AppleCare and the rMBP

I've never had an Apple computer product before aside from an iPod Nano and iTunes, so I have a few questions to which I hope you guys can help me with. First off, I want to get a laptop for college and work and I'm interested in the Retina Macbook Pro. My question is as follows:

1) Would I absolutely NEED AppleCare? Some folks tell me that it's pretty much mandatory with the rMBP, but does that mean it's pretty much Apple's warranty program for the rMBP or is it some kind of technical assistance program in case something goes awry? What is AppleCare exactly? I ask because I've used my current laptop (Sony Vaio) since 2008. I know basic computer maintainance and have never needed assistance in fixing my own laptop (although like I said, I've never used iOS so that might be a bit different). Would I absolutely NEED AppleCare?

2) What are the BAD points about the rMBP? I've read several reviews but I feel like there's TOO much going for the rMBP. Aside from the whole "a lot of sites and apps aren't designed for the high pixel density" thing, I haven't really read anything else that is "bad" about it. Does it have heating issues? What are the current problems that have arisen with it aside from the rhetorical complaints about the soldered on RAM/SSD?

 

I haven't posted in a while but here's my response:

1) You wouldn't NEED applecare, but it's nice to have. Keep in mind the retina display is a newer technology to the mbp line so there may be more room for premature failure than say 2 or 3 generations later. I wouldn't suspect the display of crapping out but you never know something could happen to the video card or memory which are not replaceable (CPU/GPU have pretty much always been soldered to the mobo ime with macbook pros). Keep in mind you have 1 year warranty for non-accidents and that applecare also does not cover accidents. I'm more the type that believes heat kills most things and that if something's got a bad design it'll usually go bad in the first couple of months. The old 8600gt mbp which resulted in a recall is a good example that contradicts this however - ironically my fiance's mbp is an 8600gt model and has only recently failed and now it's outside of Apple's recall !!

2) The display has super high resolution, I think the colors may appear different if the brightness is a little lower than I have heard but IPS panel = good. The higher resolution needs more video card muscle to process which the GT650m seems to be handling OK. Keep in mind the higher the resolution for gaming the harder the card has to work to keep up so it will likely be necessary to bump down the resolution to keep up frame-rates.

The gt650m seems to be overclocked out the door so that may be a good or bad thing. Most GPU/CPU designs are made to withstand heat in spades but it takes a bit of field testing to see how they do long-term.

My limited in-store experience with the rMBP is that I don't really care for the premium on the screen - my eyes aren't the greatest and I have no usability issues with my 17". The 650m is a nice upgrade IMO but losing HDD and ram swappability are deal killers for me, I need tons of HDD space.

 

I'm just going to address #1.

First, pretty much any hardware issue you face with the mbp is going to warrant a trip to the apple store or an apple service center for them to fix, you're not going to be able to fix hardware issues that crop up. Hardware problems are also not extremely likely, but it is possible that you will end up in that situation.

Apple's warranty includes 90 days of phone support (it sounds like you don't need this) and 1 year of hardware coverage in case of failure from defect (not accidental damage).

If you buy AppleCare, you extend the phone support to 3 years, and the hardware coverage to 3 years.

If you don't buy AppleCare but you use a decent credit card on your purchase (american express, certain visas), the CC company will cover your hardware for one additional year (2 years total coverage).

If you live in certain countries, other rules may apply. In Italy, you're covered for two years by default.

 

So you're saying that if I bought a rMBP right now with no AppleCare, then the default warranty = 90 days of phone service and one year of hardware coverage IF the hardware was defective off production and not from me doing something stupid. All AppleCare does is increase that warranty to three years? It doesn't even cover accidental damage?

What kind of hardware issues are we talking about here? Wouldn't most hardware issues pop up within the first few months of use? What kind of hardware issues would take more than a year to discover?

 

Correct on the warranty stuff.

I'd only be concerned with long-term heat exposure and the effect on the cpu/gpu as they take the biggest beating. It's not like the cpu and gpu are apple made; Intel and Nvidia provide them to Apple for integration. Apple, Intel, and Nvidia generally knows what they are doing though. I gave my example of my fiance's 8600gt model mbp failing because it's failing after maybe 4 years of use; she never gamed on it (pushed the hardware) but it eventually failed and a few years back it was a pretty widespread issue. Apple apparently no longer covers the recall however so we are boned.

 

hardware issues can crop up at anytime, after 1 year I have had LVDS cables go, backlights go, hard drives go, an SSD go, a touchpad and a few motherboards go. ( not all on the same unit )

I tend to recommend Apple Care, as parts cost off warranty is a bit nuts. and I agree for the money no accidental protection is a bummer.

 

Oh yeah, I meant to include this information, just blanked. The likelihood of one or more components dying between the end of year 1 and the end of year 3 are pretty low. However, it can happen, and if it does, the repair costs can be catastrophic (the laptop can be "totalled" quite easily due to the high costs of parts and labor).

