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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Notebooks > Is AppleCare reallly that necessary??

Is AppleCare reallly that necessary??
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MrForgetable
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Oct 29, 2003, 03:03 AM
 
I have heard all this stuff about how buying AppleCare is absolutely necessary, especially with the laptops. But is it REALLY REALLY necessary? How many of you actually get AppleCare? iBooks look relatively safe and reliable with no problems at all.. I'm just wondering.
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cobra27
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Oct 29, 2003, 03:31 AM
 
Your question is like asking us "Is health/life insurance REALLY necessary?"

It depends on each individual's appitite for risk, isn't it?

Anyway, personally I think of it as a protection of resale value. Imagine how much easier it will be for you to resell a 2 year old iBook that has a year of AppleCare left VS no AppleCare at all. Many people won't touch a used notebook that has no warranty from the manufacturer.
     
The Placid Casual
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Oct 29, 2003, 05:01 AM
 
Originally posted by MrForgetable:
I have heard all this stuff about how buying AppleCare is absolutely necessary, especially with the laptops. But is it REALLY REALLY necessary? How many of you actually get AppleCare? iBooks look relatively safe and reliable with no problems at all.. I'm just wondering.
In a word: YES. It is very, very very essential.
     
Macpilot
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Oct 29, 2003, 11:19 AM
 
I have had 4 Apple laptops and 3 desktops.

I have not had a single hardware issue with any of them due to Apple's design or use of parts suppliers. A power surge damaged a network card, but that was not Apple's fault as my computer was not protected.

Except the little rubber feet on my current 17" Powerbook. I am not going to send it in to Apple only to get it back 3 weeks later for that!

I bought Applecare for one of my Macs, and that definitely helped selling it.

It is a judgement call. If you can afford it, AND you plan on keeping your Mac for 3 to 4 years, I would say get it. Otherwise, if you are like me and like to get a new Mac every year, then forget it.
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The Placid Casual
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Oct 29, 2003, 11:32 AM
 
Originally posted by Macpilot:
if you are like me and like to get a new Mac every year, then forget it.
This is they key...

If you change machine every year, don't bother. Just make sure you sell the machine with some warranty remaining...

I have had 5 macs in the last 5 years, and all have had a hardware fault, so I guess it comes down to 'if you feel lucky!'...

An LCD on an iBook is a lot of cash to replace out of warranty...

Peace,

Marc
     
Tom C
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Oct 29, 2003, 12:31 PM
 
As someone said, it's a question of risk. Do I think that Apples are reliable? I can only speak from experience.

Optical drives seem to be a big problem for me. I had one die on my last PowerMac and was glad that I had an extended warranty. On my iBook, I didn't get the extended warranty, and I wish that I had. Luckily, my first problem with the CD-RW came before the 1-year warranty expired (drive door kept popping open randomly...they said it was something to do with the bezel), but now it's 2.5 years old, out of warranty, and I'm getting occasional bad writes with CD-RWs.

The only other problem that I've had is on the iBook. The switch that detects when the lid is closed has gone bad...sometimes, I close the lid, and the computer doesn't go to sleep. Other times, I put the computer to sleep from the Apple menu, and when I close the lid, it actually wakes the computer up. Annoying, but you can work around it.

You could say that I've had a mixed experience. Unless the optical drive isn't important to you, I'd probably get AppleCare. You could also play wait and see...you can get AppleCare at any time while you're computer is in the original one year warranty. If your computer seems like a lemon, buy the AppleCare in the 12th month.
     
OldManMac
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Oct 29, 2003, 12:51 PM
 
My iBook is eighteen months old. The CD drive was replaced last fall, while under warranty. The hard drive went yesterday, and the machine is going back to Apple today. Computers still have mechanical components, which wear and may break, whether they're Apple machines or Windoze boxes.

I don't buy Macs without AppleCare.
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discotronic
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Oct 29, 2003, 01:01 PM
 
AppleCare is a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things. Look at the amount of postings you see with people having problems just after the 1st year of coverage. It is cheaper to buy it and have piece of mind than to spend the money on a costly repair later. Resell value is very important. AppleCare helps with that. I won't buy any computer without extended coverage. Computers are machines and machines break.

