[bstone]

Whenever I get a new Mac I do two things immediately- register for AppleCare and sign up for SafeWare (www.safeware.com). I do not think I am special enough that I won't ever have a catastrophic failure of hardware.

2 weeks ago my iPod Classic began to do something really weird. iTunes would transfer all my music to the iPod but then iPod asked what language do I want to use and said there was no music on it. I tried restoring it, formatting, etc but this kept happening over and over. Finally I made a genius appointment and off to the Apple Store (1 mile away) I went. After 20 minutes the genius handed me a new iPod Classic, I loaded my music and all was amazing again. So I went home.

2 days later my laptop dies of a dead battery even tho it was plugged in. Light was on but it wasn't charging. Back to the Apple Store I go and the genius gives me a new power adaptor. I like this model better than the original, even.

So far this has cost me $0 as I am still well within AppleCare. I think this is a good thing.

[boy8cookie]

K.
Seriously, what's the point of this thread?

[subego]

I definitely suggest AppleCare (and get it myself) for portable devices, but I've never had a desktop machine die after 90 days. I used to get it for them, but decided it was a waste.

Of course, for rev A, all bets are off.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by bstone 

2 weeks ago my iPod Classic began to do something really weird. iTunes would transfer all my music to the iPod but then iPod asked what language do I want to use and said there was no music on it. I tried restoring it, formatting, etc but this kept happening over and over. Finally I made a genius appointment and off to the Apple Store (1 mile away) I went. After 20 minutes the genius handed me a new iPod Classic, I loaded my music and all was amazing again. So I went home.

Funny you should mention. My mom's iPod Classic exhibits almost the same symptoms.

I already concluded that something is wrong with the hardware.

-t

[imitchellg5]

This is without a doubt the most boring thread ever.

[Lateralus]

Thanks for bumping it.

[bstone]

Originally Posted by imitchellg5 

This is without a doubt the most boring thread ever.

Not every story is a seat-gripper. Sorry I am not more entertaining. I just thought it interesting that I went 18 months without using AppleCare and then used it twice in one week. Sorry for boring you.

[imitchellg5]

You should have made some stuff up. An exploding iMac would have done well.

[bstone]

I don't have an iMac to explode.

[SSharon]

I've got to take my MBP in to my local apple store to have the logic board swapped out. The headphone jack has been busted for 15 months or so and I'm only getting around to dealing with it now. I'm hoping I can drop off my machine after work and pick it up the next morning on the way in. (The part is already in the store waiting.)

[andi*pandi]

That's great it worked smoothly for you. I would never have thought to get applecare for an iPod (maybe a touch). The last time I had applecare on a machine it expired without me using it.

[bstone]

I got the AppleCare through school so it was cheaper and the iPod came with the MB at the time of purchase so they were bundled together.

[Person Man]

Just be careful with Safeware. They've used repair companies that don't have very good track records (i.e. a company whose name sounds like some guy who repairs laptops... I won't put their name in directly, their owner trolls the internet and then gets on forums like this one and insults the people who have complaints... Not a repair place I want to send my gear to).

If you want to see evidence of the above first hand, look here and here.

[Stogieman]

Am I the only one who doesn't buy AppleCare on the day of purchase? I always wait until the end of the 1 year grace period to buy it.

[bstone]

That is really unfortunate about SafeWare. I guess I am taking a risk with them, but my machine is completely stock so if it comes back with less RAM or a smaller hard drive then it won't be hard to prove.

[Phileas]

Originally Posted by Stogieman 

Am I the only one who doesn't buy AppleCare on the day of purchase? I always wait until the end of the 1 year grace period to buy it.

Indeed. Why duplicate the available protection?

[bstone]

Originally Posted by Phileas 

Indeed. Why duplicate the available protection?

Phone support?

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by Stogieman 

Am I the only one who doesn't buy AppleCare on the day of purchase? I always wait until the end of the 1 year grace period to buy it.

You should read how AppleCare works:

Every Mac and Apple display comes with a one-year limited warranty and up to 90 days of complimentary telephone technical support. Extend your coverage to three years from your hardware product’s original purchase date with the AppleCare Protection Plan.

It doesn't matter if you buy AppleCare on day 1 or on day 365. It'll still only run for three years starting from original purchase of the Mac.

-t

[bstone]

AppleCare is only good for 3 years from the time of purchase. May as well have full coverage from that time instead of the 90 day phone and 1 year hardware.

[SSharon]

I didn't buy applecare when I bought my MBP. The headphone jack stopped working after 3 months and when I didn't get around to fixing it during the first year I bought applecare with only a few weeks left of coverage. On my previous laptop, the ibook G4, I waited until the end of the first year and at that point the computer hadn't even been restarted in over 10 months so I figured it was stable enough and took a gamble.

I bought applecare for my original iphone because it was a first generation product, but only after I got the $100 credit from apple. I haven't purchased applecare for my iphone 4 and don't intend to.

[Eug]

My iBook G3 died not that long after the 1 year was up.

In any case I don't buy AppleCare for lower cost items like entry level MacBooks, because it ends up being such a large portion of the original cost. I do usually buy it for higher priced products though, like my top-of-the-line iMac when I plan on keeping it for a while.

BTW, my Core i7's iMac fan was doing weird things.
Took it in, they replaced a bunch of components... and it still failed the hardware tests.
They then bought me a new Core i7 iMac... with the wrong specs.
So now I have a brand new i7 iMac sitting in my office in the box, and it's been like that for over 2 weeks.