I would recommend just using a decent credit card and extending your warranty to 2 years.

AppleCare, the default warranty, and the CC extension options all do not include accidental damage coverage. You may be able to find accidental damage coverage from some other providers, other ppl here may have more info on that.

 

Unless Apple has changed something since I purchased my MBA in January, you don't have to buy AppleCare right away. You can buy it within one year of owning the Mac. That's what I did with my early 2011 13" MBP and what I plan on doing with my mid-2011 13" MBA. It helped a lot with the resell value of my MBP essentially netting me a total $200 loss despite owning it for a year. I wasn't as concerned about buying it with my MBP but I am for my MBA since it is just like the RMBP in that none of the parts are user serviceable (except for the mSATA SSD) and everything is built-in.

 

And Apple's warranty would cover that stuff? Even though it's not a defect from production but a defect birthed from regular use?

Also, so the Retina currently have no heating issues? That's pretty much my only real concern considering they've changed the vent/airflow on the new units.

 

Check here for temps:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/app...p-overclocking-results-gaming-benchmarks.html

 

Accidental damage implies that your action was the cause of the damage, and that it was preventable. If the motherboard just stops working, that is a defect from production. The motherboard is not supposed to just stop working. It is possible (but not extremely likely) that the motherboard or other components could stop working between year 1 and year 3. If you buy AppleCare, you are buying insurance against that possibility.

Accidental Damage examples:

- spill your glass of chocolate milk onto the laptop, seeps into the keyboard, fries the motherboard

- drop the laptop and the display cracks or the chassis gets bent out of shape

 

There are other alternatives to AppleCare that cover drops and spills. One such company is SquareTrade. I have not used them so I can't attest to their service. There are other companies.

The aftermarket policies for a rMBP look pretty high.

 

Just to clarify one of the previous posts, you can purchase AppleCare any time during the first year of ownership. You can also get it from an Apple-authorized reseller. The RRP of the plan is $349 (plus tax where applicable) for a 15-inch MBP when bought directly from Apple. The same plan is $244 from B&H Photo Video.


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So if you buy using a decent credit card, that will be $244 (+tax?) for one year of hardware coverage and 2.75 years of phone support (I never use this, your personal valuation for that service might be different)

 

When I bought mine from the apple store, the staff was saying, "RECOMMEND IS NOT A STRONG ENOUGH WORD FOR APPLECARE." Warranties extensions thrive on fear.

I passed. I used my Discover card, which extends it by a year. Most of my laptops (well, they're all been Dell/Alienware) either live forever, or die within the first couple months.

 

I'm definitely getting Apple Care with my Retina since I can't fix anything myself.

 

Thanks a lot guys. I'm probably not going to get AppleCare if I buy a Macbook. It's a nice incentive and all, but I've had three laptops (one Vaio, two HPs) and I've never had any hardware issues emerge from regular usage, although I know it's the luck of the draw. I'll probably just use a credit card and extend the warranty to two years and hope that that third year won't bite me in the butt. Thanks!

 

As enticing as Squaretrades pricing and services may look, I simply cant recommend them. Despite them to cover accidents, they still charged me $50 to replace my iphone's display after i cracked. The total cost with warranty being $30 than of i replaced it alone.

Same here. Almost feel like its a necessity due to the rmbp being a first gen product and the lack of replacability.

 

Seems like they are very upfront about that

"All Care Plans for new cell phones* include Accidental Damage from Handling (ADH) coverage, which protects them against drops, spills, and other accidents. There is a $50 deductible for any accidental damage claim."

Extended Warranty Coverage - Extended Insurance Coverage - Coverage Plans

 

ah snap. didnt read that part. well aside from the minor charge, square trade had a quick turn around for repairs. in which case $350 for 3 year warranty with accident doesnt seem too bad.

 

its still not the greatest compared to some mfgr warranties

now if a motherboard replacement is over $1K ( easy assumption as current MBP 17" exceeds this ) you will get one fix and second time prob paid out and told to get a new one

 

care to recommend any?

 

sofar HP business class here in Canada. ive only needed it a couple times on personal units, but one 8760w at work had had 5 repairs and 4 full replacements due to accidents when its been out of the office including drove over and smashed by a cement block.

they just show up in a day with a unit or the parts. the 4 year including accidental warranty is under $300 so cheap insurance

 

...Wouldn't that only be for HP computers?

 

I specified squaretrade vs actual manufacturer warranties in above posts. yes HP 3 - 5 year NBD w/acc is only for their business products

reread post 21 on

 

I've often considered adding this to my MBP. It's actually an insurance policy which covers stuff like fire damage and theft.

http://www.worthavegroup.com/

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I would always go for AppleCare.

Once you're ready to sell your laptop in order to replace it with better tech, warranty will keep the resell value quite high - especially with Macs.