I can say this...I have never had a problem out of my Macs. I wish I could say the same for my other systems.
( Last edited by discotronic; Oct 29, 2003 at 03:16 PM. )
     
Hi I'm Ben
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Oct 29, 2003, 01:24 PM
 
i dunno why peoples computers break so much.

The only problem I've ever had with ANY of my machines...

my geforce 3 fan died in my cube.

That's it. No HD crashes, no bad CD-RW's no bad DVD no nothin.

I guess i'm one of those lucky computer users? I dunno.. i got a defective motherboard in the mail the other day.. but i hadn't even used it yet.
     
pyknosis
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Oct 29, 2003, 07:51 PM
 
I'd have to say, based on recent experience, that AppleCare is worth the investment. I just had to replace my wife's 14 mos. old iBook because the logic board went the way of the dinosaurs for no apparent reason. The screen would start flickering and it would crash and become completely unresponsive--now it's a brick and won't even start up. I didn't buy AppleCare for this machine, so it would have cost ~$400 to replace the logic board. I decided it wasn't worth pouring that money into an old machine, so I just bought her a new G4 iBook, but if I had purchased AppleCare in the beginning (probably ~$180), the problem could have been fixed, and the machine likely would have suited my wife's needs for another 2+ years (or at least the machine would still have some resale value). So, I purchased AppleCare with the new iBook, and I plan to do so for all future machines.

The iBook logic board problem is not the first hardware failulre I've had with an Apple laptop, either. My first G3 Powerbook required a replacement of the power jack just shy of 2 years after purchase (no AppleCare on that one either, but the repair was <$100). The trackpad on my current Tibook stopped working about a month ago (this one is also just about 2 years old), but I don't know if I'll fix it.

Even with all these problems, I still think Apple makes the best quality machines on the planet, and now I've decided that it's worth the relatively small upfront price to protect their longevity and, as mentioned above, their resale value.
     
garetjax
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Oct 29, 2003, 08:30 PM
 
If you have a laptop that you know you're gonna own for more than a year, and you don't live close to an Apple store, DEFINITELY get applecare. You shouldn't even think twice. Unless you use it only once a month, something WILL go bad within 3yrs, esp the ibooks, which are not made of high quality material (compared to powerbooks).

Go to smalldog.com and get an ibook applecare for $209. I got mine on ebay for $180. Applecare phone techs tend to give you the runaround and are less helpful once your 90 day free phone support expires. I believe the minimum charge for apple to look at your computer, after the 1yr period, is $150, which will almost pay for applecare.
     
discotronic
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Oct 29, 2003, 08:59 PM
 
I think saying that something WILL go bad within 3 years is far fetched.

I'm on my second iBook. The first was a Blueberry clamshell iBook (1999 model) and it is still going strong today. I used it almost non-stop when I owned it. Now my best friend is getting the same great non-stop operation out of it. It has never had to have service.

Still, AppleCare is a must.
     
Kelly Rothenber
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Nov 30, 2003, 12:09 PM
 
As a rule, I have always followed the rule that if you leave the computer on 24 hours a day for a week and nothing happens, then you are probably okay. I have own ten Apples over the years and that seems to be working so far. However, I'm temted this time around because of resale value down the line when I try to sell it.

Since I may be purching a new iBook on Friday when I go to the Apple Store in Atlanta, here are my questions:

--the description of Applecare I saw in Macwarehouse catalog says that it includes a Discussion list. Isn't that the same list I can get for free anyway at discusions.info.apple.com? Why should I pay $200 to get something I could get for free?

--If there was a problem and you had to send the computer in for repair and it is covered by Applecare, who pays for the shipping both ways? Sometimes shipping costs more than the computer is worth.

--screen: are you covered if you get a dead pixle in your LCD screen? (having gotten one in the past...)

--if you put in memory and airport card yourself, are you still covered? I believe airport is, but if you get your memory from someone other than Apple (i.e. Crucial.com) and have problems...

Thanks for your help!

