Would you buy a Powerbook without AppleCare or any warranty?
I live in Florida and just found out that the Powerbook I ordered will come sans AppleCare that I ordered for it cause AppleCare is not offered in the state of Florida. 
Besides being angry, I am also very concerned. This is my first laptop and have heard people recommend warranties on laptops. I have also heard that 's quite expensive to repair laptops. I won't be flying with my Powerbook but I will be carrying it around town with me. Having no warranty on it makes me very nervous. Should I cancel the order?
Besides being angry, I am also very concerned. This is my first laptop and have heard people recommend warranties on laptops. I have also heard that 's quite expensive to repair laptops. I won't be flying with my Powerbook but I will be carrying it around town with me. Having no warranty on it makes me very nervous. Should I cancel the order?
Comments
Originally posted by 4metta
Okay...it made me too nervous. I canceled the order. Hopefully Apple's working on this issue. I won't even consider buying a Powerbook without a warranty. Maybe a desktop but even then...I really don't want to buy a Windows based laptop but it seems like I have no choice right now.
It's not like it doesn't come with any warranty. You're just being prevented from buying an extended warranty. It's hardly like you're going to be forced to accept a computer that's broken right out of the box and not be allowed to return it or get it repaired.
I'd never let lack of an available extended warranty hold me back from getting the computer I want. Most extended warranties are just over-priced insurance anyway. The peace of mind from Applecare or some other extended warranty might be worth it sometimes, true, but such plans seldom a really good buy.
Besides, if Apple can't offer Applecare in Florida for some reason, are you sure that other companies aren't hindered in Florida too, perhaps by some oddity of Florida state law?
It is very rare for a computer to fail once the 1st year has passed. Usually, if you're going to have trouble, you will within a few months of buying your computer.
Anyways, in general, extended warranties are like a bet between you and the seller of the item. You bet that you will have problems and that an extended warranty will be less expensive than paying for a repair. The seller, which in this case is also the manufacturer, is betting that they won't have to repair anything and that they'll pocket the money.
In all cases, Apple has been recently known to provide repairs above and beyond the warranty for free in cases of widespread defects, so I wouldn't be too worried.
About BestBuy: Yes, BestBuy sells their own extended warranty plans. As a mater of fact I bought a 4 year one from them for my iPod for only $48. I was planning on doing the same for my Powerbook once I found out I couldn't get the much more elaborate AppleCare on the Powerbook. BUT...the catch is they don't sell Apple Computers through their stores. Only online. And when I tried to buy their warranty for it they said it wasn't available for the Apple computers! What is going on here? Not even BestBuy will sell an extended warranty for them.
As far as me being stupid about not getting a almost $2000 computer cause it can't have an extended warranty: I would say it's a right I have when I'm the one paying for it. Remember that you move these babies around a lot more than a desktop and shit happens when stuff gets moved around internally. And it's hard to open them up. That's why it costs more to fix laptops. (At least that's what I've been told by techs.)
Are there any Powerbook owners out there? I would like to ask them to please tell me if they've had any problems with their Powerbooks after 1 year? I mean reasonable problems, not like dropping them on the floor or anything like that that's your fault.
Originally posted by Boukman
Apple laptops carry a 1 year warranty anyways. What applecare provides is another 2 years of full protection.
It is very rare for a computer to fail once the 1st year has passed. Usually, if you're going to have trouble, you will within a few months of buying your computer.
Yes, that's what I'm feeling as far as desktops. But because of the moving around, I'm more nervous about the notebooks. Any longtime notebook owners out there? Please feel free to give me some feedback and opinions.
Like others have said: if it's a widespread defect (i.e. iBook G3 logic board), Apple will fix it regardless of the warranty. I again agree with others that the 1 year warranty that already comes with the system is excellent and will cover you for at least a year.
Why don't you buy through the online Apple store? That way, you could get your system and it will have a 1 year warranty on it. Then, towards the end of your first year of owning the notebook, you buy AppleCare and voila: three more years of extended support. BestBuy might not sell you AppleCare, but Apple will. I'm skeptical that it's completely not available simply because you live in Florida.
Considering the fact that there are SIX retail Apple stores in Florida, and I assume they all have Genius Bars... you can get AppleCare. Why don't you try visiting one of those stores? http://www.apple.com/retail/
Is Aventura, Boca Raton, Miami, Orlando, Tampa or Wellington close to you? Visit the store and ask there.
Actually, even the Apple Store won't sell me the AppleCare! I've been told no by the Aventura store every single time I've asked. (About 5 different sales reps and one manager)
Here's the official legal writing on Apple's website about this. Just scroll down to the bottom.
