Is applecare worth it for macbook pros?

[cpl_dan]

i bought a macbook pro 13" in on Feb 2010 and also bought applecare for it which lasts until Feb 2013. I use it lightly for school and have a protective skin to keep it from getting scratched. So far within the 1 year warranty i had no problems with it so is applecare worth it?

[imtheomegaman]

How much is it. Laptop repairs can be costly...
the superdrive is a bit over $100 to replace, say between 100-150 and is the most likely to fail you
Hard drive: similar to above
lcd screen: total guess 500
power board: 150-175

Just some rough ideas of things that can die. I've had it on some machines and not on others, but I am pretty handy with the repairs so it's less risky for me.

[cpl_dan]

the macbook pro with applecare set me back $1400

[xrMike]

the macbook pro with applecare set me back $1400

Sounds about what I paid for my daughter's recently...

I think applecare also includes unlimited phone tech support during the warranty period.

[sfwdiy]

Is Applecare worth it? Speaking as a former Apple employee, yes, with a few things to keep in mind.

First, be aware that Applecare is an extended service plan. It is not insurance. This means that any accidental damage, such as liquid spills, drop, or impact damage is not covered. ALL cracked LCDs fall under this category. You crack your screen, you WILL be told to pound sand, Applecare or not. Cosmetic damage, same deal.

Second, it's not uncommon for any laptop to need some sort of repair within three years of the date of purchase. Parts plus labor on a failed HDD at an Apple Store will run you close to the cost of the Applecare. If you end up needing one out-of-warranty repair, it essentially pays for itself.

Third, if you're the kind of person that would make use of phone support, it's definitely worth it. Applecare comes with unlimited free phone support (not from India and it doesn't suck), which is normally $50 per call without the Applecare.

Fourth, get the Applecare with a student discount. Beg, borrow or steal a student ID. They don't really care if you're a student and the discout was $110 off, last time I checked.

--B

[cpl_dan]

I never needed to call in for tech help or think i will ever and if the HDD does go out i can replace it myself only thing is finding replacement parts for a good price so in that case is it still worth spending money?

[sfwdiy]

I never needed to call in for tech help or think i will ever and if the HDD does go out i can replace it myself only thing is finding replacement parts for a good price so in that case is it still worth spending money?

For things like hard drives, yes you can DIY it with off the shelf parts. Optical drives, maybe. Anything else, it's a logic board replacement and you absolutely cannot do one of those yourself cost-effectively. From a mechanical standpoint they're a huge pain in the a** repair, also.

However, the logic boards don't up and die all that often.

--B

[Rivers]

I never needed to call in for tech help or think i will ever and if the HDD does go out i can replace it myself only thing is finding replacement parts for a good price so in that case is it still worth spending money?

Especially for a laptop, yes, AppleCare is worth the cost. I did one project years ago on a Powerbook G4 running a batch action in Photoshop on over 500 images. This overheated the processor and crashed it. Wouldn't restart so I called AC. The next morning (Tuesday) I got the return box and sent it off the same day. Got the box and my computer back on Thursday. Completely fixed, replaced the processor and motherboard. I'm in CA. Repaired in TX. Came back so fast that I thought it was a shipping failure but it was all good. Absolutely spectacular service. I had NO COST for shipping or any repair.

Even the phone support is worth it if you ever have questions or issues with anything related to your computer. And you don't have to suffer through trying to understand an Indian or Pakistani techie named David reading from a manual with orchestrated responses. That alone almost makes AC worth the price!

[Lyte-]

yes apple care is worth it, the labor charge for my company to work on apples is quite a bit more then I charge to work on a PC.

Why because apples are a pain in the *** and you pretty much have no choice but to buy replacement parts directly from apple...

[BRANCHER]

Yes is worth it.
Also I hear Best buy has their own warranty and does cover accidental on laptops... More $$ but to me is worth it if true. not desktops as I understand it (like iMac for its screen)... I have apple care on our iMac and Mac book Pro... I believe it is worth it. Check if you employer has discounts it helps a little. Or student... Take 1 class at Community College and get the discount.

[Biff...]

Yes its worth it. I have it on all my mac products. Best place to buy Applecare is on ebay.