Buy the AppleCare

[DawnM]

Just a PSA. I am sure there are many of you who didn't buy it and your computer is fine, but I am going to just tell you that for ME, Applecare more than paid for itself.

Battery went out.....new battery put in.
Hard drive is corrupt- getting a new hard drive

Several hours of phone calls and applecare via phone as well.

Several hundreds of dollars saved.

Dawn

 

[holycow]

I second that! Money well spent!

 

[sookie]

i agree, totally worth it.
i have never accidentally damaged an apple LAPTOP product, but i DO wish that it would cover accidental damage as well.

we are completely apple in our house (3 laptops, apple tv, iPhones, and numerous iPods) and between the genius bar and applecare, we are set. for my iPhone 4s - i did get the applecare plus (a new product) which covers accidental damage with a small deductible. I felt it was important to get it. I have broken my iPhone screen several times, and got it replaced once for $99 bucks and the others for free - probably because many tears were involved. My husband always says "Why do you always look like you are getting ready to go on a date when you go to the Apple Store?" Well honestly, because between the tears (which are legit, I promise) and generous young men working at the genius bar, I have had decent luck on getting my accidental iPhone damage repaired instead of them telling me to buy the phone for an out of upgrade price (800 bucks or so). I swear I was about to kiss the last young man that helped me!!! But when the applecare plus came out (the plan they have offered that covers accidental damage) I knew my tears might not work the next time. Especially if they stopped giving their reps freedom to make decisions over replacement.

all in all, to summarize... yes, get the applecare! it is worth it... and at least their reps are sweet.

 

[cmwade77]

The newest warranties cost a bit more, but do cover accidental damage.

That being said, I don't think it is worth the extra money in most cases, by the time it comes to actually use the warranty, it is about time for a new computer anyway.

 

[furb & dez]

I recommend as well. Since Apple's methods are so control-freakish, if something breaks, there's no way for you to fix it yourself. And if you don't get AppleCare, it'll end up costing you a darn pretty penny to get Apple to fix it.

That being said, I don't think it is worth the extra money in most cases, by the time it comes to actually use the warranty, it is about time for a new computer anyway.

How often are you replacing your computer? *boggle*

 

[cmwade77]

I recommend as well. Since Apple's methods are so control-freakish, if something breaks, there's no way for you to fix it yourself. And if you don't get AppleCare, it'll end up costing you a darn pretty penny to get Apple to fix it.

How often are you replacing your computer? *boggle*

A MAC should be replace every 3-5 years and a Windows based machine every 2-4 years to be able to remain really productive. I recommend the shorter timeframes. Now this might seem quite often, but I am an IT person and I am all too aware of how much of a difference this can make.

As for fixing things yourself, I have replaced hard drives, upgraded RAM, replaced keyboards and trackpads and monitors on Apple machines, they really are among the easiest to work on and there are tons of great instructions online. (Note: Not all of these were not on my machines, just friends and friends of friends that needed some help with these things). I have also replaced broken screens on iPhone, as well as replaced batteries.

The parts are also fairly cheap when ordered online, so really I don't see the value in AppleCare. For example, you could replace a screen yourself for about $100 and 15 minutes of your time on most macbooks.

 

[Swimalie]

A MAC should be replace every 3-5 years and a Windows based machine every 2-4 years to be able to remain really productive. I recommend the shorter timeframes. Now this might seem quite often, but I am an IT person and I am all too aware of how much of a difference this can make.

As for fixing things yourself, I have replaced hard drives, upgraded RAM, replaced keyboards and trackpads and monitors on Apple machines, they really are among the easiest to work on and there are tons of great instructions online. (Note: Not all of these were not on my machines, just friends and friends of friends that needed some help with these things). I have also replaced broken screens on iPhone, as well as replaced batteries.

The parts are also fairly cheap when ordered online, so really I don't see the value in AppleCare. For example, you could replace a screen yourself for about $100 and 15 minutes of your time on most macbooks.

