Extended warranty on 15.2 Aluminum PB worth it?

plasmaplasma
Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
Got the PB for bout 2 weeks now and have been testing the hell out of it to make sure everything works. Have not been able to find a flaw yet. Everything performs as it should so far and I usually take care of my things so is it worth getting the 3 yr apple protection plan for $350? Has anyone ever gotten any work done during the ext warranty period?





Now any suggestions for furter testing this thing would be appreciated? any graphics i can run to make sure it will take it? i have burned cds, dvds, running other apps at the same time...things like that?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 13
    cakecake Posts: 1,010member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by plasma

    ...so is it worth getting the 3 yr apple protection plan for $350? Has anyone ever gotten any work done during the ext warranty period?



    You get AppleCare free for one year right out of the box.



    Why not buy the extended warranty before your first year is up?

    That way you get more time for the same amount of money.
  • Reply 2 of 13
    cj3209cj3209 Posts: 158member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by plasma

    Got the PB for bout 2 weeks now and have been testing the hell out of it to make sure everything works. Have not been able to find a flaw yet. Everything performs as it should so far and I usually take care of my things so is it worth getting the 3 yr apple protection plan for $350? Has anyone ever gotten any work done during the ext warranty period?





    Now any suggestions for furter testing this thing would be appreciated? any graphics i can run to make sure it will take it? i have burned cds, dvds, running other apps at the same time...things like that?



    Go to eBay and pick up the three-year AppleCare for around $250 - save yourself $100.



  • Reply 3 of 13
    murbotmurbot Posts: 5,262member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Cake

    You get AppleCare free for one year right out of the box.



    Why not buy the extended warranty before your first year is up?

    That way you get more time for the same amount of money.



    AppleCare adds 2 years to your warranty... you can't wait until the end of the first year, buy AppleCare, and add another 3 years to it. 3 years is the maximum coverage, regardless of when you purchase it.



    (I think this is what you are implying - this is how I read your post, anyhow)



    You also only get 90 days of telephone support with your new product - if you buy AppleCare immediately, you get uninterrupted telephone support for the full 3 years.
  • Reply 4 of 13
    machemmachem Posts: 319member
    I personally think it's worth it. I keep my PowerBooks 2-3 years on average, and have used AC on each one. Sometimes serious (motherboard, etc), sometimes trivial (HD noisy). The treatment by phone support is great, the repair turnaround is quick. Sometimes they upgrade other issues ("official" or not), also.



    If you are institutional, or keep your machines for a while it is worth it. Whether you wait for the end of a year or not depends upon your phone support needs. At $49 a call without it, it could add up, even if you get your repair taken care of.
  • Reply 5 of 13
    kecksykecksy Posts: 1,002member
    Anyone who doesn't buy AppleCare for a $2500 machine is a fool in my opinion. If it breaks, and you're out of warranty, you're screwed. Laptops are fragile pieces of electronics, so the chance of something breaking over the course of three years is high. I just wouldn't take the chance. What's $300 anyway?
  • Reply 6 of 13
    cakecake Posts: 1,010member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by murbot

    AppleCare adds 2 years to your warranty... you can't wait until the end of the first year, buy AppleCare, and add another 3 years to it. 3 years is the maximum coverage, regardless of when you purchase it.



    (I think this is what you are implying - this is how I read your post, anyhow)



    You also only get 90 days of telephone support with your new product - if you buy AppleCare immediately, you get uninterrupted telephone support for the full 3 years.



    Thanks for the clarification, murbot.

    I had it wrong, but now I know better.
  • Reply 7 of 13
    pbg4 dudepbg4 dude Posts: 1,611member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Kecksy

    Anyone who doesn't buy AppleCare for a $2500 machine is a fool in my opinion. If it breaks, and you're out of warranty, you're screwed. Laptops are fragile pieces of electronics, so the chance of something breaking over the course of three years is high. I just wouldn't take the chance. What's $300 anyway?



    I used my credit card to buy my PB and it automatically doubles the 1 year warranty and covers my PB for 2 years. I'm not quite sure $300 is worth it for 1 year of extra coverage.
  • Reply 8 of 13
    666666 Posts: 134member
    does applecare cover theft? i heard it's like full insurance.
  • Reply 9 of 13
    plasmaplasma Posts: 74member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by PBG4 Dude

    I used my credit card to buy my PB and it automatically doubles the 1 year warranty and covers my PB for 2 years. I'm not quite sure $300 is worth it for 1 year of extra coverage.



    and which card is this
  • Reply 10 of 13
    pbg4 dudepbg4 dude Posts: 1,611member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by plasma

    and which card is this



    My Platinum MasterCard. Credit cards usually have extras associated with their use, like free auto insurance for auto rentals, free traveler's insurance. The warranty extension is just another free service.



    Many many cards have these "perks". You should read those info packets they send you every year to see what your card offers you.



    666,



    Applecare does not cover theft or user "stupidity".



    If you want this kind of insurance you need to look to safeware.com or other similar companies. Also, if you register your laptop with your homeowner's insurance, they will cover your laptop if it is stolen, but not if you do something like drop a soda into it.
  • Reply 11 of 13
    ast3r3xast3r3x Posts: 5,012member
    I am waiting to buy AppleCare at least until next summer. I have a year before my AppleCare runs out, so any problems will be fixed which is good.



    I would look around for coverage incase something bad happens like I drop it or something, but I havn't seen any for a flat rate, and you end up paying more normally then if you would just break it once and have to repair. Like the way insurrance companies make money. I will save slowly and buy whatever I need incase of powerbook failure. Or do some of it myself if need be. Heck I'll just buy a new computer and sell this one on E-Bay as-is
  • Reply 12 of 13
    pbg4 dudepbg4 dude Posts: 1,611member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ast3r3x

    I am waiting to buy AppleCare at least until next summer. I have a year before my AppleCare runs out, so any problems will be fixed which is good.



    I would look around for coverage incase something bad happens like I drop it or something, but I havn't seen any for a flat rate, and you end up paying more normally then if you would just break it once and have to repair. Like the way insurrance companies make money. I will save slowly and buy whatever I need incase of powerbook failure. Or do some of it myself if need be. Heck I'll just buy a new computer and sell this one on E-Bay as-is



    Check out safeware.com (no I don't work for them but I did get a policy from them for my Ti). They have a flat rate insurance policy that covers theft, loss, dropping it, etc. Basically everything but mechanical failure (which is covered by Apple). I had $4000 coverage and it cost me $100. Of course, this was a couple years ago so prices may have changed. You also get a discount if you're a student.
  • Reply 13 of 13
    pensievepensieve Posts: 661member
    If you're a student, AppleCare is cheaper. This is overlooked by a lot of people. I'd never go without a warranty on a laptop, personally. While you'd get phone support for free if you buy the warranty, it's not like you're without during your included year. They charge you if it's not a hardware problem. So just make sure anything you call about isn't related to software and you'll be ok. That means do some basic troubleshooting yourself (zap pram, reset power manager, etc) first. Ask here. Just be reasonably sure it's not software and you'll be ok.
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