G5 2.0 has 2 Raptors, 4X 300GB eSATA. G4 has dual 1.2GHz, SATA, FW & SCSI drives

Should I get AppleCare?

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