I have heard a there there were alot of problems with the previous iteration. Is it worth the extra 169. Also, I plan on adding RAM to it on my own, will the invalidate the coverage?
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27in imac (mid-2010) is apple care worth it?
- Thread starter longtimegoon
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Yes it is worth it.
No, adding ram will not affect your warranty or applecare in any way.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Adding RAM will not invalidate it.
As to the "is it worth it?" question, it's only worth it when you need it. Much like home insurance, it is a complete waste of money if your house is intact when the next premium comes due, but if your house burns down it is worth as much as what it would cost to build a new equivalent house.
All such coverage is that way. It's worth nothing (peace of mind maybe?) unless it ultimately gets used. If you have to use it, it's worth whatever the cost of the repair/replacement would be if you didn't have it.
No great answer here. Coverage like this is a gamble and a peace-of-mind purchase. The PowerMac G4 my new iMac replaced went 8 years without any kind of Apple Care covered issue. A hard drive I bought 7 months ago already conked out.
An Apple tech I talked to recently said that the chances that the hardrive fails within 3 years (applecare coverage time) are pretty close to 100%- given what he is seeing for hardrives going in to the new iMacs (and, I'm sure, before I get flamed by the fanbois, *most* brands of pc's) these days.
So at a minimum your Applecare will get you a new hardrive!
So at a minimum your Applecare will get you a new hardrive!
Applecare is not worth a new HDD though.
Those are essentially dirt cheap (compared to other parts).
Those are essentially dirt cheap (compared to other parts).
IMHO, if you plan to keep your iMac for more than a year, it is worth getting AppleCare. While hard drives are less expensive than the $169 cost of AC, other components such as the logic board and the screen are much more expensive. The nice thing, too, is that any attached Apple Base Station, Express Base Station and (I believe) Time capsule is covered under the iMac AC. I was able to get my 2 year old Apple Express Base Station replaced using my iMac's AC.
There are reputable eBay vendors for discounted AC coverage that you might look into. That's where I got my iMac and MBAir AC kits...
There are reputable eBay vendors for discounted AC coverage that you might look into. That's where I got my iMac and MBAir AC kits...
Thoughts....
I've been a believer in Applecare ever since my G5 2.5 had a coolant leak.
When that happened I got a call from them and they basically indicated that the only things that didn't get replaced inside the machine was (1) the outer case (2) the superdrive and (3) the memory.
So: new motherboard, new processors, new cooling system (the second iteration of the design that didn't have the problem), new power supply.
Basically it would have been a $3000+ repair, more than the cost of the computer when it was new.
At the time the computer was 1.7 years into the ownership period and if I had not had Applecare it would have been a complete showstopper.
Now I'm four years past that point and that computer still works after the repair and if that had been the end it would just be a bad memory.
Peace of mind is worth that kind of cost I guess.
So the new i7 has 3 years of Applecare on it. If it blows up I'm covered for the most part.
I've been a believer in Applecare ever since my G5 2.5 had a coolant leak.
When that happened I got a call from them and they basically indicated that the only things that didn't get replaced inside the machine was (1) the outer case (2) the superdrive and (3) the memory.
So: new motherboard, new processors, new cooling system (the second iteration of the design that didn't have the problem), new power supply.
Basically it would have been a $3000+ repair, more than the cost of the computer when it was new.
At the time the computer was 1.7 years into the ownership period and if I had not had Applecare it would have been a complete showstopper.
Now I'm four years past that point and that computer still works after the repair and if that had been the end it would just be a bad memory.
Peace of mind is worth that kind of cost I guess.
So the new i7 has 3 years of Applecare on it. If it blows up I'm covered for the most part.
notthinkingtoomuchatall...
sorry to call "bull" on this silly post, but it is patently ridiculous. Really? This friend of yours, I mean an Apple tech (so, it MUST be true) told you that all mac hard drives will fail in 3 years time?! It has nothing to do with being a "fanboy", you are just spewing misinformation. Either you were speaking to a low grade idiot, or you just made this up...
Nonetheless AppleCare is something I ALWAYS spec for configs, and I never buy "extended warranties". Apple's tech support is exceptional. Period. Furthermore, even if the product is out of coverage you can call Apple support and they will assist you (just not cover any hardware replacement or repairs). Which is why their support is rated number one over all other manufacturers...
AppleCare is a bit cheaper on Amazon, and Ebay is even cheaper. Amazon is a no-brainer though...
cheers,
michael
sorry to call "bull" on this silly post, but it is patently ridiculous. Really? This friend of yours, I mean an Apple tech (so, it MUST be true) told you that all mac hard drives will fail in 3 years time?! It has nothing to do with being a "fanboy", you are just spewing misinformation. Either you were speaking to a low grade idiot, or you just made this up...
Nonetheless AppleCare is something I ALWAYS spec for configs, and I never buy "extended warranties". Apple's tech support is exceptional. Period. Furthermore, even if the product is out of coverage you can call Apple support and they will assist you (just not cover any hardware replacement or repairs). Which is why their support is rated number one over all other manufacturers...
AppleCare is a bit cheaper on Amazon, and Ebay is even cheaper. Amazon is a no-brainer though...
cheers,
michael
Yes and no... it won't invalidate the coverage if nothing goes wrong as a result of you adding your own RAM, but it will if you manage to cause damage.
isnt there just a little cover that pops up on the bottom and theres the RAM?
How in the world could you cause damage to the computer? lol
How in the world could you cause damage to the computer? lol
Not seating it properly and causing a short circuit? Damage isn't really confined to physical damage as a result of clumsiness.
I also agree, AppleCare is worth it. I will definitely buy before the warranty expires. That's the beauty of AppleCare.. you don't have to buy at the time of purchase.
I figure this way if I decide to sell my iMac before the full 12 months is over, I don't waste my money on it, and if I want to keep it longer, I will just buy in the last month.
I figure this way if I decide to sell my iMac before the full 12 months is over, I don't waste my money on it, and if I want to keep it longer, I will just buy in the last month.