--Kelly Rothenberg
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discotronic
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Nov 30, 2003, 12:38 PM
 
Originally posted by Kelly Rothenber:
As a rule, I have always followed the rule that if you leave the computer on 24 hours a day for a week and nothing happens, then you are probably okay. I have own ten Apples over the years and that seems to be working so far. However, I'm temted this time around because of resale value down the line when I try to sell it.

Since I may be purching a new iBook on Friday when I go to the Apple Store in Atlanta, here are my questions:

--the description of Applecare I saw in Macwarehouse catalog says that it includes a Discussion list. Isn't that the same list I can get for free anyway at discusions.info.apple.com? Why should I pay $200 to get something I could get for free?

--If there was a problem and you had to send the computer in for repair and it is covered by Applecare, who pays for the shipping both ways? Sometimes shipping costs more than the computer is worth.

--screen: are you covered if you get a dead pixle in your LCD screen? (having gotten one in the past...)

--if you put in memory and airport card yourself, are you still covered? I believe airport is, but if you get your memory from someone other than Apple (i.e. Crucial.com) and have problems...

Thanks for your help!

--Kelly Rothenberg
I have no idea what they are talking about with a discussion list. If they are talking about the discussions on Apple's website they are crazy because you are right. It's free. This place is free also.

Dead pixels are not covered unless you get something like 4 of them in a group (I think it's a 1 inch area).

Apple pays for shipping both ways.

Airport is covered if you install yourself. Apple memory is covered but there are certain rules for this. I don't remember right off how it works. Keep the extra memory that comes with the iBook just in case you need to send the laptop back in. That way Apple can't blame a problem on after-market memory. The after-market vendor would have to honor the warranty on memory.

I would say that a person is crazy if they don't get Applecare on their laptop. Unless they plan on selling it within the first year. It is probably the best investment a person could make.
     
Kelly Rothenber
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Nov 30, 2003, 07:01 PM
 
Originally posted by discotronic:
I have no idea what they are talking about with a discussion list. If they are talking about the discussions on Apple's website they are crazy because you are right. It's free. This place is free also.

Dead pixels are not covered unless you get something like 4 of them in a group (I think it's a 1 inch area).

Apple pays for shipping both ways.

Airport is covered if you install yourself. Apple memory is covered but there are certain rules for this. I don't remember right off how it works. Keep the extra memory that comes with the iBook just in case you need to send the laptop back in. That way Apple can't blame a problem on after-market memory. The after-market vendor would have to honor the warranty on memory.

I would say that a person is crazy if they don't get Applecare on their laptop. Unless they plan on selling it within the first year. It is probably the best investment a person could make.
Thanks for the info! Just knowing Apple pays for shipping makes it worth it

Just out of curiosity, do you know if the iBook's battery is covered? I got a new battery when I first got my old iBook (it was bad), but curious if Apple would replace one a few years in, especially since the batteries are supposed to wear out. That would make it worth it, too.

--Kelly
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discotronic
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Nov 30, 2003, 07:22 PM
 
Originally posted by Kelly Rothenber:
Thanks for the info! Just knowing Apple pays for shipping makes it worth it

Just out of curiosity, do you know if the iBook's battery is covered? I got a new battery when I first got my old iBook (it was bad), but curious if Apple would replace one a few years in, especially since the batteries are supposed to wear out. That would make it worth it, too.

--Kelly
The battery is covered by both the initial 1 year warranty and the additional 2 year extended Applecare warranty. I'm not sure of the exact guidelines that Apple uses with batteries but I do know that it is covered to a certain degree. If after 2 1/2 years your battery is only holding a 30 minute charge they should replace it. Hope that helps
     
Kelly Rothenber
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Nov 30, 2003, 08:21 PM
 
Originally posted by discotronic:
The battery is covered by both the initial 1 year warranty and the additional 2 year extended Applecare warranty. I'm not sure of the exact guidelines that Apple uses with batteries but I do know that it is covered to a certain degree. If after 2 1/2 years your battery is only holding a 30 minute charge they should replace it. Hope that helps
It helps a lot! Thanks!

