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brokenjago · Sep 18, 2006, 01:43 AM

Hi All,

I have a question. I've run this through Apple a couple of times and they've told me the same thing, but every person I've asked who speaks for them seemed rather ill-informed in general, and I just wanted to hear it from someone that's has experience with what I want to ask.

Anyway...

I have saved up for forever and I've finally acquired the funds for my dream machine: a Mac Pro - 3 Ghz X1900 etc etc. However, I want to get a 30" ACD with it and while I could save up for a couple of more weeks ($900 from building a website doesn't hurt either...) I'm getting reeaaallly impatient..

Now, what I was wondering was if I bought the Mac Pro, then the 30" at a later date (hopefully after they do a major revamp of the line and... don't raise prices? pretty please?) And then, at an even later date bought AppleCare... would I be able to enroll both the cinema display and the Mac Pro? Apple insists I need to buy both the display and the Mac Pro simultaneously. Has anyone had any experience contrary to this?

OreoCookie · Sep 18, 2006, 04:12 AM

AFAIK the answer is no, you have to purchase the display with the Mac to qualify.

Big Mac · Sep 18, 2006, 04:14 AM

really? AppleCare for the G5 always seemed to imply it would cover an Apple display with it (without necessarily requiring purchase of the display at the same time), but you could well be right.

MacKeyser · 05:45 AM

Edit: I thought it was 90 days, but the AppleCare says "purchased with and registered at the same time". I am HOPING since I got a custom Mac Pro (ordered and still cancelable), that I will be able to simply register it all at the same time and be okay. I will update this tomorrow.

If you are waiting for an HDCP compliant monitor (that will show Blu-Ray and HD-DVD content at full rez) you ain't alone and it is LOOOONG overdue. There is no excuse that Dell's is (but that dang glossy finish I refuse to deal with) and the ADC isn't. I WANT to wait for the 30" ACD refresh, but I may just get this one and when they refresh it, get the new one for my main and slide the older one over for the palettes screen.

brokenjago · Sep 18, 2006, 11:06 AM

Thanks!

jamito · Sep 18, 2006, 01:37 PM

I have seen applecare for the ACD only. That might be an option, but cost you more money.

brokenjago · Sep 18, 2006, 01:50 PM

Yeah, I'm not exactly in the mood to spend $99 on AppleCare exclusively for the display...

MacKeyser · Sep 18, 2006, 06:17 PM

I called them this morning and the guy said that you have 30 days to incorporate a monitor purchase into your CPU which is GREAT for me since I already ordered my Mac Pro and will be going to an Apple Store to physically pick up the monitor.

brokenjago · Sep 18, 2006, 06:35 PM

Awesome!

Thanks!

MacKeyser · Sep 19, 2006, 04:14 PM

I called my local Apple Store and they verified that this is okay. The key is to get it registered as close to the time you register the cpu as possible. Since I will be registering them at the same time (even if it means waiting to open the Mac Pro, torture that it would be), I'll have no problem at all.

If you have any issues and it is within the first 30 days, especially if you ordered a custom Mac Pro via the Apple Store as many people simply cannot buy a custom Mac Pro AND a 30" monitor at the same time, even if they prepay their credit cards since the CC companies often refuse to authorize purchases above one's credit limit even if there is a positive amount on the card, then simply call AppleCare. They should be able to handle it without a problem.

MacKeyser · Sep 20, 2006, 06:28 PM

CAVEAT!

If you buy the CPU and applecare at the same time on the AppleStore, you have 30 days to add the monitor, but you explicitly have to CALL AppleCare directly for THEM to add it.

