[bckid]

applecare is about $280 for my PB12", while safeware is only about $90...

i tote this thing all around boston while im at school, so i need to get theft protection somehow... pro/cons to each? only thing is that safeware doesn't cover internal problems...

[Randman]

Applecare and Safeware are two different animals.

[MarkLT1]

Yup.. two totally different coverages..

Applecare is an extension of your warranty.. So, your superdrive goes bad a year and two days after you buy your laptop (happened to me).. it was a manufacturing defect (just a prematurely dying super drive) and it was covered under applecare. Safeware will NOT cover any kind of warranty type issues (ex- someting just stops working, of no fault to your own).

On the other hand, safeware covers accidental breakage (you drop your PB), theft, etc.. Whereas Applecare will not cover any of this.

Oh, and your $90 safeware, is per year.. so over the three years that you get with apple care, you are paying $270.00 for it.

[asodamiac]

im going with safeware.. i guess im more worried about theft and accidental damages more than hardware failure. i hope im right.

[israces]

Originally Posted by asodamiac

im going with safeware.. i guess im more worried about theft and accidental damages more than hardware failure. i hope im right.

I'd do both.

[bbales]

Originally Posted by israces

I'd do both.

If you can afford it, I'd do both, too. I do do both, as a matter of fact. About 6 weeks after the one-year anniversary, my screen started showing problems. AppleCare fixed it without any problems and in a very timely fashion. I've not needed Safeware (obligatory knock) but given the amount of use this thing gets and the fact that it's carted about my house and used by three girls (besides me), I figured it was a worthwhile precaution against accidental kinds of things.

It's insurance -- I know it's a pain to pay for stuff like this when it's so much more fun to buy add-ons and gadgets. But it really is worthwhile.

And by the way -- 490 is cheap! My safeware insurance is $120 a year.

[fisherKing]

i bit the bullet as well and now have both.
applecare has already proved valuable (the hd on my powerbook was replaced).

safeware is just a good idea anyway (hey i live in nyc)

[Skyhoper]

My lower ram slow went out on my PowerBook and they had to replace the whole logic board plus they bill you for labor. Applecare saved me mucho dinero ($$$).

[tooki]

I had the exact same failure (plus, around the same time, the hard disk started to go south). Either one of those repairs alone would have cost around the same as AppleCare.

I also carry SafeWare.

Every PowerBook I've owned has benefited from AppleCare, and when my AlBook got damaged in my penultimate move, SafeWare really saved my bacon.

Do a search for "Safeware" -- this topic has been discussed many times.

tooki

[romeosc]

Originally Posted by tooki

I had the exact same failure (plus, around the same time, the hard disk started to go south). Either one of those repairs alone would have cost around the same as AppleCare.

I also carry SafeWare.

Every PowerBook I've owned has benefited from AppleCare, and when my AlBook got damaged in my penultimate move, SafeWare really saved my bacon.

Do a search for "Safeware" -- this topic has been discussed many times.

tooki

Safeware is best investment since most repairs are covered due to the toll of transporting a PB. If you have dropped, tripped over cord etc. Apple Techs love to blame on rough usage... meaning covered under Safeware. Apple Techs "deniability of waranty" makes Safeware a better choice .... if you only choose one.

I sent a TiPB in due to broken hinge and Safeware replaced screen as well and called to say battery was only holding 70 minute charge, so they sent me a NEW battery and AC adaptter. Service Tech must get paid on anything "he" feels is necessary!

[Ryan1524]

i use both.

[Link]

I want to say safeware yes, applecare no, and if not, neither... why? Call me silly, but isn't safeware supposed to cover what applecare covers anyway? Applecare is a 2 year extension as well, you get the whole rest of the 1st year for non-technical BS if you wish, but judging by the tech know how of this forum you stand a good chance of not needing it.

FWIW, the most expensive parts of the machine to replace are likely the motherboard and the casing. The screen on a 15"er costs anywhere from $180 to $250.. so if you simply cracked that, so *insurance* is interesting, a warranty which tells you "oh well, that's negligence".. or "We only cover defects, not customer abuse!" wouldn't be of much use if that sort of thing happened.

Applecare is a product warranty, if your powerbook ends up in a recall a year or two after your warranty, that's something apple should be taking care of regardless, now if an electrical failure caused your screen and superdrive to fry, I could see apple replacing the whole machine, but safeware might write that off and do the same.

Dunno, never had safeware, never was too impressed with applecare though.

[tooki]

1. No, SafeWare explicitly does NOT cover anything that would be covered under any warranty. It is designed solely to complement a warranty, not act like one.

2. I guess you've never had an Apple laptop repaired. The cost for replacing an out-of-warranty display on ANY PowerBook is a flat-rate $1297. Other repairs are less, but it's VERY expensive. Any single repair will cost the same as or more than AppleCare.

tooki

[israces]

I suppose an argument could be made (for those less than what I would consider ethical) that if you were only to get one, get the Safeware. Then if you have any warranty-ish repairs, you just chuck the powerbook off a wall and into a pool and file your claim. You're also covered against legitimate straight up theft or damage.

Aside from being illegal, it seems like a lot of hassle to me compared to just getting Apple Care and Safeware and being done with it.

[bckid]

and by illegal, you mean insurance fraud which is a straight-up felony i think....so yeah, i probably go with both....