Will SSD installation void Applecare?

[batistuta]

I guess the title really says it.

I have a 2009 Mini with SSD and now have the option of buying a used 2010 Mini with wireless keyboard, MS Office and Applecare at 90% of the cost of a new Mini, which seems like a good deal, even if the timing is probably all wrong, as new models might be introduced in spring.
Though Apple will probably refresh the MacBook line before the Mini.

 

[Xenc]

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I believe so. By opening it you'll be voiding your warranty, as the Mini has no user serviceable parts.

 

[philipma1957]

depends on a lot of things. I upgraded 60 to 80 2008 and 2009 mac mini's sold some privately and some on bay.
First off you break it you pay.

Second off if you bring in a machine with non stock parts many apple stores will say you broke the mini with the mod.

What does this mean? unless you have the oem parts and can bring the machine back to stock you will have a very hard time getting apple care honored. Right now other then ram upgrades the 2010 mini is not easy to upgrade. Apple will let you put in ram in a new mini say 8gb non apple it is even in the new mini manual on how to do it. That is still causing fights with apple when it does not work apple says the ram is bad and the ram manufacture says apple is bad. If I were you I would think long and hard about changing machines...

I have a question for you.. what 2009 mini a 2.0 a 2.26 a 2.53 a 2.66 second part what 2010 mini a 2.4 or a 2.66? If you have a 2.53 or a 2.66 2009 mini don't do it. If you have a 2.26 and want to get the 2.4 don't bother.

If you have a 2.0 the cpu upgrade will be good even if it is the 2.4. Lots of people think the graphics card in the 2010 is a 20 to 30 percent improvement. It is but you won't see that unless you use 2 screens or a 27 inch ACD with 2560 by 1440 or a dell


http://www.cultofmac.com/dell-ultrasharp-u2711-is-the-other-27-inch-display/25413

if you use your mini for tv or netflix the graphics card improvement is not very noticeable. I have watched 720p and 1080i with both minis a 2009 all four types and a 2010 a 2.66 all with maxed ram. you can't see much difference in graphics quality. I have some friends with a 27inch ACD and the 2.66 2010 mini has a better picture then a 2.53 2009 mini. watching the same movie streamed from netflix. and who knows maybe it was the internet that was making the difference.

I would really wait for the 2011 mini's Also Steve Jobs is going to be missing for a while maybe someone will push a better mini in his absence. The 2010 mini is very much the same as the 2009 mini it just looks different. performance wise there is no or little improvement in most cases.

 

[batistuta]

Thanks for a thorough reply!

I have the 2.0 Mini (4 gigs of RAM, 60GB SSD) - have been running great for year and a half, but could need more cpu horsepower for watching TV. Elgato Eye TV Hybrid with cable TV. HD channels are H.264 encoded, which takes some muscle to decode.
Screen is Dell 30" 2560x1920 resolution through Display Port.

As Applecare is almost 25% of the price of a new Mini, voiding that would be a bummer.
If I were to buy a new machine I would never consider it. Here in Denmark the warranty period is two years by law - usually I upgrade my computer gear more often than that, though that may change as I game less now and Apple's products seems to keep working for me

 

[Agent69]

From Macworld's review of the mid-2010 Mac Mini:

As with previous Mac mini models, Apple has confirmed to Macworld that you’re free to upgrade internal components [including the hard drive] yourself, provided you don’t damage the computer in the process. Such damage would not be covered by the Mac mini’s warranty.

 

[mrsir2009]

Wow no user serviceable parts. Thats pretty harsh

Anyway, if your worried about breaking it just have someone a little more experienced looking over your shoulder while your installing it. Thats what I did when installing a new HDD in my MBP. Otherwise I may well have screwed up

 

[batistuta]

I am rather confident, that I could change the harddrive in a 2010 Mini without problems. The issue is if doing so will effectively void Applecare on the machine, as Apple could always point to my installation as the point of failure?
In theory I could keep the original hdd and replace the ssd before sending it for repair, but that's suboptimal.

 

[Xenc]

Maybe contact Apple to confirm that your warranty would stay intact?

From Macworld's review of the mid-2010 Mac Mini:

I wasn't aware of that, I stand corrected!

 

[dolphin842]

Do you have any independent Mac service shops in Denmark? I'd give them a call... for many places here in the US, if you pay to have them install the SSD, they'll continue to perform AppleCare service as usual.

 

[batistuta]

Yes, I believe we do. I might call them, but my guess is it will be way too expensive to have them install anything :-(

 

[dolphin842]

I'd be curious just to see what the going rate for something like that is over by you. Here in the US, the tech quoted me $55.

Nice to see some folks from Denmark on the forums, btw! Here in North Carolina we nab your junior badminton head coach for a week-long clinic every year... fun times!

