AppleCare Protection Plan (APP)

ChicoMendez

hi
im about to buy my first Mac (Mac book pro 15'' or 17'' - not decided yet!)

do i need APP ... its expensive at about 500eur dont u think?


hmmmmm
Tnx

Urban Weigl

No. You don't need it.

I almost never get it, and have saved a huge amount of money as a result! If you do get it, you can buy it on eBay for about €200. It's basically insurance. You can get it any time during your initial 1-year warranty, which is included anyway.

ChicoMendez

how can i buy it from ebay ?
surely you can only get this sort of thing direct from apple ???


(if you were getting a 27% discount (and take off a further 21% vat) would you get it then)


tnx


(still undecided about the 15'' or 17'' - perhaps teh 17'' is a little too big for portability ??)

Urban Weigl

In my opinion, 15" is the perfect size. I wouldn't get the 17" unless there was a specific reason I needed the extra screen real estate while on the go.

Anybody can resell AppleCare. Just search for "AppleCare" and "MacBook Pro" together on eBay.

Sad Professor

I've never gotten Applecare either and have never had any problems. Of course not everyone is so lucky. Apple doesn't like to admit it but AFAIK Irish and european law is such that they have to cover you for at least another year, maybe more. Mind you the only time I'd ever really consider it is on a portable but its still very expensive.

One should only get Applecare if they need the phone support, otherwise its not worth it IMO.

subway

not sure if this is relevant for you,
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2006/12/09/apple_uk_mail-in_repair/
but it seems apple are chaging the TOS of applecare in the UK without informing people.

might not be too handy if you dont live near an apple store.
again, not sure if this applies to ireland / emea or just the UK

Urban Weigl

It doesn't even have to be an Apple Store, any authorised third party one will do. In Galway alone there are two.

Speaking of which, Apple never operated a mail-in service for computers in Ireland in the first place, as far as I am aware of.

subway

ah, well that rules that out as a potential deal breaker.

triple h

I am new to the mac world, so for peace of mind i bought the APP. I have loads of pc friends and one or two of them would help me in the past and i know 3 pc experts. I know no mac users that live near me and i know no mac experts , oh, and the nearest mac shop to me is about 80km away from me (give or take a few km's)

So i said to myself, 'feck it, I will buy it and i reckon in a few years time (if i buy mac again) i will not buy it the 2nd time'

because i was new to the world of mac and i knew i could not get help near me i bought APP. there are new buttons on the keyboard and they have strange signs. it is a new system. I reckon you should buy into it for peace of mind if you are a pc person. now when you buy it is up to you. I bought it when i bought my computer.

are you sure APP is €500. mine was about €200

Urban Weigl

Just remember you have a full year to decide whether you'd like to get AppleCare or not. Even if you don't get it, you still qualify for 90 days of free telephone support.

Rebeller

ChicoMendez wrote:

hi
im about to buy my first Mac (Mac book pro 15'' or 17'' - not decided yet!)

do i need APP ... its expensive at about 500eur dont u think?


hmmmmm
Tnx

No. Definitely not. Applecare is a marketing scam by Apple. You'll spend endless hours on the telephone to their call centre in Bangalore India speaking with a technical "support" agent who'll know less than you.

Steer clear. It's overpriced rubbish. You'll find plenty of tips and assistance on the Apple store website itself

Apple Support and on numerous support forums on the web.