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Never gotten Apple Care, worth it for the nMP? Details ...

C

Cubemmal

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 13, 2013
824
1
I have over 10 Apple laptops and desktops for myself and my family plus many peripherals (five Cinema monitors, etc). Never got AppleCare, and it's definitely been the right choice. To date I've had the following hardware problems occur ...

  • A Cinema PSU blew ($120 - would have been in AC warranty)
  • A old MP daughterboard blew ($120 I believe - would have been out of AC warranty)
  • A 2011 MBP video system blew ($320 - would have been in AC warranty)
  • A 2008 MBP won't boot from any internal drive. Not fixed yet, would have been out of warranty.

At any rate totaling up all my devices I would have paid FAR more by buying Apple Care for all of them, then I did by just paying for fixing problems as they appeared. Apple repair costs are quite reasonable.

But I'm considering whether the nMP is different. It is a really new device. There's reports of coil whine, sometimes appearing a month after purchase, and it's really expensive. Thoughts?
 
Not really answering here, but excluding Apple Care, isn't there a decent amount of time (e.g. 1 year) where you have free repairs/replacements for any apple product ?

Still, for such expensive machine it might worth it (especially considering that this is a 1st release).
 
Cubemmal said:
I have over 10 Apple laptops and desktops for myself and my family plus many peripherals (five Cinema monitors, etc). Never got AppleCare, and it's definitely been the right choice. To date I've had the following hardware problems occur ...

  • A Cinema PSU blew ($120 - would have been in AC warranty)
  • A old MP daughterboard blew ($120 I believe - would have been out of AC warranty)
  • A 2011 MBP video system blew ($320 - would have been in AC warranty)
  • A 2008 MBP won't boot from any internal drive. Not fixed yet, would have been out of warranty.

At any rate totaling up all my devices I would have paid FAR more by buying Apple Care for all of them, then I did by just paying for fixing problems as they appeared. Apple repair costs are quite reasonable.

But I'm considering whether the nMP is different. It is a really new device. There's reports of coil whine, sometimes appearing a month after purchase, and it's really expensive. Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Ive been the same as you, never gotten applecare but i have ordered a nMP without applecare. You have 1 year warranty regardless and you have up to 1 year to add applecare if you want, which i most likely will add before the 1-year runs out. Its so much cheaper aswell then like the rMBP Applecare which is like 150$ extra, atleast here in Sweden so i think applecare for the nMP is worth it. It wont be cheaper then the applecare to repair i believe :)
 
Personally, being such a new design, it may be a safe bet to extend the warranty for two more years.
 
maflynn said:
Personally, being such a new design, it may be a safe bet to extend the warranty for two more years.
Click to expand...

I guess what I'm asking is, will Apple Care give me more leverage than I have otherwise, excluding just the costs of repairs? Say in a few years I decide it has the supposed, dreaded "coil whine" problem, would AppleCare give me the option of turning the machine in for a new one?
 
I always buys Apple Care. If you ever decide to sell your machine, it it a heck of a lot easier to sell it if it has coverage. Whenever I've sold a system, the first thing anybody asks is "Is there a warranty?"

My lifetime record with Apple Care isn't quite positive, dollar wise (It's close), but the ability to sell older systems that much faster is more than worth it to me.

Regarding your question of the coil wine becoming unbearable after an extended period of time: Probably not. Apple keeps back stock of older models for several generations for issues like this. Besides that, don't try to game the system, it hurts the rest of us.
 
With Macs? I always buy AppleCare. Small price to pay for some extra peace of mind for another 2 years.

With iDevices? Never bought.
 
David N said:
Regarding your question of the coil wine becoming unbearable after an extended period of time: Probably not. Apple keeps back stock of older models for several generations for issues like this. Besides that, don't try to game the system, it hurts the rest of us.
Click to expand...

Uh, who is "gaming the system"? I have a concern of potential future problems and am wondering if Apple Care would be better protection (in this one case) than otherwise.

If Apple has a manufacturing defect with the nMP then getting them to fix it isn't gaming the system.
 