 

[batistuta]

I have contacted a local Mac reseller and servie shop. Their website states 75$ for a new drive, BUT only on machines where such part is user-replaceable! So probably they wont do it.

I was in North Carolina in May 09' - lovely temperatures and friendly people

 

[batistuta]

Now I got a real quote: 110$ (remember that the Mini costs 1000$ here due to VAT etc.)

And I can bring my own SSD. Applecare will cover the machine, but not the disk,

I also got quotes for their own SSD drives: 256GB = 1100$ and 512GB = 2360$ Whooaa!!!

I think I will stay with my current Mini and look what Apple brings to market within the next half year, maybe a Mini with BTO SSD, who knows.
Otherwise I will just buy the new model and do the install myself and dont bother with Applecare or repair shops.

 

[GGJstudios]

From Macworld's review of the mid-2010 Mac Mini:

When it comes to warranty issues, I'd believe Apple more than Macworld, since it's Apple that determines what is or isn't covered.

From the Mac mini (Mid 2010) - User Guide, page 43:

WARNING: Do not attempt to open your Mac mini, except to install memory. If your Mac mini needs service, see “Learning More, Service, and Support” on page 54 for information about how to contact an Apple Authorized Service Provider or Apple for service. Your Mac mini doesn’t have any user-serviceable parts, except the memory.

 

[slipper]

When it comes to warranty issues, I'd believe Apple more than Macworld, since it's Apple that determines what is or isn't covered.

From the Mac mini (Mid 2010) - User Guide, page 43:

The MacWorld article specifically says you are free to replace the HDD. However any damages (of course) will not be covered.

Your quote does not specifically spell out void or anything along those lines.

 

[GGJstudios]

The MacWorld article specifically says you are free to replace the HDD. However any damages (of course) will not be covered.

Your quote does not specifically spell out void or anything along those lines.

Apple says otherwise. According to their public statement, the only thing you can change without voiding warranty is the memory. If the hard drive was user-serviceable, they would have said so, as they do with other models where it's permitted, such as in the MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid 2010) - User Guide:

Your MacBook Pro does not have any user-serviceable parts, except the hard drive
and the memory.

Apple, not Macworld, is the authority.

Apple Warranty: Installing Memory, Expansion Cards, User Installable Parts Does Not Void Warranty

You may install memory (RAM, VRAM), and other customer-installable parts without voiding your Apple warranty.

Apple's warranty states:
"This warranty does not apply...if the product has been modified without the written permission of Apple..."

Adding memory (DRAM, VRAM) or other user-installable upgrade or expansion products to an Apple computer is not considered a modification to that Apple product.

Again, as stated in the Mac mini (Mid 2010) - User Guide, page 43:

WARNING: Do not attempt to open your Mac mini, except to install memory. If your Mac mini needs service, see “Learning More, Service, and Support” on page 54 for information about how to contact an Apple Authorized Service Provider or Apple for service. Your Mac mini doesn’t have any user-serviceable parts, except the memory.

None of this is to say you can't do it and get away with it. Many have. But you don't have a defense if Apple wants to push the issue, because it's clearly not covered by warranty. Nor is this to say that would void your entire warranty, although it could. It's ultimately Apple's decision, not Macworld's.

 

[slipper]

Apple says otherwise. According to their public statement, the only thing you can change without voiding warranty is the memory. If the hard drive was user-serviceable, they would have said so, as they do with other models where it's permitted, such as in the MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid 2010) - User Guide:

Apple, not Macworld, is the authority.

Apple Warranty: Installing Memory, Expansion Cards, User Installable Parts Does Not Void Warranty

Again, as stated in the Mac mini (Mid 2010) - User Guide, page 43:

None of this is to say you can't do it and get away with it. Many have. But you don't have a defense if Apple wants to push the issue, because it's clearly not covered by warranty. Nor is this to say that would void your entire warranty, although it could. It's ultimately Apple's decision, not Macworld's.

Yes Apple is the authority on their products. Thanks for stating the obvious.

Nothing that you provided on the Mac Mini has a definitive answer stating that replacing a harddrive will void the warranty.

 

[GGJstudios]

Yes Apple is the authority on their products. Thanks for stating the obvious.

Nothing that you provided on the Mac Mini has a definitive answer stating that replacing a harddrive will void the warranty.

Yes it does. It specifically states the only thing that the user can replace is memory. Nothing else is considered user-serviceable. That includes hard drives. If you read and understand the statements Apple makes, it's obvious.
Directly from the Hardware Warranty (PDF):

This warranty does not apply: (g) to a product or part that has been modified to alter functionality or capability without the written permission of Apple;