<p>Okay, so kiddo has learned that she’s going to need a pretty expensive MacBook Pro for her major. They specify the model number, etc. and it’s available at the college computer store. They also recommend purchasing the $200+ AppleCare along with the computer.</p>
<p>Kiddo is computer literate, but is fluent in Windows-based machines. (She did uses Macs in high school…some). She does have dorm insurance – would that cover repairs, etc. to the MacBook out of warranty? She is pretty careful with electronic stuff. What would the AppleCare do for her? There is on-site repair for the MacBooks at college, and we live in a city with an Apple retail store (yes, I went and looked at the model in question. Nice…)</p>
<p>So, root of the question, before I meet a salesperson, who I am certain will have an opinion as to why she DOES need the 3 years of AppleCare (which looks like is really a purchase of 2 years, on top of the one included with the purchase…): What is AppleCare for MacBooks (I had it for an ipod, and they did replace one that died, no questions asked), is it worth it, and tell any experiences you may have had, either with, or without the product.</p>
<p>Now I’ve just got to get over the sticker shock of a Mac purchase…her HP/Windows laptop was under $400!!</p>
<p>D1 purchased the Applecare and it has helped. Somehow the keyboard seems to be stuck alot. There have been a few replacement. I think it’s worth it but I can’t remember a lot of specific breakdowns except for the keyboard.
D1 is on to purchase the next MacBooks after the first one(4 years ago) for increase speed and memory.</p>
<p>I think Applecare is always worth it for any portable electronic device as they undergo a lot more wear & tear than a desktop would.
It makes life much easier.</p>
<p>If the macbook pro is not a brand new model that is required, I recommend getting a refurbished mac- either through Apple or a dealer like [SmallDog.](<a href=“http://www.smalldog.com/”>http://www.smalldog.com/</a>)
The warranty will be the same as new & you could save yourself a lot of money.</p>
<p>Yes. Besides help with various things, D has so far gotten a new battery (covered under AppleCare), and a new charger – the charger apparently would have cost her $70 or so alone. For my old MacMini, they actually gave me a new one when mine went bonkers 18 months in. </p>
<p>The other suggestion would be to get dorm insurance, at least enough to cover the laptop and stuff. D’s covered laptop, bike and cell phone and some other stuff, $25 deductible – and even covered damage, like dropping the laptop or spilling coffee on it, which Apple does not cover. Cheap.</p>
<p>I would get whatever complete coverage is available for any notebook that is being carried around campus. Stuff happens even when the kid is careful and all of mine have had to have a repair done. All of he repairs would have cost more than the insurance. Screen damage was replaced on one. Hard drive crash on another. Motherboard that went out on a third. They weren’t Apple but the same things happen to Apple products. Our friend has been given new systems to replace the ones not working under Apple Care.</p>
<p>Read the fine print - specifically, the exclusions - on the Applecare warranty. Applecare does NOT cover any kind of liquid damage to the computer. </p>
<p>We learned this the hard way last year when S2’s 6-mo old MacBook #1 sustained “catastrophic liquid damage” (Apple store’s exact words) & was deemed irreparable. Applecare warranty was voided, so we had to purchase a new computer. Dorm insurance would have covered the liquid damage. We now have [College</a> Student Insurance (CSI)](<a href=“http://www.collegestudentinsurance.com/]College”>http://www.collegestudentinsurance.com/), but there are other insurers. There are a number of CC discussion threads about dorm insurance. CSI also covered repairs to his 3-week old MacBook #2 when the screen got cracked.</p>
<p>Liquid damage happens. It can be anything from spilling a soda/coffee on the keyboard to a sprinkler going off in the room if someone pulls a fire alarm. Case in point: Two weeks ago, S2’s dorm room sustained considerable water damage when a pipe burst in the bathroom on the floor above his room. Fortunately he was able to get MacBook #2 out of the flooded room before any more expensive electronics were damaged.</p>
<p>^12rmh18 – D has dorm insurance…that’s why I wondered if AppleCare is overkill, or if it is better to have both products available to cover that computer. I know it is probably simpler to go through Apple for covered repair, and know that these poor electronics will be taking it hard, being towed all over campus, in all sorts of weather… So it sounds like both…dorm insurance AND Applecare are good choices to make sure that we’re not shelling out ANOTHER 2 grand in case something happens to the MacBook??</p>
<p>As my 13 month old ipod battery will now not hold a charge, I am thinking for something as expensive as a Mac Book Pro, the Applecare would be nice to have</p>
<p>S used it to get a part of his casing/shell around the keyboard replaced this spring. He said several of his friends had the same problem and they were all happy to have had the warranty. He said the problem was one commonly experienced by those with that particular model.</p>
<p>My daughter bought a new mac for college but was having trouble transferring her stuff from her old one to the new one. She sat for an entire day in the Apple store, at a seat at the Genius bar, and worked on it, asking questions, getting help. She watched the guys fixing people’s problems all day, and was totally convinced how great it is to have the applecare. They were replacing things right and left for people. </p>
<p>And after she got everything transfered over, the guys there fixed our old mac, put a new case on it since it was cracked, fixed a bunch of things, I think they put in a new hard drive, even though the applecare had expired two months before that. So my little one, who inherited the old mac, basically got a brand new, used, computer.</p>
<p>I’d say, definitely worth it. Especially for a laptop that will be going to college classes, in the dorm, starbucks, etc.</p>
<p>My daughter took her macbook pro in last year they replaced practically everything ( she spilled something in it).