Cubemmal said:
I guess what I'm asking is, will Apple Care give me more leverage than I have otherwise, excluding just the costs of repairs? Say in a few years I decide it has the supposed, dreaded "coil whine" problem, would AppleCare give me the option of turning the machine in for a new one?
Click to expand...

Not directly, it only provides you with 2 extra years of warranty. If however during those two years you incur a high number of repairs apple may offer a newer machine. So it doesn't provide you with more leverage but by the same token if you have a high number of repairs documented during the warranty period Apple may do something - keyword is may given the price of these bad boys.
 
I've always gotten apple care on my MacBook Pros and never come out less than even on it. Wouldn't normally get it for a desktop though, but with it being a new design I did get it on my nMP just as a precaution. All it will take it one little thing on this machine in the two extra years to pay for itself.
 
YES! I bought a MP 1,1 (4 core) in August 2006 and in early '08 Apple replaced the entire machine with a brand new 8 core model worth 50% MORE than my original machine just to make me happy (here's a very old thread with the details). Over the years the MP 3,1 had various other issues and every time everything was covered via AC.

I always buy AC. In fact, in year 2 of owning my iPhone 4S the audio jack started cutting out. I called AC, they directed me to my local store and within 30 minutes I walked out with a brand new phone.

I could cite at least one or two other examples over the years but in the case of my nMP it's a business expense and like other assets for my business, the AC is a form of insurance.
 
First Mac used: Apple II

First Mac bought with own money: PowerMac 9500/132

First Mac bought with AppleCare: nMP 2013
 
By your logic, you shouldn't buy insurance either.. since you haven't been in a wreck recently, therefore you must not need it.

Applcare is insurance.

I had a CPU blow on an oMP, repair would have cost me $900.. so, yeah worth it.
 
wildmac said:
By your logic, you shouldn't buy insurance either.. since you haven't been in a wreck recently, therefore you must not need it.
Applcare is insurance.
I had a CPU blow on an oMP, repair would have cost me $900.. so, yeah worth it.
Click to expand...

The car insurance comparison doesn't really apply. Car insurance is regulated, the price is partly based on your own behavior, and there's competition … so consumers can shop around for the best deal, and it's possible to find out if the insurer is paying a reasonable amount out to cover losses and making a fair profit … or if it's gouging customers. AFAIK, it's impossible to know if Apple is really charging a fair price for its extended warranty.

That said … it all comes down to your tolerance for risk, and ability to handle an expensive repair after year one. With a radically new v1 design, I'd lean toward getting AC.

But here's what I would do: Last time I checked, you can buy AppleCare any time during the first year of ownership. So you lose nothing by waiting until your machine is getting close to a year old. And then I would check these forums closely: If the nMP seems to be relatively problem-free up to that point, then skipping AC might be a wise bet. But if there's a wide array of problems and poor reliability, then pay up to protect your investment for an additional 2 years.
 
One other thought...you never told us how long you plan on keeping the nMP but having AC not only covers your rear end but if you decide to sell it in under 3 years it can have a big impact on the resale value...possibly more than the $249 cost.
 
AppleCare def helps resale - both price and ease of sale

Medical costs can be (a lot) more open ended than a computer, so... not a great comparison there.

By not buying AppleCare all these years, I could make a case that my 2011 MBP was free. If something had popped and needed fixing, then I would pay out of pocket and have broken even, or probably still ahead. I buy a lot of Macs and don't really keep them much longer than about 2-3 years. The Air and MBP in my sig are about the longest I have ever owned Macs. I went to buy a MBPr but could not give up my 1920x1200 screen for a 1440x900, even with retina.

I've spent $180 total on repairs. Maybe 10+ computers over the years. If they work well the first year, they are probably not lemons.

I think the MacPro should come with a 3 year warranty out of the box, befitting its status as Pro workstation.

Regardless, I did buy AC for the first time with this nMP.
 
the nMP is a completely new product so no one here can say how durable this machine will be. Applecare has saved my butt a couple times.
 
Cubemmal said:
Uh, who is "gaming the system"? I have a concern of potential future problems and am wondering if Apple Care would be better protection (in this one case) than otherwise.

If Apple has a manufacturing defect with the nMP then getting them to fix it isn't gaming the system.
Click to expand...


