Is Apple Care necessary?

hhansen726 · December 3, 2003 9:51PM

I am looking at purchasing a 15" powerbook and am wondering if it really is necessary to buy the applecare plan. Also, is the 4200 rpm good on the hard drive or do I want the 5200 rpm? I would save $112. I was also thinking about upping the memory to 1 GB. I just couldn't see paying the over $1000 price tag. Also, can anyone tell me if the 15" ones are a mid cycle and my possible purchase would be a big mistake. I understand that it is not a good idea to purchase at the end of the cycle. Is this true?

murbot · December 3, 2003 9:53PM

get the applecare get the faster hard drive don't buy your ram from apple

progmac · December 3, 2003 10:13PM

well, chances are your computer will need less than applecare's price worth of repair over the next 3 years...well, of course, if it weren't the case, on average, applecare would cost more.

i'd think of it more as insurance. not sure what my point is here. if you are risk adverse, buy the insurance ("warranty"). if you are more apt to accept risk for the possibility of payoff, don't get the apple care.

hhansen726 · December 3, 2003 10:31PM

Quote:

Originally posted by progmac

well, chances are your computer will need less than applecare's price worth of repair over the next 3 years...well, of course, if it weren't the case, on average, applecare would cost more.

i'd think of it more as insurance. not sure what my point is here. if you are risk adverse, buy the insurance ("warranty"). if you are more apt to accept risk for the possibility of payoff, don't get the apple care.

But what do you think about the memory and HD?

pensieve · December 3, 2003 10:47PM

Quote:

Originally posted by HHansen726

But what do you think about the memory and HD?

You don't need to decide on the AppleCare right away. You can purchase it later as long as you do it before your 1 year warranty is up. But I'd NEVER be without AppleCare on a laptop. They're just too expensive to fix if something goes wrong because you can't do any of it yourself.

As for the RAM and HD - what are you doing on the computer? If you NEED a faster hard drive (like for video editing), get it. If not, you should be ok with the 4200 rpm drive. And the RAM - what murbot said. Get the RAM from elsewhere. crucial.com is a good place to look b/c they've got an excellent reputation but they're more expensive than other places.

giant · December 3, 2003 10:50PM

You are going to want to get apple care for a powerbook. There seems to be this trend where video problems show up right after the first year.

You want the extra memory, and you should get it elsewhere. The drive is up to you. I have 4200 and it's never done me wrong, but the room for improvement is certainly noticable.

mac+ · December 3, 2003 11:06PM

getting a PowerBook - get AppleCare

(Because you lug it around, it's susceptible to so much more potential damage and wear and tear, than if it were just a desktop computer!)

progmac · December 4, 2003 12:18AM

i think people are too fond of applecare. apple wants people to have it because it provides them incredible profit margins. i'd risk it. but then, i'm strange, and have heard of people needing $700 repairs after a year and a half.

as for hard drive, i'd stick with the standard unless you'll need lots of fast read/write action, like video editing or heavy photo work.

as everyone has said, don't buy ram from apple. it is far cheaper if you buy it elsewhere and is a snap to put in

der kopf · December 4, 2003 4:52AM

Let Fran's case be a testament to you all. I'm getting AppleCare, and lots of it too, thank you sir.

der kopf · December 4, 2003 4:54AM

A quick link to remind us all.

yevgeny · December 4, 2003 1:09PM

I sold Macs in college through my campus computer store and ClubMac.

Always get Applecare for:

laptops

iPods

Printers (not like Apple sells those anymore)

Sometimes get Applecare for:

Desktops

CRT monitors (don't think Apple sells these)

Never get Applecare for:

LCD's

iSight

Once a university prof drove over his powerbook 540c. Surprisingly, he only destroyed the LCD. Replacement cost was $1000. Applecare paid for it all. Applecare is a must for anything portable.

nofeer · December 5, 2003 10:16PM

as for applecare, even though you can buy it after purchase, you register it and the time starts from the time you purchased it not when you get applecare...if i'm not mistaken. so if you are thinking of getting it, get it now, later doesn't extend the service period, it's 3 years, whether you buy it now or later. true???

bauman · December 5, 2003 10:42PM

[Minority voice] NOOO. Don't get it. They make butt loads of money off of them because most people don't use it. If you don't mind betting against the odds that something will happen to your computer that will cost more than $250 or whatever it is, then go for it... but generally most people never use them. [/Minority voice]

*ducks*

altivec_2.0 · December 5, 2003 10:46PM

If your getting a portable, I'd have to say get it. Things are bound to happen to a computer you take to different environments than a computer that stays in one spot. Labor, and part cost are much higher on portables do to there complexity and size.

ludwigvan · December 5, 2003 11:27PM

What about the old "don't get AppleCare because your renters/home insurance should cover the computer" angle?

advocate · December 6, 2003 12:12AM

I have a Cube, and every day since my warranty ran out I've wished that I'd bought the AppleCare. Friggin vertical weak-motored DVD drive...at any rate, BTFAC. $300 is less than Apple will charge you for rubber feet, if history is any indication, so you might as well cover your ass.

(edit) P.S., I bought it for my 17" PowerBook, and when I sent it in for a weak/creaky hinge, they sent me back a new chassis, at least, because it was scratch-free and the partially-worn-away lettering under the display was back to normal.

cake · December 6, 2003 2:46AM

Safeware

Quote:

So you just bought your computer, and AppleCare is less than you need. AppleCare only covers defects in Apple computer parts over an extended term (beyond 1 year), along with free technical support beyond the 90 days provided by Apple. What happens if you, for instance, drop your computer? Mere homeowner insurance may carry a high deductible. Safeware will for a fee provide you with total coverage for your computer. TOTAL coverage. You should really opt to take safeware insurance, as the costs may be more than AppleCare but will provide you with damage protection as well. No support plan other than real insurance provides this, and to my knowledge NO Apple dealer will provide this level of coverage. Want real peace of mind? Safeware!

nofeer · December 6, 2003 6:50AM

safeware vs applecare. applecare gives you online support (so does AI) so i will hold off applecare as i investigate safeware. who has had it, used it and can tell us in AI it's the way to go.

ludwigvan · December 6, 2003 11:39AM

Quote:

Originally posted by NOFEER

safeware vs applecare. applecare gives you online support (so does AI) so i will hold off applecare as i investigate safeware. who has had it, used it and can tell us in AI it's the way to go.

Another avenue: I saw a few very recent threads on Safeware over at MacNN:

http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.p...hreadid=190026

http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.p...hreadid=191215

http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.p...hreadid=189136

A search in their forums on the word "safeware" will yield quite a few hits.

fran441 · December 6, 2003 12:04PM

For the love of God, buy the AppleCare.

Is Apple Care necessary?

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