AppleCare: What Do I Get for All That Money, and Is It Worth It?

You’ve read all the articles on what kind of Mac you need, you’ve decided what software you’re going to buy, and you’re all ready to go pick up your brand new baby Mac.  I hate to tell you this, but hold it right there; You may be missing something.

Regardless of whether you’re at that point or are just getting started researching Apple’s line of Macs, iPods, or iPhones, you should look into getting a service plan that will take care of your Apple product when it gets sick.

AppleCare does just that. Don’t be confused, AppleCare is not an extended warranty or insurance or anything like that. It’s an extended service plan. That means the one-year of hardware support and 90 days of phone support that comes with every Mac is extended to cover your Mac for a full 3 years or your iPod for 2 years.

That’s great, but what exactly does AppleCare cover?

First, you get unlimited phone support for the length of your plan. Normally, this runs from $29 to $49 a call without AppleCare. This isn’t just support for hardware issues, but it’s also technical help on the operating system, any programs Apple produces, or any hardware troubleshooting you might encounter.

Next, you get the Geniuses. With any desktop Mac or Cinema Display a Genius will provide support on location. They’ll have all the parts and the knowledge to fix your machine. With laptops and the Mac Mini you get the same support, but instead of on location support you ship the machine in the mail free of charge (and it’s fast). In addition to all this you get TechTool Deluxe from Micromat to diagnose any problems you might have with software or hardware. That, in itself, is a $49 value.

Finally, AppleCare is global. Wherever you are. Whatever path you take in life. There will be a Genius to help you out. That includes support on location for desktop systems and local mail for sending in your laptop or Mac Mini. Phone support is also localized and carries over to anywhere you may be.

    Ok, so how much does it cost?

    Mac Mini.............................    $149
    iMac....................................    $169
    Mac Pro...............................    $249
    MacBook..............................    $249
    MacBook Pro........................    $349
    Apple Displays.....................    $99
    Apple TV.............................    $49
    iPod.....................................    $59
    iPod nano/shuffle................    $39


Not too bad considering some repairs could cost upwards of $1000 if you’re not covered under AppleCare as well as having to pay for shipping and handling.  You shouldn’t expect your Mac to crash. AppleCare covers the unexpected.  It also saves you money.  Not only will your Mac or iPod be covered for any hardware malfunctions, but also the resale value with AppleCare is considerably higher.

While the prices at Apple for AppleCare are cheap, you can find better prices on 3rd party sites. You should save $5-$20, but in my opinion it’s worth the money to just buy from Apple and save the hassle of setting up AppleCare on a machine that didn’t come with AppleCare initially.

When should I buy it?

You have a year to purchase AppleCare after the purchase date. I would recommend buying everything at once, but you might need some more time to save up the money for it. That’s when the extra year comes in handy. One thing to keep in mind, if you buy a machine and a cinema display at the same time they can both be covered for the price of the coverage for that machine. You don’t have to buy the $99 plan for just the cinema display.

I would buy at the same time you purchase your Mac or iPod because the coverage lasts 3 years from the date of purchase and not from when you actually buy the plan. If you’re like me you’ll forget to buy AppleCare within the first year and you’ll miss out on this great opportunity to protect your Mac or iPod.

My Advice: buy AppleCare: it’s worth the cost, it’s worth the coverage, and you won’t regret it.

Mike G. is an unrepentant Avid Mac-a-holic

Did this article help you figure out AppleCare? Do you have questions or opinions? Let us know in the Comments section below.

DIG DEEPER

MacBook/MacBook Pro Reliability Report from Macintouch 

Personal Stories
Three Years of Using a Mac (Was the AppleCare Worth It?) 
Is AppleCare Worth The Price? 

AppleCare links on Apple.com
The AppleCare Protection Plan 
Complimentary Support (what you get without AppleCare) 
AppleCare FAQs 

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