I have to agree with this, except the time frame. We have a Mac that is 10 years old and still works great. It's a bit slow but perfect for our 6 year old. The one I'm on now is almost 4 years old and is still running super fast and easy. It won't be replaced for another 2-3 years. We also have a Mac from 1985 that works fine. We have never bought AppleCare and never will due to the great track record we've had with all 5 of our Macs (4 desktops and a laptop), 2 iPods and an iPad.

 

[DawnM]

Well, you said it right there.....3-5 years.

The machine I have is not even quite 2 years old. I would like it to last another 3 solid years if at all possible.

The $230 (I think that was the cost) in Applecare assures me it will last at least
3 solid years, which is helpful for my peace of mind.

We just paid to get our 6 year old PC repaired. However, this was due partly to MY problem of not saving our data first. If I had saved on an external hard-drive I would have just purchased a new computer and transferred data. Lesson learned.

Dawn

A MAC should be replace every 3-5 years and a Windows based machine every 2-4 years to be able to remain really productive. I recommend the shorter timeframes. Now this might seem quite often, but I am an IT person and I am all too aware of how much of a difference this can make.

As for fixing things yourself, I have replaced hard drives, upgraded RAM, replaced keyboards and trackpads and monitors on Apple machines, they really are among the easiest to work on and there are tons of great instructions online. (Note: Not all of these were not on my machines, just friends and friends of friends that needed some help with these things). I have also replaced broken screens on iPhone, as well as replaced batteries.

The parts are also fairly cheap when ordered online, so really I don't see the value in AppleCare. For example, you could replace a screen yourself for about $100 and 15 minutes of your time on most macbooks.

 

[4orm]

On the flip side, we used to buy applecare until:

3 month old cinema display got ghosting - a known problem it seems - but they wouldn't replace or repair. I guess it wasn't considered a big issue but for design work - it is.

Our bigboy MacPro starting turning off and would often not turn back on for days. What we were told was wrong with it was incorrect.

We replace our macs on a fairly regular basis for business purposes so for us, it's usually not worth the applecare considering we get great trade in value.

 

[timmac]

I'm offering this with the preface that I'm not a huge Apple fan... not a hater by any means, but I think Apple is often given an undue ethereal status.

A few things are coming to mind when I read over this thread.

First, there's an interesting paradox in that Apple's products are draconian in the sense that you have to bring it to them to fix for a very high cost. At
the same time, they're fairly easy and cheap to fix yourself with easily sourced parts. That dichotomy is, in my experience, very true, courtesy of warranties that one risks voiding, and proprietary hardware (think pentalobular screws) that serves no purpose other than to make it difficult for someone to work with their own device. In my own experience, $20 for a part and about 30 minutes of time was all it took to replace an iPhone 3GS battery, vs their $100 cost to replace the device... well worth it for me to do it myself. The bottom line is that AppleCare is a huge money maker for Apple, and the draconian elements of their products are a means to these ends of profit making.

Now, on the other hand, the cost of an AppleCare warranty, despite being signifcantly higher than doing the repairs oneself, may be a very good value for a great many people who simply don't have the experience or desire to do their own repairs... and I think that's great.

With all of that said, I'm seeing a bigger paradox, which I cannot as easily explain. It's a pretty typical argument that the inflated cost of Apple products
(compared to non-Apple counterparts, that is) is balanced by their "just works" factor, and that they offer greater longevity... this seems at odds with the importance of purchasing AppleCare. Conversely, if in fact the failure rate is high enough to justify the AppleCare purchase, then it effectively means the cost of the products are actually even higher, thus eroding a bit at the perceived balance of the value proposition.

Again, there are plenty of customer for whom this is a perfectly good value, nonetheless. For myself however, seeing that TCO is potentially even higher than just the initial sticker shock is more than enough reason for me to pass on it.

 

[momof3ds]

We use squaretrade for all warranties, including apple products.

