Mac users: Do you buy AppleCare?

[Billfred]

So now I'm in full swing in an attempt to sell my iBook to get a MacBook. (I'll spare you the gory details.)

I've nailed down the specs I want, but I can't quite settle on the big question: AppleCare. $183 is a fair chunk of change for me, and I've been on the fence ever since I bought the iBook in 2005 about whether I actually needed it or not.

If you have purchased AppleCare for a Mac before, has it been worth it?
If you haven't, have you looked back and wished you had?

[Jeremiah Johnson]

I'm not a Mac user, but I do own an iPod and I have had to deal with Apple's customer service (which is amazing). Everytime I've had a problem with my iPod they've replaced it, but at the same time they've offered me AppleCare. I thought about buying it, but I never did. I've heard it's a waste of money, like most extended warranties.

This reply was probably useless, but I hoped it helped in some way. $189 seems steep for an extended warrenty that you may never use. We did, however, get an extended warranty from Staples for my sister's laptop. She spilled OJ on it and they're going to replace the keyboard and any other damaged items in it, pro bono.

[Jeff Rodriguez]

I bought it on my MacbooK Pro. I haven't had any reason to use it yet.
In general, I think the price of the laptop determines whether extended warranties are worth it.
Since Apples start at $1200, I think the Applecare it worth it. The same goes for other PC laptops although their warranties are third party and not as easy as Applecare.

[Ryan Dognaux]

Totally worth it. Well I'm not a mac user, but I did have to send in my 4th gen. iPod four times and thankfully I had the two year plan, otherwise I would've been out of luck. Things just break sometimes, accidents happen. Even if you don't use it you'll have peace of mind, and if your macbook decides to spontaneously combust... well, you're covered.

[Cynette]

Just bought a MacBook for my daughter and purchased AppleCare. Her school recommended it and everyone we talked to said it is one of the few service plans that was worth it. I'm honestly hoping she doesn't need it! But with her going to school so far away from home, it could be very valuable!

My Brother's College lappy (macbook pro) has AppleCare. His rationale was I'd rather have it and not need it then need it and be shafted with an even larger repair bill.

So I'd personally suggest going for it, as it's better to have it and not need it then to need it not have it.

[alphaone]

So worth it, especially for anything mobile, like a laptop. My macbook had a problem where it would just shut off randomly without warning. They thought it was the motherboard so they sent it out and basically changed out all of the insides (save the hard drive). They also replaced the display hinge because it was really squeeky. Got it back, still shut off randomly. Brought it back to them and they replaced the battery on site, that fixed it. If I hadn't had applecare that would have been very expensive...

[David55]

Does anyone know if you can get applecare after you've owned the computer for a while?

I have had my mac pro for a year. I haven't had any problems yet, but it really isn't worth taking the risk with such an expensive computer. I think I will get applecare sometime soon (if I still can)...

[KelliV]

I love AppleCare, it has saved my butt so many times.
I have had my MacBook Pro for over a year now and have gotten it fixed/looked at/parts replaced more times than I can count. When something goes wrong and you have applecare they usually replace it for free. For instance, my battery exploded, and my power cord got REALLY REALLY hot and electrocuted me... I went to the store and they gave me brand new parts (seriously they came off of the shelf) so AppleCare paid for itself, if I didnt have it my little lappy would be nothing more than a paperweight.
Also when you go to the store people are crazy nice and ready to help all the time, kinda like FIRSTers.

[JaneYoung]

The Young household has a few Mac products.
We purchase and use AppleCare. The general consensus is: worth every penny and the service is exceptional.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by Jeremiah Johnson

I'm not a Mac user, but I do own an iPod and I have had to deal with Apple's customer service (which is amazing). Everytime I've had a problem with my iPod they've replaced it, but at the same time they've offered me AppleCare. I thought about buying it, but I never did. I've heard it's a waste of money, like most extended warranties.

This reply was probably useless, but I hoped it helped in some way. $189 seems steep for an extended warrenty that you may never use. We did, however, get an extended warranty from Staples for my sister's laptop. She spilled OJ on it and they're going to replace the keyboard and any other damaged items in it, pro bono.

I got that.
I already blew up my iPod earlier this year and I was fortunate that it was under warrenty. After that I got the Applecare. You're going to have to evetually replace the battery which is about $60 which is what the Applecare cost. If my iPod blows up again it'll be covered. I learned the hard way always have your hardware covered no matter how much it cost. It'll hurt more if your notebook meets an early demise and you have no other choice but to toss it.

[Schnabel]

I personally do not own a mac computer, but I have had two iPods in the past two years. I got an iPod Nano when it first came out and I started having troubles with it playing music through a bose sound dock. I took it into the apple store, they plugged it into about three or four different audio devices, ran diagnostics, and then replaced it just like that. I eventually broke that iPod, so I bought a 2gen Nano and I bought the Apple Care Plan with it. I think it is worth it because if I have problems with this one, I just contact apple, I send it in, they fix/replace it, and then send it back plus pay for the shipping costs both there and back. So personally, I would buy it, but only because the laptop itself costs a pretty penny and you don't want to go around with a broken one.

[Quantum Giant]

Originally Posted by JaneYoung

The Young household has a few Mac products.
We purchase and use AppleCare. The general consensus is: worth every penny and the service is exceptional.

I've got an old iBook G4, and its logic board fried about 3 weeks before finals this last semester. I took it to the nearest Mac store (although you can request service online), and they mailed it out to California, replaced the logic board and the after-market ram I had installed, and had it returned to me in 4 days. I was terrified I wouldn't have it to study for finals, but it made it back to me very, very quickly. I've had to invoke my Applecare on one other occasion, but it turned out to be minor. My experience with the service is that is exceptional. I'm looking to get a Macbook Pro sometime in the near future, and I will be getting Applecare with it.

-John Richard Young

[AV_guy007]

Originally Posted by David55

Does anyone know if you can get applecare after you've owned the computer for a while?

I have had my mac pro for a year. I haven't had any problems yet, but it really isn't worth taking the risk with such an expensive computer. I think I will get applecare sometime soon (if I still can)...

You can purchase apple care if you are still under the original warranty. Witch is one year, so unfortunately it may be to late for you.

I will say I recommend apple care, I got it when i recently purchased my newest computer. After I ended up spending countless hours working my older g4 tower that was purchased used. I eventually fixed the problem and it wasn't very expensive fix, but I deiced I did not want to put in that amount of time again if a problem does arise.

[Kyle Fenton]

I take the risk and I don't purchase Applecare. In my experience, hardware components usually fail within the 1st year, with the exception of the hard drive. In fact in all the years I have had a mac, the only component that has ever failed was the hard drive.
I would seriously consider applecare for a notebook, and for a iPod with a HD in it.

I have heard mix reviews of Applecare. However one thing you must realize is that Applecare is an extended warrantee, and not an insurance policy. They will often deny repairs if they believe that the product has been mishandled.