AppleCare Protection Plan MC258LL/A – For Portable Apple Computers 13.3 Inches and Below

Computer Technology and Software

February 2nd, 2010 by admin

Direct access to Apple experts
Global repair coverage
Onsite repair for Mac desktop computers: Request that a technician come to your work site
Mail-in repair for Mac notebook computers: Mail in your Mac using a prepaid shipping box provided by Apple
Carry-in repair: Take your Mac to an Apple Retail Store or other Apple Authorized Service Provider

Product Description
Because Apple makes the hardware, the operating system, and many applications, the Mac is a truly integrated system. And only the AppleCare Protection Plan gives you one-stop service and support from Apple experts, so most issues can be resolved in a single call. Extend the complimentary hardware service and technical support on your Mac to three years from the original Mac purchase date. Local telephone fees may apply. Telephone numbers and hours of operation may ... More >>

AppleCare Protection Plan MC258LL/A - For Portable Apple Computers 13.3 Inches and Below

3 Responses

Kevin Nicholls writes:
February 2nd, 20105:12 pmat

Having owned several Macs over the past ten years, the decision to buy AppleCare has been varied for me.

On the 13″ models, I think it’s just about a requirement, especially if you have a plastic MacBook.

From the very first time you call Apple or talk to a Genius at an Apple Store, you’re going to be pestered about AppleCare. Do you have it? Did you want it? You know what we gave you expires in XX days, right? Personal experience has shown me that having AppleCare makes them infinitely more apt to help you (even if you’re within your factory warranty).

One misconception people often have about AppleCare is that it covers accidental damage. It most assuredly does not. HOWEVER, it does seem to induce Genii in an Apple Store to be somewhat forgiving on cosmetic repairs and accidental damage that could plausibly be caused by something else.

AppleCare also covers replacement batteries, which is fairly important. Since the switch from PowerBooks to MacBooks, I’ve yet to have a battery that lasted longer than about a year and a half. At what batteries cost, you’ll recover about half the cost of AppleCare before your second year, and possibly more than that before the coverage is up. This in itself makes the cost of AppleCare a bit easier to swallow. The ability to walk in to an Apple Store and walk out with a new battery is also something that makes AppleCare a bit nicer than a SquareTrade warranty (although, I’m a huge fan of their warranties).

A final thought: Apple is (allegedly) starting to crack down on grey market purchases of AppleCare (e. g. ones where someone e-mails you a code and nothing else). Amazon usually has AppleCare at a nice discount from what you’d pay at an Apple Store, and in between what you’d pay at an Apple Store and an online auction. I’m rarely one to suggest paying more for something than you have to, but the peace of mind you get buying a legit warranty from Amazon really outweighs the few bucks you’ll save buying on the grey market.
Rating: 3 / 5
just me writes:
February 2nd, 20107:58 pmat

Get Applecare if you buy a mac laptop. Logic boards and lcd screens can commonly go bad within 3 years and cost +$900 to fix without warranty at Apple. I’ve seen many laptop screens that start getting white spots that appear after 1 1/2 years old. Some example of Logic board failure are like firewire/USB/External video port don’t work right, or after upgrading to new version OS(example 10. 7 when it comes out) you computer doesn’t boot or recognize the original OS on the restore disc (10. 6), wheezing fan and constant freezes are some other logic board issues. I guess when all the dust collect inside it stops cooling and the logic board goes bad.

Other common parts that fail are the superDrive, cost about $350 without applecare at Apple. Hard Drive fail often and cost about $350 at Apple. More so on the lower macbook models I’ve notice Apple are now using Toshiba brand 5400 rpm hard drives in them. Every tech I know has a shoebox of failed Toshiba Hard Drive that came out a macbook. This is going to break just a mater of when.

Other part that normally get worn out but should be cover by Applecare. Such as the display hinge clutch. Every Mac I know that is more than a year old has some play in the screen hinge clutch. Worn hinge clutch also doesn’t hold the screen open and tends to shut when holding the laptop straight upward This alone can cost $400 at Apple.

Trackpad and especially the clicker can get worn out. it goes flat and doesn’t bounce back as when new. Not as resilient. This alone can cost $350 to fix at Apple.

See after a few repairs, Applecare pays for itself. I fix macs and I guess I just see a lot of broken macs all the time because I’m in the repair business. But all I said above is true and I’m not exaggerating.

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Rating: 5 / 5
KSBAY writes:
February 2nd, 20108:58 pmat

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.

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 2009 – buy the A. P. P. before X Date 2010. 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)

Just like before, 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.

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. Amazon used to be one of the best places to purchase an A. P. P. from but sadly, Amazon has raised it’s price also. It used to sell the A. P. P. for 192 / 199 dollars, but has now increased the price to 232 dollars and it’s been stuck there for a while. I have no idea why Amazon raised the price but you should buy when the price is low or a price correction occurs. Hope this helps

Rating: 3 / 5