 

[DawnM]

And how would they have handled my issue?

Do you have to send it in to them for service?

Do they have phone tech support? I would have needed it to really understand that there was indeed a problem.

Dawn

We use squaretrade for all warranties, including apple products.

 

[HsvTeacher]

We bought AppleCare when we bought our MacBook, and it has paid for itself many times over. We had some cosmetic issues that were due to a bad design. They ended up giving us a new MacBook and a new AppleCare policy as well. Their customer service rocks!

 

[DawnM]

If you have an IT bent, a PC is going to work well for you.

I have been amazed at the the things I could not figure out on a PC that seem quite intuitive on an Apple.

I am not techie at all. I wish I were, but I am not.

Dawn

I'm offering this with the preface that I'm not a huge Apple fan... not a hater by any means, but I think Apple is often given an undue ethereal status.

A few things are coming to mind when I read over this thread.

First, there's an interesting paradox in that Apple's products are draconian in the sense that you have to bring it to them to fix for a very high cost. At
the same time, they're fairly easy and cheap to fix yourself with easily sourced parts. That dichotomy is, in my experience, very true, courtesy of warranties that one risks voiding, and proprietary hardware (think pentalobular screws) that serves no purpose other than to make it difficult for someone to work with their own device. In my own experience, $20 for a part and about 30 minutes of time was all it took to replace an iPhone 3GS battery, vs their $100 cost to replace the device... well worth it for me to do it myself. The bottom line is that AppleCare is a huge money maker for Apple, and the draconian elements of their products are a means to these ends of profit making.

Now, on the other hand, the cost of an AppleCare warranty, despite being signifcantly higher than doing the repairs oneself, may be a very good value for a great many people who simply don't have the experience or desire to do their own repairs... and I think that's great.

With all of that said, I'm seeing a bigger paradox, which I cannot as easily explain. It's a pretty typical argument that the inflated cost of Apple products
(compared to non-Apple counterparts, that is) is balanced by their "just works" factor, and that they offer greater longevity... this seems at odds with the importance of purchasing AppleCare. Conversely, if in fact the failure rate is high enough to justify the AppleCare purchase, then it effectively means the cost of the products are actually even higher, thus eroding a bit at the perceived balance of the value proposition.

Again, there are plenty of customer for whom this is a perfectly good value, nonetheless. For myself however, seeing that TCO is potentially even higher than just the initial sticker shock is more than enough reason for me to pass on it.

 

[Sarah_Rose]

With all of that said, I'm seeing a bigger paradox, which I cannot as easily explain. It's a pretty typical argument that the inflated cost of Apple products
(compared to non-Apple counterparts, that is) is balanced by their "just works" factor, and that they offer greater longevity... this seems at odds with the importance of purchasing AppleCare. Conversely, if in fact the failure rate is high enough to justify the AppleCare purchase, then it effectively means the cost of the products are actually even higher, thus eroding a bit at the perceived balance of the value proposition.

Again, there are plenty of customer for whom this is a perfectly good value, nonetheless. For myself however, seeing that TCO is potentially even higher than just the initial sticker shock is more than enough reason for me to pass on it.

I am an Apple user, Tim, and I'm swinging over to your way of thinking. I had an old iBook (I think it was a G2?) that "just worked!" for a really long time. It finally needed to be replaced when a cat pounced on it and knocked the screen clear off. I bought a big and beautiful iMac and the thing was just a total lemon. I had it sent in every few months (the thing would just "lose" the hard drive and be unable to start up) but as far as they could tell it was just one hard drive after another dying, and so they kept just replacing the hard drive. Clearly, it wasn't just all those hard drives that were the problem... but I couldn't get them to admit that it was just a dud and replace it. I gave up after about a year and a half and replaced it with a MacBook.... that I've never been perfectly happy with. It's sluggish and flakey, but there isn't really anything specific "wrong" with it, so I carry on.

