MacBook Pro Retina with 3 Years of AppleCare now as low as $1,539; some bundles cut by $750

They forgot to add "and AppleInsider will stay on this story as it develops..."

The more AI pushes AppleCare plans, the more I worry about A) what they know about Apple's quality control that I apparently don't, and B) how big of a cut they are getting for every plan they help sell.
This is getting ridiculous. Best Buy doesn't try this hard to sell extended warranties.

"Best Buy doesn't try this hard to sell extended warranties."

 

I beg to differ.

 

It's generally well-known that when buying higher-end gear like Macs, getting AppleCare is not only important but well worth it.  At least that's been my experience.

Agree 100%. Apple has saved my bacon with Apple Care several times. Once when facing a deadlines for an ESPN show they shipped me a monitor the same day when one of mine failed. They are extremely flexible and considerate in my experience. I actually got a replacement ACD the next morning before I even shipped the faulty one back.

 

 

I agree with the latter. Best Buy (and Radio Shack, etc.) would push me to buy extended warranty on a paper clip.

I think the moral of the story is that Apple is making this the standard MacBook Pro product. Very few other companies have caught onto this trend yet, thus creating a potentially large opportunity for Apple to make their laptops stand out beyond their signature design (which is widely copied and, frankly, a bit dated).

 

Somehow, I am not convinced Apple is marketing this as effectively as I had expected. Developers and consumers don't seem to fully realize the big step forward this is.

It's more disconcerting that AI pushes these prices. What on earth are you talking about?

15" 2.7Ghz 768GB SSD Retina MBP(WITH Apple Care) is now $3,548 on the Apple Store website.

How much is this B&H paying AI? $3321.0 is a $227 difference, not $700+.

Incredibly misleading.

 

…AppleCare… … [is] always worth its price and then some.

I'd love for Apple to support of their products for more than a year but until that happens I'll gladly buy AC and AC+. The ability to sell a 2 year old machine with a 1 year warranty remaining is well worth the expense.

Don't most credit cards give you an extra year of warranty for free?

 

It's very, very rare that I disagree with your posts here on AI, but I totally disagree with this comment.

 

Background: I've been purchasing and using Apple products since before Macs existed, using Macs since 1985.  I can't even count the number of Macs I've bought and owned over the years; I can see 6 from where I'm sitting right now -- and that's the view from my frickin' dining room!

 

I have never, ever purchased AppleCare, and I am literally thousands of dollars richer because of it.  I've only had problems twice in all these years where I had to bring a machine back to a dealer (pre-Apple store days).  I know one of them was fully covered, and the other is so long ago that I honestly can't remember, but I think it was.  My next 3 or 4 computers could all be total duds and I would still be ahead after paying for their repairs out of pocket.  Not only that, but the machines come with a 1 year warranty without paying an extra dime, right?  Most problems are just handled.  I really don't understand why people are so willing to shell out for AppleCare.

 

The only thing that comes to mind right now is that perhaps I and my family are just more careful than most people.  While I'm sure that's true to a point, it strains credibility to think that alone explains such a huge difference of opinion by so many others.  What do you guys do with your computers that they break so often?  Drop them?  Take them out in the rain?  I don't get it.

I agree! Anecdotal, I know. But my original intel 20" iMac had it's motherboard replaced a month before AppleCare ended. I think this is why it is still going strong, what 6-7 years later? Whew, was I ever lucky.

Well, I bought the new 13 inch with retina about ten days ago for about 1699 (128SSD). And as soon as I saw the prices go down I returned it and got a new one with 256SSD for the same price. (I bought it at the military exchange store, tax free)

That is highly debatable.   Each person buying a MBP needs to evaluate its worth based on their circumstances.   Beyond that AppleCare is very expensive if you don't use it. 

 

Instead of knee jerk buying people should evaluate AppleCare based on their specific needs.   In my case I get it for my iPhone but not for my Macs.    Most people would be better off stuffing the cost of AppleCare into a bank account someplace.   

YMMV, of course, Some of it probably IS due to your family being more careful than others.

Logically, you are probably correct, on average. Apple couldn't afford to offer it if it regularly cost them more than they received in premiums. Some of that difference is made up by the fact that they buy repair parts wholesale and you'd have to buy them retail. Still, that doesn't account for enough to change the logic that it is probably a money-maker for Apple and therefore, ON AVERAGE, it might not pay off.

