Decaflon

Speaking from my own experience: My currently owned PowerBook is my first Apple laptop. I did not purchase AppleCare at the time of purchase, instead I bought it near the end of the default one-year warranty. However, if I would buy another Apple laptop now, I would probably buy the AppleCare together with the laptop, because it really helps if you are thinking about selling it after some usage, of course also the obvious insurance that comes with it. In addition, buying the laptop with the AppleCare in my university bookstore, they offer you discount.

In short, I would recommend you buying the AppleCare. If you are tight on money, just buy it before the factory warranty ends, otherwise buy it together. There is really no difference, unless there is a discount involved.

I hope I am helping here...

AM,

Thanks. Any thoughts are helpful. I'm getting the Applecare for $199US. Is that a good price? I'm not a student, so I can't get student discount.

I've always been stubborn when it comes to buying insurance for electronic goods. Mainly because I resent that I'll even need it, thinking the standard. "well it should be well-made enough to last" being a bit naive like that. After having Mac laptops for a few years now, however, I would recommend getting it at some point with AsceticMonk's suggestion being the most sensible.

It's a difficult barrier to overcome when you're buying something brand new, adding another couple of hundred to its price for what amounts to peace of mind, but Apple products are a pain in the backside to repair and you're likely to have at least one HDD failure in the laptop's life time (external backups are your best friend), so it all levels out whether you do or don't. At least if you have it from the start it removes most of the hassle.

Yes, a million times, yes.

Especially since you have a notebook. You're carrying around something that has spinning parts and no matter how well you treat it there is always a huge possibility that something will malfunction.

I take a very "murphy's law" attitude in the matter — if you buy the extended warranty, you won't have any trouble. But if you don't, you will, as soon as your factory warranty is up. It's just best to err on the side of caution when it comes to computers. I've heard far too many horror stories. If you can't afford it now, just wait until you can. You have a year.

I bought my AppleCare on the last day of my limited warranty. I did feel really insecure for a little while though. But I'm on an iMac. Since you are getting a notebook, I'd say YES, get it.

In a word, YES!

You do however have one full year (the MacBook's warranty) to purchase it if you don't want to plunk down the extra cash on day 1. But I would definitely get it! Especially with a portable, there's nothing like knowing it's covered. :)

Says the person who is taking his 1st Gen MacBook in for motherboard repairs today.

Thanks guys.

I hear Applecare is a lot cheaper when you're a student. Is it possible/dishonest for me to wait till I go back to the UK, and then get my sister (student) to walk in and buy Applecare from the store?

If that's not possible, fair enough. But, I don't want to do it if it's dishonest either.

Here it's about $70 (USD) cheaper with the student discount.

Most Apple Stores I've been to are extremely lenient with the student discount. So many of the people who work there are students themselves and very sympathetic. Your sister could always say she is purchasing it for you as a gift and they will, more than likely, give her the discount, no questions asked.

I got the Applecare with the student discount. My student ID doesn't have an expiration so that helped. I got the discount 4 years after I graduated. :)

It's completely worth it. I had some software issues literally 2 months after I got my MacBook and while it probably would've been covered under the 1-year warranty, I know if I hadn't gotten the AppleCare right when I bought my laptop I would've lagged and lagged until it actually crapped out again. Registering your laptop along with the AppleCare also makes it easier.