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPL....1.7.0.0.3.3.0
I'd like to know what stupid law is responsible for this bs. I'm so fricken ticked off. I am so sick of Windows-based computers. I refuse to buy another one and really wanted a notebook instead of another desktop.
If companies lost money on extended warranties, they wouldn't offer them. Your average cost of repairs over the useful lifetime of the computer will be generally less than the extended warranty.
-Ender
Originally posted by 4metta
Yes, that's what I'm feeling as far as desktops. But because of the moving around, I'm more nervous about the notebooks. Any longtime notebook owners out there? Please feel free to give me some feedback and opinions.
I am writing from my Powerbook G4 Titanium 667, bought in November 2001. As you can see, that is now a 3 years old computer, but it still works wonderfully. As far as problems go, I had to replace the DVD/CD-RW drive towards the end of the 1 year warranty (didn't cost me a dime), and I replaced the hard drive myself early this year, going from a 30 GB to a 60 GB. I mention the hard drive because I suspect that the original drive might have developed some bad sectors, causing the apparition of the spinning beach ball from time to time. Since I needed badly to upgrade anyways, I bought a new notebook hd and installed it. Right now, I can see an apparent crack near one of the hinges. I carry my powerbook all the time and I am not particularly cautious. Oh, and I also noticed recently that I have 1 dead pixel in the screen... Not too bad overall. Your mileage may vary...
Originally posted by 4metta
Yes, that's what I'm feeling as far as desktops. But because of the moving around, I'm more nervous about the notebooks. Any longtime notebook owners out there? Please feel free to give me some feedback and opinions.
well apple promptly replaced my powerbook keyboard when i accidently popped off the '1' key, but when the pbook fell out of my backpack (but still inside and decent sleeve) and dented one of the corners, they refused to cover it and quoted me $500 for repair. i said 'f*** that' and bought a hammer and pounded out the dent myself. after that incident i am very cautious to recommend applecare.
Last time I checked, AppleCare for a new PowerBook was around $300. That's a little bit more than a spare battery.
Have you checked out the possibility of laptop insurance? Not sure how you would claim it, but maybe in Florida it would be worth a look.
If it were me, I'd buy the PowerBook anyway, particularly if you're "eyeing" the 12" model. It's quite a bit cheaper than the other models, so if something terrible were to happen after the 1 year warranty expired, you might be able to afford a new one. If you get the 15" or 17" models that can cost upwards of $3000... you might be out of luck.
BTW, the current iBook 12" is not much different than the current 12" PowerBook in terms of specs. Obviously the case is different and there are a few minor other differences (screen spanning, etc.), but if you don't need those features, maybe the iBook would be right for you. Considering that you could get an iBook around $1000 or a little more, that AppleCare would look a lot less interesting since it would be 1/3 of the price of your notebook anyway. Just a thought.
Originally posted by ipodandimac
well apple promptly replaced my powerbook keyboard when i accidently pooped off the '1' key, but when the pbook fell out of my backpack (but still inside and decent sleeve) and dented one of the corners, they refused to cover it and quoted me $500 for repair. i said 'f*** that' and bought a hammer and pounded out the dent myself. after that incident i am very cautious to recommend applecare.
You used a HAMMER on your PowerBook? I can't handle even thinking about that...
Originally posted by adamrao
You used a HAMMER on your PowerBook? I can't handle even thinking about that...
ya it took a lot of convincing myself that i wasnt gonna hurt it. surprisingly there are no marks from the hammer and i didnt hit the lcd at all.
Originally posted by a_greer
Why cant apple sell warenties in florids? seems obserd, after all, bestbuy, circut city, radio shack and the lot petal theur warenties in fla...do they not?
the state of florida requires that a company submits the provisions of their extended warranty to the state for approval, which apple apparently chooses not to do. so it's not that florida disallows it, it's that apple doesn't wish to submit to florida's requirements.
what i would do, buy the powerbook, before your year is up buy applecare and register it in another state, maybe a relatives address or a friends, or maybe you'll have moved to a blue state by then. (this is necessary because the paperwork is mailed to you a couple of weeks after registration) and you will get TWO more years of applecare, not three as stated above.
Originally posted by ipodandimac
i accidently pooped off the '1' key
I once pooped on the numeric keypad of a friend's computer, but it was a Toshiba.
--B
Originally posted by bergz
I once pooped on the numeric keypad of a friend's computer, but it was a Toshiba.
--B