However, I'm firmly in the AppleCare camp. I guess it helps that I used to travel well over 100,000 miles a year with my laptop and it got bounced around quite a bit. For me, it's worth the cost for the peace of mind, if nothing else. AppleCare meant that when I had a problem, I was at the top of the list and could get a computer shipped to me right away if there was a major problem. That was easily worth the premium that I paid. Plus, while I didn't keep track, I strongly suspect that, for me, the program paid for itself. That's a lot of mileage and a lot of being thrown around for a laptop.

The real story here is why anyone would ever be willing to pay $1500 or more for a laptop with integrated graphics.

Currently the only laptops that represent any sense of value are the 13-inch Macbook Air and the 15-inch Pro with retina display. The graphics card isn't even a configuration option unless you shell out for the top end US$2799 (AU$3199) laptop.

Customer: "I want a decent graphics card but I don't want to lug around a 15 inch laptop?"

Apple: Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

For the most part I don't think people understand the economics involved.  AppleCare isn't cheap though it certainly can be of value to certain types of users.   This is why I suggest people think long and hard about AppleCare.  

 

Applecare can be of significant value to someone that has one and only one computer and that computer is critical to the,     A common example here would be a college student.  For many of us though AppleCare is a waste of money.  It effectively increase the purchase cost while eliminating the possibility of that money earning income for the owner. 

I've done it for years. I was quite happy to get rid of my 12" PB with a discrete GPU for a 13" MB with an integrated GPU, then 2 more MBs, and 2 13" MBPs all with iGPUs. The real story here is why anyone would say that the GPUs Apple uses aren't decent. They aren't powerhouses. They aren't for any intense graphics that a gamer or video editor might use but when did "not being exactly what I want" become "it's not decent"? Clearly there are a lot of happy people who buy a lot more of their sub-15" machines than their 15" or greater machines.

Now I wouldn't have a problem with Apple offering a better GPU (and I would have likely bought such a model if there were overwhelming negative affects to my usage type) but I don't see why that has to automatically be a dGPU. As previously noted the dGPU in my PB was worse than the iGPU of my MB. If it's about performance then you shouldn't make the argument about whether it's integrated or separate.

Finally, have considered what would happen if Apple stuck a dGPU in the MBAs or 13" MBP? Have you considered that would likely mean reducing the battery volume? Have you considered a larger or faster fan and more space for cooling the GPU that would likely reduce the battery even more? Have you considered the increased power costs the GPU and the fan would have on this battery that is not even smaller than before? The 15" RMBP goes from 7 hours to 5 hours with ≈30% larger battery. 95W v 74W. I can only imagine that the dGPU in much smaller battery would affect that divide even more radically, now consider the additional battery chipping I mentioned earlier. It's not good.

Now you can say "Apple doesn't need to make their machines so thin" but that what they do, just as making their battery life last within a certain range, and it's what every Mac user should expect. They work to make the overall product the best (according to their standards) which means they have to sacrifice power eating performance at times. We don't have to like it but we do have to accept it.


I also suggest people don't buy AppleCare right away. You have up to a year of your purchase date (not received date if it was shipped) to purchase it.

For the iPhone I do suggest AC+ at purchase. You technically have 30 days but it's easier to purchase it then and if anything happens, like accidental damage, you can screw yourself. With as much use as a smartphone gets and where it gets used I think it's a good investment for nearly all users.
Edited by SolipsismX - 2/14/13 at 8:15pm

 

I'm with you on this. I've never bought Applecare for my MacBooks, and not even for my 15" Retina MacBook Pro (my CC gives me an additional year's warranty, so why bother). I did, however, buy AppleCare for my iPhone 5 "just in case". I can do without my MacBook Pro for a few days or even a week or so if it needs to be sent off for repair (I can always use my wife's MacBook Air), but I don't have another phone to fallback on.

 

 

My point exactly.

But if that paper clip were to be damaged through no fault of your own of course, they would replace it with a refurbished product of similar value.  Well worth it for just an extra $35.00 for 3 years.

Inexpensive? You're joking, right? Your definition of "inexpensive" is vastly different than mine.

Do none of you know how to fix your own hardware? I've had one issue with my MacBook. Half the screen stopped working about a year ago. Apple Genius wanted 300 dollars to fix it. Price of replacement panel: 109 bucks on eBay. Time to replace panel myself: an hour, maybe.

You all have essentially admitted you're ok plunking down hundreds of dollars to compensate for your own uselessness when it comes to minor repairs, but I'm the fool. No wonder Apple gets away with charging the ridiculous amounts of money they do.