She needed a new battery this year- they replaced it.</p>
<p>I am having her take mine in for me from now on.
;)</p>
<p>We got it for S’s Macbook, precisely for the reasons listed above. He’s always had a PC, and it took me a minute (and him too), to get over the sticker shock. So far, he says it’s cool (he’s only had it a couple of weeks), but from what he’s said, not THAT much cooler to justify the price. However, he’s a musician, and he did successfully make the argument that he needed it rather than a PC. When I told him I could order it, I reminded him that I know nothing about Macs and there would be no more “Mom support.”</p>
<p>We bought on-site service for his PC laptop and it paid off each time we needed to use it (3 times in 3 years).</p>
<p>We have 4 macbooks in our house and have never purchased Applecare. I had the casing replaced on my original white macbook free of charge as it was a known problem.</p>
<p>D had to pay to repair the mousepad on her white macbook, cost about $100. Her younger sis now uses that macbook, it is 4 years old and still going strong, with no probs.</p>
<p>D1 upgraded to a macbook pro for college. We bought the CSI dorm insurance rather than the Applecare.</p>
<p>Our experience with Apple products has been great and haven’t felt the need for the additional peace of mind that Applecare provides. Hope I haven’t jinxed ourselves!</p>
<p>100% hands down get the “drop it no questions ask insurance”!
Absolutely</p>
<p>D’s roommate tripped and coffee flung inside their room onto the computer-- that was the sophomore year. Junior year, D slipped holding laptop on top of clean laundry hamper-- and hte laptop did a dance down a full flight of stairs! Well, that was the story we heard both times, who knows what really happened.</p>
<p>Laptop repaired/replaced both times – that was the HP insurance.</p>
<p>Presumably Apple and Dell have the same whoops fix it option.</p>
<p>I am thinking apple care does not cover soda or any liquid or any personal damage done to the computer. Only defects. FYI - you can (and should!) buy it after you have had the computer for 364 days…you just need to buy it before your year warranty is up. </p>
<p>We have bought the insurance from best buy before and yes they did actually replace the whole computer because it was cheaper than fixing the problem. It took a bit, but they did what I had hoped the insurance would do! I believe best buy’s coverage is the “spill coke on it” type of coverage.
Double check with apple care before you assume that situation would be covered!
But definitely buy it…and hopefully their is an apple store near your child’s college!</p>
<p>Purchaser of 3 desktops, 3 macbooks, an ipad and multiple ipods here. I have never gotten the hard sell for Applecare, although it is always offered. Know that you will have a period of time after your computer purchase (a year?) to purchase Applecare if you don’t want to spend the additional cash now. My advice is to know what Applecare will cover, and to know what student insurance will cover. In general, Applecare will cover things that fail on your computer (eg. a hard drive failure). Student insurance will cover damages that make it so that your computer is not able to operate as it is supposed to, as well as theft (at least our policy does). My son just damaged his macbook, but it did not affect the functionality of the computer, so it was not covered. So there are some events that will fall outside of both types of insurance.</p>
<p>We purchased Applecare on all of our computers, and I would say on balance, we have come out ahead.</p>