It sounded to me like you were planning on essentially "trading it in" towards the end of your warranty for a new system. If you have a machine with legitimate coil wine, sure, but a lot of people tend to wait until the end of their warranty, then decide their device has a superfluous issue, and try to get a brand new one because of it.

For example, I know of more than a few people who have waited until the last week of the warranty on their beat up iPhone, then decided it suddenly drops calls. They take it to the Apple Store, tell the Genius they have already discussed the issue with their carrier, tried other SIM cards, etc. so that it surely must be the phone. Apple tends to just replace devices in cases like this without arguing. Truthfully, there is no legitimate issue making the device any worse than any other one, but there are illegitimate ways to get almost every device replaced under warranty without any real issue.

Sorry for making an assumption, but it happens fairly often and it really bothers me. On the grand scale, if enough people did it, Apple Care prices would innevitably go up, hurting everyone.

Again, apologies if I simply misinterpreted what you said and going on a rant. I do recommend Apple Care for the reasons I stated in my previous comment.
 
I have had AC on three laptops, have needed to use it a couple of times so
for me it's "insurance" and has saved my butt.

On a "Silver door" G4 in the last week of care, I needed a mother board
replacement .... in those days the "apple guy" came to your house and did the
swop out .... really, it happened !!

I have it on my new MP 2012, was part of the deal and was well worth it.

"Your money, your choice"

M
 
I've been buying Macs since 1985. I have never bought AC and never needed it. However, I always buy with a Credit Card that extends the warranty by one year. Again, though, I have never needed to use it.

Lou
 
David N said:
It sounded to me like you were planning on essentially "trading it in" towards the end of your warranty for a new system. If you have a machine with legitimate coil wine, sure, but a lot of people tend to wait until the end of their warranty, then decide their device has a superfluous issue, and try to get a brand new one because of it.

For example, I know of more than a few people who have waited until the last week of the warranty on their beat up iPhone, then decided it suddenly drops calls. They take it to the Apple Store, tell the Genius they have already discussed the issue with their carrier, tried other SIM cards, etc. so that it surely must be the phone. Apple tends to just replace devices in cases like this without arguing. Truthfully, there is no legitimate issue making the device any worse than any other one, but there are illegitimate ways to get almost every device replaced under warranty without any real issue.

Sorry for making an assumption, but it happens fairly often and it really bothers me. On the grand scale, if enough people did it, Apple Care prices would innevitably go up, hurting everyone.

Again, apologies if I simply misinterpreted what you said and going on a rant. I do recommend Apple Care for the reasons I stated in my previous comment.
Click to expand...

Having worked with Apple for a number of years (in the past), I can tell you this about "gaming the system". Users who complain early and complain often will likely get a better deal than users who complain at the last second.

Complain early and you may eventually get a new system if Apple can't fix it.

Complain late and you may get a single part replaced and that part itself may be refurbished and iffy. It may break 2 days after its own 90 day warranty after which you're out of luck. Nobody games the system. Apple's not stupid and treats (more likely to be) sincere customers better.

There have been certain macs with known issues that Apple will replace/repair regardless of AppleCare status. My own 2004 PowerBook had an issue and I got a free brand new battery 3 years later despite not getting AppleCare.

When I worked with Apple, machines had about a 10% repair rate in years 2-3 with an average cost of parts+labor of 1/4 the original system price.

If that number still holds, Apple Care makes Apple money on average. If I were purchasing 10 new macs for a business, I would not buy Apple Care. However if I only purchase 1 new machine, and have the choice of paying 10% more for Apple Care or risk a 10% chance of paying 25% more, I may opt for Apple Care. Also, if you plan to sell your nMP in 1-2 years, the extra value of Apple Care warranty may be a plus in the potential future buyer's eye. It sure would in mine, anyway.
 
Wait for a just less than 1 year from purchase date and then if you still have worries the buy the AppleCare.

IMO the nMP has expensive components and if any of them need replacing + labour it's likely to cost more than the $249.

The $249 for the top end nMP at around $9K, that's approx 2.8%. This to me is a no-brainer and cheap insurance.
 
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