It all depends on the country you live in, I suppose. Where I live we get 2 years warranty and 5 years extended coverage on all parts within their expected lifespan. Which means that if a battery goes bad after 3 years you will not get a new battery for free because a battery is not supposed to last longer than that, but if something breaks (through no fault of yours) before it normally can be expected to break, the shop where you bought it (not necessarily the producer) is expected to replace it for free. So the 2 years warranty is given by the producer, the 5 years extended coverage is given by the seller.

AppleCare is more practical because it is a "no questions asked" and fairly instant process, while here you will normally go through quite a process of arguing with the seller, but I very much doubt that AppleCar is worth the extra cost. In my 27 years of using Apple equipment I have had 2 issues - one was a MacBook that was DOA (which was replaced by Apple - no questions asked) and a 4 year old Mac Pro that had problems with the USB-ports. After being repaired 3 times with no luck, I got a new Mac Pro for free from Apple.

At the moment I have 10 Macs (1 Mac Pro, 1 iMac, 2 Mac minis and 6 portables). The machines I use the most are the Mac Pro (early 2008) and a MacBook Pro (2009). Buying AppleCare for these would have been very expensive and would have given me absolutely nothing in return.

Applecare is good for peace of mind but I've never made my money back on it. Even when my MBP's RAM and HDD both died I could have replacement them (with better parts) for cheaper that the cost of Applecare myself.

 

I'm sure that Apple makes a very healthy profit on Applecare.

AI is pushing the prices out without changing the MSRP.  Apple changed the official price, AI has decided that it is somehow only a sale price.  Knock 3-400 off each price for the retina models and the discounts are more accurate.  AI as usual is spinning things hard, and looking foolish for it.

It is still cheaper for these MBPs with the Education Pricing, assuming you don't have to pay sales tax in your state for an Apple purchase. BTO options like 2.8 GHz processor are not available. If you pay Apple sales tax and don't pay BH sales tax you save about $80.

 

 

Etc., Etc.....

 

 

I agree that AC+ is a fairly reasonable insurance policy for a device that's bound to take a lot of inadvertent beating like a phone that goes where you do, unless you're particularly OCD (and in a good way). 

But as Wizard69 notes, AC for Macs is an individual proposition.  I URGE it on my friends who know (and seem to grasp) nearly nothing about PC's and less about the Apple they've never used.  I do this if only to hold down their incessant calls to me when things go kablooey over some simple, or not simple but clueless user error (and some still call me first!  Until I politely remind them a few times that they have AC and that the reps are just as digitalclips notes.)

For any reasonable astute and experienced Mac Users who can keep a coffee cup away from a keyboard, however, I recommend the following:  since you have a year to buy AC (note: my Mac is years old so I assume that's still true), that's plenty of time to ascertain:

 

1) if you somehow have gotten a lemon (or a line with a widespread issue), or

2) you find you're not quite as adept as you thought and keep having software/use issues you need hand-holding through. 

And I recommend this strategy because:

1) Macs are still (from what I hear) still better to much better built than most computers even if (and I can't say) they have or haven't slipped a niggle on this (or perhaps have gotten even better).  If anyone has a reliable link to a story about trends in the durability of Apple products over the last five or ten years that sheds real light on this, they should post the links, as anecdotal tales told on forums are not really "data."
2) Anything that's going to fail on a PC beyond a year and in less than three is really quite likely to have failed in less than a year.  Digital parts are very stable because they have no "moving" mechanisms, and Apple's now virtually eliminated the two major mechanical parts: HDD's and ODD's!  And of the mechanicals that remain, e.g., Apple's hinges and kb's, nearly all are robust and durable. 
3) And while you can't depend on it, I know people who've been treated well and better for a fair amount beyond the various clauses of the standard warranty especially if their machine seems well-cared for and they don't act like jerks with 'tudes to the Apple reps. Apple values that year after year #1 consumer ranking in support. And Apple Care is one of the corporation's highest profit margin items (because their products are premium quality and generally well-designed), which is another reason Apple support staff are granted more personal discretion than at some companies.

Tablets are a tweener case - and again, depends on how casually or carefully you treat them.  If like a notebook when out of the house, AC's not as compelling as it is for the phone, even though most people may still find theirs taking at least a few more drops from couch to carpet, if not to sidewalk, than their notebooks, and if you're "throw it in your bag without a case" type, bu all means get the extended warranty. 

I missed something: 

 

B&H is $3443 with AppleCare

Apple is $3548 with AppleCare

 

where is the magic savings at? Or was this just a sale? 

 

 

 

The more AI pushes AppleCare plans, the more I worry about A) what they know about Apple's quality control that I apparently don't, and B) how big of a cut they are getting for every plan they help sell. This is getting ridiculous. Best Buy doesn't try this hard to sell extended warranties.