When buying Mac Pro — should I get the Extended Protection play?

[Jeremy Garchow]

Yes, don’t even think about it, just do it.

Jeremy

[David Roth weiss]

Jeff,

Definitely get it, but see if they will make you a deal the policy. I was in a place recently and they told this one guy they couldn’t deal at all on the computer (thats typical), but they said they would give him the Applcare policy for $150 instead of $250. Its not a lot, but its better than a sharp stick…

DRW

[Bouncing Account needs new email address]

Everything I have ever read and from what I know from personal experience is that buying a “SERVICE PLAN” on anything is a waste of money.
Why would you buy it on a piece of gear that will be effectively obsolete in a year or so?

Isn’t the mfg. warranty strong enough?

I always ask people when they are buying a computer, WHY they are buying a computer.
They don’t say because the old one “broke”, they say because the old one is obsolete.

Like anything else, its a gamble that something will not go wrong, but my experience with Macs is such that I trust there will not be a problem that I (or the standard Apple warranty) can’t handle.

If there is a recurring problem, I’m surely making an overall “buying mistake” and having “given away” an extra $250 for an extended warranty on an unreliable pile of tech junk would be throwing away more money.

And that’s why I DO, in fact, “think about it” before paying extra for some company to “ensure” that their product actually perform in the manner promised.

In an electronics store, the “extended warranties” are often (virtually ALWAYS) just a “profit center” and the sales force (even ones who claim they are not on commission) get a huge percentage of that extra up-sell charge.
Why is something that is such a “rip-off” when buying, say, an answering machine, considered “good sense” when buying a Mac?

[David Roth weiss]

[Matte] “Why is something that is such a “rip-off” when buying, say, an answering machine, considered “good sense” when buying a Mac?”

Matte,

Because you’re running a business around your MAC.

Because its an expensible tax write off.

Because $250 is a small price to pay for security.

Because the Applecare policy adds to the resale value of the computer.

These are but a few reasons…

DRW

[Chris Babbitt]

Based on my own experience:

Mac Pro ….No

MacBook or MacBook Pro …. Probably

iPod … Definitely Yes

[Jeremy Garchow]

Since these machines are brand new I would not waste anymore time and I would buy Applecare. It’s a $250 insurance policy. You have to remember these are rev 1 hardware. If your iPod breaks, you are out $300, if you MacPro breaks you’re out 4 grand. Which one will you be able to buy back the day after it breaks? Also, unless you are a huge post house, this computer will last you longer than the one year manufacturers warranty. If something happens with the computer after a year, do you really want to pay to have it fixed when if you spent $250 when you bought it, that cost is taken care of? It’s really a no brainer to me. People are already having trouble with Ram risers in the MacPros, if they are having trouble now don’t you think that they might have trouble two years from now?

Spend the 250 and buy Applecare. If you don’t use it, do as David says and write it off.

Jeff, good luck and congratulations on your new purchase. I hope you have fun with it.

Jeremy

[David Bogie]

We have, as a matter of company policy, purchased AppleCare policies on every new Macintosh since about 1997 when we spent many thousands trying to repair a Media 100 system.

Of the 35 or more machines we’ve gone through since then, 15 needed some kind of work done on them that was covered by AppleCare. Not all of that work was defective product although we’ve had five power supplies fail after more than two years, five or six drives crashed and a few graphics cards fried. Most of the AppleCare we needed was caused directly by user error, requiring long hours on the phone with tech support, but it was all covered.

I’d say out of the roughly $10,000 (30x$300 per policy, avg.) we invested on AppleCare, we have received easily $15,000 in services and repairs.

You’re buying much more than insurance on possibly defective Apple hardware. Get someone to explain the coverage carefully to you so you know what you’d be getting and then you have to ask yourself, as you should with any insurance policy, what is the downside of NOT having the coverage? If you are in business, call your accountant before making a decision if it’s bothering you that much. You may find it is completely to your advantage to spend the money, tax-wise. But do not take our word for it.

bogiesan

This is my standard sigfile so do not take it personally: “For crying out loud, read the freakin’ manual.”

[Jeff Nelson]

They gave me a whopping 7% off the Extended Protection, so how could I refused, when faced with a savings $17.50??

Thanks for all the input. You may start to see me hanging around this board some, soon as my new goodies arrive!

[David Roth weiss]

[Jeff] “They gave me a whopping 7% off the Extended Protection, so how could I refused, when faced with a savings $17.50??”

Jeff,

With that $17.50 you and your significant other could have a really, really good meal at Denny’s and you fortuitously sit next to Steven Speilberg and then next thing you know you find yourself at the very pinnacle of success. So, that $232.50 may well have been the best investment you ever made…

DRW

[Jeff Nelson]

You think I’d be caught DEAD at Denny’s??

I actually *did* run into Spielberg and Katzenberg in a restaurant some years back, at the time Katzenberg was plotting his escape from Disney. The restaurant was actally owed by the two of them, Dive in Century City (which went out of biz — so not everything Spielberg touches turns to gold).

But I’m looking forward to stepping into the Mac light.

One thing I’m finding is that the people who are into Macs really emotional about it. People who buy PCs just try and get a powerful machine. People who are Macheads sing the praises and seem emotionally attached. Maybe soon I’ll discover why that is…