- The AppleCare Protection Plan gives you direct, one-stop access to Apple?s award-winning telephone technical support
- With the AppleCare Protection Plan, you can extend your service coverage to three years from the computer's purchase date.
- You can call Apple's award-winning technical support experts as often as you like and get your questions answered.
- Global repair coverage for your Mac both parts and labor through convenient service options.
- The AppleCare Protection Plan can be purchased only while your Mac is still covered under the standard one-year limited warranty.
Please note, this version of the Applecare Protection Plan is only for the Macbook, the Macbook Pro 13" and the Macbook Air.
The Macbook Pro 15" and 17" are covered under another version of the Applecare Protection Plan AppleCare Protection Plan for Mac Laptops 15 Inches and Above (NEWEST VERSION) For Portable Apple Computers 15 Inches and Above
The Applecare Protection Plan an expensive but necessary requirement if you buy an apple laptop.
Why is it a requirement? Because Apple doesn't make the hard drives or the logicboards (motherboards) or the processors or the DVD burners inside their machines. Apple sources its parts from component manufacturers like Seagate, Nvidia, Intel, Sony etc etc. These parts just like all electronic components can and may fail after a period of time. Once a part fails, Apple is generally known to charge extremely high fees to repair or replace parts.
For example Motherboards $800 to $1200. Superdrive replacement $200 to $300. LCD screen replacement $500 to $600) It's better to be pay for Applecare once than pay Apple exorbitant repair fees every time a part fails.
Basically, the A.P.P. is a 2 year warranty extension to your apple laptop (that comes with a one year hardware warranty), it provides unlimited phone support and hardware diagnosis. It also offers Mail-in repair for Mac notebooks using a prepaid shipping box provided by Apple and service by an apple store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider.
Every mac (just like any other computer maker) comes with a 1 year standard warranty with 90 days of telephone support. During that one year, your hardware is covered against defects and failure by the standard Apple warranty (but not damage caused by you or accidents) If you purchase Applecare, then it adds 2 more years of hardware coverage against defects and unlimited telephone support after the one year is up.
The A.P.P. also gives you global repair coverage so if a hardware issues arises while you're in another country and there's an Apple Store or Apple Authorised Service Provider near by, you can take your mac in for diagnosis and repair.
It does not offer any sort of damage protection or on-site repair.
Please remember to buy the A.P.P. if you plan to do so before the first year of ownership is up. If you bought your machine on X Date 2011 buy the A.P.P.before X Date 2012. Apple will not honor an A.P.P. policy bought even 2 days after the first year is over (in most cases unless you get lucky and speak to a friendly agent on the phone willing to relax the rules a bit)
I HATE to be recommending an extended warranty, but it's a necessary evil. There is no guarantee that something will go wrong with your expensive mac notebook after the first year but if something does go wrong after the first year, it's better to be covered by the A.P.P. and avoid paying those exorbitant repair/replacement costs.
If you don't want to buy Applecare, a great alternative is SquareTrade 3-Year Laptop/Tablet Warranty Plus Accident Protection (Laptop/Tablet $1000-1250). They have a protection package for computers too AND it includes damage protection (which Applecare doesn't offer)
NOTE Don't buy Applecare from Apple. Look around there are good deals to be found at Authorised Apple resellers and other legit online outlets which sell Applecare at a better price than Apple itself.
Hope this helps!
Buy AppleCare Protection Plan for Mac Laptops 13 Inches Now
Considering a laptop costs anywhere from $900 and up, the price for extending the coverage to an additional 2 years with 3 years of total coverage from the date of purchase is a great deal. I purchased a Refurbished MacBook Pro and while traveling to Costa Rica had the unit fail completely (logic board). I took it to an Apple Store and in 5 days, the unit was fully repaired and is, actually, a new laptop.
Likewise, I purchased a MacBook 13" for my daughter a few years ago and her computer had problems as well. Likewise, her unit was completely repaired under the extended warranty. I have friends with similar circumstances over the years and never have I heard a negative comment regarding the service.
The phone service is equally impressive, having called in both instances to see if the problems could be resolved via special instruction from a rep. I find it very hard to believe anyone will have any trouble getting the best service available with these extended warranties.