--Kelly
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radarbob
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Dec 1, 2003, 10:00 AM
 
I did not get Applecare (AC) for my RevA iBook, but did for the 700MHz iceBook....

The blueberry is 4 yrs old this month and the only problems have been superficial. I know the problems would have been covered by AC though.

As for the iceBook I bought AC. Have had battery and AC adapter replaced - but w/in the original 1 yr warranty. Under AC I've made 2 support calls that otherwise would have cost $49 each. As my wife depends on her iBook for her teaching job it's comforting to know I can call Apple in a pinch. Problems seem to have a way of cropping up when you need something NOW.

BOTTOM LINE: If your iBook is more than a toy - you rely on it for school or business - get AC for sure. The best part is that call-in support is extended from the original 90 days to the full length of the warranty. You can call for *anything* no matter how mundane and there's no charge.
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Dec 1, 2003, 10:32 AM
 
I'd definitely get it. I had the logic board replaced twice on my iBook 800 and the battery replaced once. If I hadn't sold the laptop prior to the one-year anniversary I would have definitely gotten it as the iBook seemed trouble-prone.

And as I near the one-year anniversary of my TiBook I'll definitely be getting it.
     
riverfreak
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Dec 1, 2003, 10:56 AM
 
AppleCare is *essential* for a laptop. Latptops take far more abuse than desktops. although this is normal 'wear and tear' and not normally covered by AppleCare, this is normally a grey area that Apple usually fixes.

And as pointed out by others, AppleCare will greatly extend your resale value (and marketability in case of resale).
     
mbryda
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Dec 1, 2003, 02:26 PM
 
By day I work as a network admin/PC guy and we use IBM laptops, which are the Best PC laptops out there.....

That being said, something will go wrong in the next 3 years to your iBook. Especially if you travel with it at all.

Cheap insurance.

Needless to say we got AppleCare on the wife's iBook.
     
Lateralus
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Dec 1, 2003, 03:16 PM
 
A cheaper way to go at getting AppleCare would be to snag up an iBook AppleCare kit from eBay, they typically sell for a good bit cheaper than they do from Apple.
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m_young
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Dec 24, 2003, 05:53 PM
 
How long after purchase can you buy the applecare?
     
d4nth3m4n
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Dec 24, 2003, 05:58 PM
 
Originally posted by m_young:
How long after purchase can you buy the applecare?
AFAIK as long as you buy it within the first year of owning your computer. so, during the time of the factory warranty.
     
tooki
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Dec 25, 2003, 03:13 PM
 
One single out-of-warranty repair (no matter how insignificant) will cost more than AppleCare, because Apple's base fee is very high.

Unlike desktop machines (which, manufacturing defects aside, basically just sit there and work), laptops get subjected to all sorts of abuse like bumps, jostling, small drops, the opening/closing of the lid, FAR more frequent plugging/unplugging of cords... in short, they receive wear and tear that desktops just aren't subjected to.

In my opinion, AppleCare isn't optional on a laptop. (Nor is SafeWare insurance against accidental damage.)

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WizOSX
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Dec 25, 2003, 11:26 PM
 
I think whether or not you take Applecare depends on two things:

1) Will you trade up to a new machine in about 11 months or less.

2) How expensive is the machine to begin with.

Here's an example: If you buy a 12" PB at ed prices that's $1399 and the Applecare is $239. A 10 month old 12" 867 sells for about $1150 on eBay. So if you put the $239 against a new machine instead of buying Applecare you can have the latest machine for a relatively small amount of money (over and above Applecare). Obviously, if you buy a 15" or 17" then the numbers are not as obvious and Applecare starts making more sense.
( Last edited by WizOSX; Dec 25, 2003 at 11:38 PM. )
     
MrForgetable  (op)
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Dec 26, 2003, 11:23 PM
 
What if I get a PowerMac G4(or 5)??? It is absolutely necessary for an Apple desktop?
iamwhor3hay
     
WizOSX
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Dec 27, 2003, 12:39 PM
 
It seems to me the answer is pretty much the same as what I said above--it depends on price and when you'll trade up.
     
   
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