[Nodnarb]

Hi
I just bought this iBook a couple months ago. Is it too late to get applecare now? Nothing is wrong with it, im just contemplating whether or not i should get it. Is it worth it to get applecare, or should i save my money?
Thanks,
Brandon

[brianb]

you can purchase apple care anytime before your one year of complementry tech support is up. Make sure you hold on to your sales reciept though as you will need that to prove when you purchased the iBook, if it is almost at the end of the one year or you forget to send in the registration card. I failed to send in my registration card and had to go back and find my receipts from when I purchased both and then fax them to apple

[RadarBob2]

you can purchase apple care anytime before your one year of complementry tech support is up.

Here's the fine print...

The original warranty a 1 yr bumper-to-bumper hardware warranty and 90 days call in support. Applecare extends the call in support to the total length of the applecare warranty.

Big deal? Could be. I bought applecare over the phone when I called apple about a problem. Our iBook was still in warranty, but beyond the 90 day call support. The tech explained that *if* this problem (we are about to troubleshoot here) turns out to not be covered under warranty, that will be $49, please. I knew it was likely a software configuration problem, so I bought applecare right then.

IN OTHER WORDS, the call in support allows you to ask any question about anything - how to do something, software problems - the most trivial things and, with applecare, there is no additional support charge.

[wuzup101]

Is applecare the same price if you buy it right before the year is up as opposed to right when you get the machine?

[escher]

Originally posted by wuzup101:
Is applecare the same price if you buy it right before the year is up as opposed to right when you get the machine?

Yup. And AppleCare is definitely worth the price.

Case in point. I bought an iBook G3/500 in May 2001, without AppleCare. The backlight cable in the hinge broke in late 2002, after my one year warranty was up. The repair cost me $300. AppleCare would have been cheaper.

On desktop iMacs and PowerMacs, AppleCare is a tossup. But for iBooks and PowerBooks, AppleCare is essential.

One more thing. I just ordered a new build-to-order (BTO) 12-inch PowerBook earlier this week. It's supposed to ship out today, but the AppleCare for PowerBook box is already sitting on my desk.

Escher

[Nodnarb]

Then why wouldn't you just always wait until the year is almost up to buy it? If you get APP while your buying the new comp., you get one less year of APP? That doesn't make sense.

[escher]

Originally posted by brandon420506:
Then why wouldn't you just always wait until the year is almost up to buy it? If you get APP while your buying the new comp., you get one less year of APP? That doesn't make sense.

No, no, no. AppleCare is for 3 years from the time you buy your Mac. In other words, AppleCare adds 2 years to the standard 1 year warranty.

In addition, AppleCare extends the standard 90 days of phone support to 3 years. So if you want Apple's help over the phone between day 90 and day 365, it makes sense to buy AppleCare early.

Personally, I bought AppleCare alongside my 12-inch PowerBook because my educational discount expired yesterday (I graduated in May). The savings were more than US$100, not to mention the savings on the PowerBook itself.

By the time I upgrade my PowerBook again, I will hopefully have upgraded my job enough so that the higher street pricing is no longer an issue.

Escher

[wuzup101]

Ah very interesting with the 3 year from the purchase thing. I was wondering why anyone would buy it straight off if they could just get 3 additional years after the first year was up. I am definitely going to go with applecare... and I might also get some normal yearly insurance on it just incase I drop it in a puddle or something. Not that i'm clumsy... but bad things happen when you dont expect them too...