Laptops are portable units that are likely going to test gravity a few times in their lifespan. Not purchasing an extended warranty is rather frivolous, especially considering that it will only add up to a little over a $100 per year for Apple Care Protection. I know my laptop is definitely worth it...
Read Best Reviews of AppleCare Protection Plan for Mac Laptops 13 Inches Here
I have been buying Apple Care Protection Plans since the very beginning of the concept. Although my Apple products rarely need "Care", I have dealt with Apple numerous times regarding things that they shouldn't even be respondent to, such as 3rd party application conflicts. They will stay on the phone with you for hours if necessary, and they are always the epitome of politeness and expertise! Could be the reason they have been #1 in support for several years running!
Want AppleCare Protection Plan for Mac Laptops 13 Inches Discount?
To be specific, here are main reasons why this kind of plan not worth the money:
1. Electronic products often fail for following common reasons: Bad connection in assembling process, such as loose soldering; Over heating for failed components or circuits. Those problems, if ever exist, will happen during the first year under normal usage and covered by standard, free, one year warranty. It is very unlikely to happen after one year, unless you hardly used it during first year. If so, why buy it now?
2. On 2nd and 3rd year, the value of the product depreciates significantly. In general, if you buy it for $1500 new, it will worth $1000 or $750 after 2 years. So your loss will be much less than you think. But even in this worst case, you still can sell the computer for parts, further reduce the loss.
3. But fundamentally, assuming Apple makes money selling this plan (no brainer!), then statistically you lose. Buying the plan and hope to make the money back, is like going to Las Vegas to get rich.
But, you do lose less money if you:
1. Buy the high end laptop which cost $2000 or more (so insurance is relatively cheaper);
2. You use it extensively (long hours, heavy load), pushing the product to the limit (under extreme environment) without abuse (more chance to fail and needs coverage).
3. Buy the plan cheaper by shop around.
This plan is basically a type of insurance. You should only buy insurance for things that you can't afford to lose, such as fire, life and no fault auto insurance. And typically, plans like Applecare is statistically much more expensive than those standard insurance. I read Best Buy's financial report couple of years ago. Their profit of selling goods only covers their operation cost. The net profit all come from the protection plan they sell. That's how lucrative those plans are and that's why the cashers are required to ask if you want to buy those plans.
So if you can afford to buy another new laptop when this one fails, take the chance, skip the plan. If not, then you shouldn't buy this one and no need to buy a plan. There are plenty of used Apple laptop on market, and they used to be same expensive as this one, with or without plan, and they are still working properly. Chances are, they can even satisfy your needs just as well as new ones, at a fraction of the new price.
For all the reasons to buy the plan, ask this simple question: Does this reason still hold, if the price of this plan increase to $300? $400? ... $700...? At what price point this reason will be invalid?
But wait...you say: Apple is not asking for $700. Good! It means Apple set the price based on some analysis, or statistics, that they can make the maximum profit at current price. It means you will pay more, on the average, than you will get! The difference includes Amazon's commission, Apple's profit, their operation cost, credit card's transaction cost, plus tax...
For me, I bought more than 20 desktop, laptop, tablet and phone since 1995. None of them failed within 3 years, or before I sold them. If the plan cost only $50 and I am buying a $1500 MBP, well, I might buy it.
Am I saying that people who buy this plan are all insane? Absolutely not! "Peace of Mind" has its value, and it is very subjective. Only you can determine how valuable it is to you.
Everything I said above, is based on valuation of "Peace of Mind" to me, which is obviously very low. If you look into the details from both technical and business point of view, maybe you will feel more comfortable not buying the plan at current price. And that's the whole purpose I write this review. Hope it helps.
i tutor people on macs, iphones and ipads. often they want to skip buying this plan. i talk them out of making a big mistake. i have bought this plan on every apple product i've bought. every time i need to use it, i am so grateful i have it. i use my equipment all day long. i have had hard drives crash on me. i have had the power cords stop powering up. i have had the battery completely die. And so on. All I do is make an appointment at the genius bar (online with an app). this is often the same day but at most next day. i walk into the apple store, walk back to the genius bar. they take me immediately and fix my machine in fifteen minutes or less. it is just great.