I am buying the 30" ACD on Saturday, and will also unbox the CPU then. The auto-enroll feature of buying AppleCare online is very cool, but it makes it tough on non-standard configurations, purchasing methods (like buying in segments v. all on the same ticket)

brokenjago · Sep 21, 2006, 12:16 AM

I was wondering: what happens if you buy the Mac Pro, then buy a 30" ACD, then buy AppleCare? I'm assuming it's like AppleCare for the iPod and you have to find the Serial # yourself and enroll it yourself etc. How do they know you didn't buy the Mac Pro and ACD at the same time?

rehoot · Sep 21, 2006, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by brokenjago

I was wondering: what happens if you buy the Mac Pro, then buy a 30" ACD, then buy AppleCare? I'm assuming it's like AppleCare for the iPod and you have to find the Serial # yourself and enroll it yourself etc. How do they know you didn't buy the Mac Pro and ACD at the same time?

My prior experience with buying a laptop was that you could buy Applecare any time within the first year, since it really doesn't kick in until after the first year any way. It would become much more complicated if you tried to wait 6 months and then buy one Applecare that covers the CPU unit and display bought on different dates (within a month of each other as mentioned above). I wouldn't know what kind of response you would get with that.

MacKeyser · Sep 22, 2006, 11:52 PM

UPDATE:

Added my 30" monitor, but the people made it clear it was ONLY because it had been approved.

WORKAROUND:

If you live near an applestore, this is easy. Take the product you purchased at the online Apple Store. They do a "return" with credit and then "sell" you the product at the exact same price. Then you "add" the monitor at that time and, violá, you have all the items on the same "ticket".

As for if you buy the CPU, then the monitor THEN the AppleCare, then it doesn't matter (afaik) because the retail version doesn't auto-enroll. That is what caused the problems for me. The auto-enroll uses the billing information and enrolls you from the time of purchase (which means that machines that are on sale on eBay "unopened with full AppleCare" are likely registerd to the purchaser and MUST have the AC tranfered. Again, just registering it ain't enough.)

Anyway, I'm all set, the monitor and CPU are all on the same AppleCare and the monitor looks pixel-perfect.

So, if anyone plans to buy the CPU and monitor separately (for whatever reason, CC limit was my reason), then either go to the Apple Store (thx to the Santa Monica AS crew for that tip) or call AppleCare and get approval first.

brokenjago · Sep 23, 2006, 01:58 AM

I want to buy the retail version, not Auto Enroll, so that I could enroll the Display and the CPU at the same time. Am I to understand this is the case and easily possible?

MacKeyser · Sep 23, 2006, 02:27 PM

yeah, go the retail route.

If you get the AC with the CPU, it will auto-enroll and you're stuck asking Apple to make an exception.

mduell · Sep 23, 2006, 03:54 PM

Or you could save $100 and buy the 30" Dell which comes with a 3 year warranty.

MacKeyser · Sep 23, 2006, 04:47 PM

The Dell doesn't work for me with that glossy finish. My environment has too much ambient light for it.

Thought about it...looked into it...went with what was best for me...

That said, I REALLY liked that it came WITH a card reader AND is HDCP compliant for viewing copy protected 1080p content (ala Blu-Ray and HD-DVD)

brokenjago · Sep 23, 2006, 07:39 PM

Well, I'm still holding onto the very slim hope that new ACDs will be announced in the next month or so.

But I'm glad that I can do what I've been wondering whether I can do.

As for the 30" mduell, call me crazy, but it's too ugly and I'd regret it forever cause it doesn't match.

I guess I'm just a little too OCD in that respect.

SierraDragon · Sep 24, 2006, 01:31 AM

Originally Posted by brokenjago

...later date bought AppleCare... would I be able to enroll both the cinema display and the Mac Pro? Apple insists I need to buy both the display and the Mac Pro simultaneously. Has anyone had any experience contrary to this?

I do believe that you must buy all together to get AppleCare, but the easy solution is not to waste your money on AppleCare! Almost all hardware failures occur during the free first year warranty making AppleCare a waste except for the telephone support that most knowledgeable users can do without.

-Allen Wicks

brokenjago · Sep 24, 2006, 11:04 AM

My iPod failed twice in the second year of support provided by AppleCare and was replaced without incident, so I think I'll go with it.