My DH has a degree in computer engineering and is a developer for a major online presence and he thinks that I'm an idiot for buying Mac in the first place, and for continuing to be loyal after all the trouble I've had. I'm starting to see his way of thinking.... but I feel like the product USED to be so much better and I haven't let go, yet.

 

[Eeyore98]

IMO, if a computer starts to crap out (i.e. more than one thing needs to be replaced) before the warranty time period is up, I'm looking to buy a different model next time. And for a warranty to be worth the money, more than one thing needs to go wrong.

Actually, this doesn't just apply to computers...really anything...cars, phones, printers, etc. I'd rather spend the extra money on a more reliable product than on a warranty that will still cost me in time when something needs to be fixed.

The battery on my 4-year-old ThinkPad was had finally lost enough charge to need replacement just a few months ago. I ordered a new one from Amazon for $45, and changing it was as easy as changing a CD in your car...not the CD player, but one actual disc for another.

 

[Bell30012]

A MAC should be replace every 3-5 years and a Windows based machine every 2-4 years to be able to remain really productive. I recommend the shorter timeframes. Now this might seem quite often, but I am an IT person and I am all too aware of how much of a difference this can make.

Surely, you are speaking in the sarcasm font which I missed? My daughter has a Power Mac G-5 in her room that she has been using since it was purchased in 2005 when she was two. She still uses this computer often and it has no issues with it. It's on OS-X Leopard which works fine. She has a MacBook 13" which I purchased for her in 2006. With the exception of the RAM upgrade so that she could have OS-X Lion it has had no upgrades or replacements.

This is equipment used by a child and her friends. It still works perfectly, why would I replace it?

 

[DawnM]

We almost never buy extended warrantees. In this case I am glad we did.

You can keep your PC, I no longer want them. We just got our PC fixed (at our own expense) and I hate the thing.

Dawn

IMO, if a computer starts to crap out (i.e. more than one thing needs to be replaced) before the warranty time period is up, I'm looking to buy a different model next time. And for a warranty to be worth the money, more than one thing needs to go wrong.

Actually, this doesn't just apply to computers...really anything...cars, phones, printers, etc. I'd rather spend the extra money on a more reliable product than on a warranty that will still cost me in time when something needs to be fixed.

The battery on my 4-year-old ThinkPad was had finally lost enough charge to need replacement just a few months ago. I ordered a new one from Amazon for $45, and changing it was as easy as changing a CD in your car...not the CD player, but one actual disc for another.

 

[Eeyore98]

We almost never buy extended warrantees. In this case I am glad we did.

You can keep your PC, I no longer want them. We just got our PC fixed (at our own expense) and I hate the thing.

Dawn

Yeah...but the reason you're glad you bought the AppleCare is because two major things have already died. If Apple over PC is worth that much to you, then far be it from me to dissuade you...but there are many, many brands of PCs, and some are much more reliable than others.

Surely, you are speaking in the sarcasm font which I missed?

No, they are speaking from the IT professional perspective and not really looking at the less intensive needs of the general public. My husband is in IT and is guilty of this, too. For people who work in computers, or people who really need the full processing power of their machines (heavy gamers, graphic artists, etc.), the schedule cmwade77 recommends is absolutely correct. The average user, however, does NOT need that much power and can go much longer between upgrades. If your main computer use is the internet, word processing, and maybe basic photo uploading, you can wait until your computer completely dies on you before getting another.

 

[Evi]

Just a PSA. I am sure there are many of you who didn't buy it and your computer is fine, but I am going to just tell you that for ME, Applecare more than paid for itself.

Battery went out.....new battery put in.
Hard drive is corrupt- getting a new hard drive

Several hours of phone calls and applecare via phone as well.

Several hundreds of dollars saved.

Dawn

I think it depends on how technical you are. Technically you could have replaced those parts on your own.

In the end if you don't like to get your fingers dirty then yes buy the extended warranty. Personally I'll figure things out as I go but I also am not afraid to open my system up and fix something or part it out if need be.