I'm waiting for yet another new iMac, this time with the right hard drive size and the right amount of memory. The silver lining is that my iMac had extra third party RAM but I wonder if they've already gotten rid of that machine (and the RAM) because when I very politely complained about the drive and memory they promised not only to get a new machine with the right drive, but also to replace all that 3rd party RAM as well. Then they went a step further. My machine had 2 + 2 Apple + 2 + 2 third party RAM. They promised me a machine with 4 + 4 GB Apple RAM. If they actually come through with this I think I'll just buy another 2 + 2 for a total of 12.

I just hope it comes by Xmas. It's been something like 6 weeks now since I first brought the thing in.

Eug's boring iMac saga thread

[MacinTommy]

My Praise of AppleCare

[SSharon]

I picked up my MBP yesterday after dropping it off at the Apple store about 12 hours earlier. That is pretty fast turnaround. They told me my local store has 4 technicians doing repairs overnight and they usually each do 4 repairs. I asked how many were scheduled and I was number 6 for the night.

Also, I love that they clean the screen for you. It's the small touches that count.

[brassplayersrock²]

I bought apple care for one of the first batches of 23’' cinema displays. Thankful that I did because it was cursed with a pink hue. The replacement display they sent me had a yellow hue and 2 dead pixels near the middle. Sent that back, waited a couple of weeks, and then they sent me the 3rd display with absolutely no problems. I’m still using it today.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally Posted by brassplayersrock² 

I bought apple care for one of the first batches of 23’' cinema displays. Thankful that I did because it was cursed with a pink hue. The replacement display they sent me had a yellow hue and 2 dead pixels near the middle. Sent that back, waited a couple of weeks, and then they sent me the 3rd display with absolutely no problems. I’m still using it today.

What did AppleCare provide that regular warranty service wouldn't have?

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot 

What did AppleCare provide that regular warranty service wouldn't have?

W/o AppleCare, they might have said that 2 dead pixels is within acceptable limits.

Apple’s Dead Pixel & Stuck Pixel Policy

-t

[brassplayersrock²]

and with out apple care, they probably would have said too bad about the hue problems.

[Spheric Harlot]

No. The pink hue was covered under warranty.

[brassplayersrock²]

and the yellow?

[Spheric Harlot]

I would assume that a defective display is covered under warranty. Dead pixels are one thing; a coloured tint affecting the entire display makes it basically useless.

I cannot imagine it *not* being covered.

[Eriamjh]

Not all stories about AppleCare need to end in the owner suing Apple.

Korean family sues Apple over blocked iPhone repair

[Salty]

I didn't buy Apple care on my 13 inch MacBook because my 12 inch wasn't covered because of a dent it got on a very minor fall. (Two feet while closed) I've debated getting it on my iPhone 4, but I'm probably going to upgrade on my mother's account and get an iPhone 5, and then my 4 will go to her. Fact is compared to most phones Apple's seem to be very reliable. On all the newer SSD devices there's not much that can go wrong... or is likely to go wrong that isn't user error.

When I get my next MacBook Pro I probably won't get it as I plan on taking out the optical drive and replacing it with an SSD.

[Jack-o-Bower]

AppleCare is a hit or miss sometimes. Happy for you and your AppleCare experience but that story is really meant for your family and close friends...not really tread-worthy news, sorry just being honest. But then again if it was a bad experience story with AppleCare then it would have been a thread-worthy; funny that bad news is more acceptable than positive news...ironic ain't it?

[brassplayersrock²]

Some of us consider the people we meet on this board as close friends, and some as family. How do you like them apples?

[SSharon]

Originally Posted by Salty 

Fact is compared to most phones Apple's seem to be very reliable. On all the newer SSD devices there's not much that can go wrong... or is likely to go wrong that isn't user error.

I've heard of the water sensors going off from a little too much humidity and then Apple rejecting them for unrelated service because of it. I think they even changed their policies regarding the sensors because they had been so strict and people were complaining.

[MacinTommy]

Originally Posted by Jack-o-Bower 

AppleCare is a hit or miss sometimes. Happy for you and your AppleCare experience but that story is really meant for your family and close friends...not really tread-worthy news, sorry just being honest. But then again if it was a bad experience story with AppleCare then it would have been a thread-worthy; funny that bad news is more acceptable than positive news...ironic ain't it?

Worst post of 2010.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally Posted by Jack-o-Bower 

AppleCare is a hit or miss sometimes. Happy for you and your AppleCare experience but that story is really meant for your family and close friends...not really tread-worthy news, sorry just being honest. But then again if it was a bad experience story with AppleCare then it would have been a thread-worthy; funny that bad news is more acceptable than positive news...ironic ain't it?

Thread posts are hit or miss sometimes. Happy for you and your psoting experience, but really that post was just something for your cat, or your therapist. Not really post-worthy. If it had been an actual experience with AppleCare it would have been post-worthy; funny that aimless rambling is even more pointless than complaining about Apple...though ironic, I don't think so.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by brassplayersrock² 

Some of us consider the people we meet on this board as close friends, and some as family. How do you like them apples?

That's why there's a PM option.

[brassplayersrock²]

Right, because the AM version might keep someone awake. Thanks for the tip Dakar.

[The Final Dakar]

Derp

[brassplayersrock²]

Go Go Team America